by Hans Runge

The Wehrmacht issued several decrees temporarily blocking the issuing of awards during the war, either for specific awards or more general blocks, the known ones are listed below.

- The OBdW postponed, and thereby temporarily blocked, the awarding of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for "remarkable services in troop leadership" between 3 August 1940 and 16 March 1941.
- The OBdW blocked the awarding of the German Cross in Silver from 3 May 1944 until 8 June 1944.
- The OKW stopped the treatment of proposals for awarding soldiers missing in action or soldiers captured by the enemy from 2 August 1944 on.
- The OKW barred by decree the awarding of the German Cross in Gold for "multiple remarkable services in troop leadership" from 10 March 1945 on.
- The Reichspresident in office (2-23 May 1945) and supreme commander of the Wehrmacht (1-9 May 1945) Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz decreed a general stop of awarding and advancement from 11 May 1945, 24:00 h, on.