General Olof Gerhard Thörnell was a senior Swedish Army officer. Thörnell's military career spanned several promotions and roles within the Swedish Army. He began as a lieutenant in the Uppland Regiment in 1900, later graduating from the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1906 and rising to the rank of captain. After teaching at the Army Staff College, he served as a captain in the Älvsborg Regiment. He then returned to the General Staff, quickly climbing the ranks to become a major and later a lieutenant colonel.

The Order of Merit of the German Eagle was an award of the German Nazi regime, predominantly to foreign diplomats. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. It ceased to be awarded following the collapse of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in Europe. The wearing of the Order of Merit of the German Eagle is prohibited in the Federal Republic of Germany.