Metalen Kruis 1830-1831 met blauw-geel lint after 1832

This is the Metal Cross 1830-1831 with blue-yellow ribbon. An unknown maker produced it sometime around 1831. This medal commemorates a very specific historical event, namely the Ten Days’ Campaign, the last military operation of the Dutch against the Belgian Revolution. This was a time of great upheaval in the Netherlands, and this medal represents the Dutch monarchy’s attempt to assert its authority. We see this assertion of authority in the imagery on the cross itself, most obviously in the prominent ‘W’ which stands for King William I of the Netherlands. By claiming the cross for himself in this way, William is seeking to tie his own legitimacy to the military campaign. The cross thus provides a fascinating insight into the way institutions of state power, such as the military, are symbolically linked to a specific ruler. By studying objects such as this, historians can gain a better understanding of the social and institutional history of the Netherlands in the 19th century.