Kaiser Karl, 1917

The monarch’s portrait and name appeared on many cap badges, he was very popular among the soldiers. The crew, sworn to the ruler, regarded the him as their highest commander, to whom they owed unwavering loyalty up till the end. Karl was popular also earlier as heir to the throne and as a military leader. Of the military leaders of the Great War, the most cap badges were made for him.

In this post, one of the largest and most representative badges is our topic. The basis of the badge is the oak leaf that decorated the soldiers’ caps on parades. It shows the coat of arms of the empire and the initial of the ruler’s name. Despite the large size and weight, the insignia was worn on the field cap in the usual place on the left side, as shown in the picture.