German colonial empire
The Military Honor Medal was typically awarded during wars when the Iron Cross was not. These conflicts included the wars of German Unification such as the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, Second Schleswig War in 1864, and Austro-Prussian War in 1866. Awards for military conflicts in the German colonial empire were made from 1896-1906. The Military Honor Medal could also be awarded to foreign troops, an example being 52 awards to Russian soldiers for service in China in 1902.