Barras
The term Barras has been used in the language of soldiers since around 1870 to refer to the army, the military , and in Germany less often to the Bundeswehr , as Barras was primarily a synonym for the Wehrmacht . In the expression zum Barras must = be drafted for military service, Barras specifically stands for compulsory military service .
The origin of the expression is uncertain. It is believed that it is derived from the French statesman Paul François Jean Nicolas Vicomte de Barras . At the time of the introduction of compulsory military service (France was the first country in Europe), he was one of the directors who presided over the republic with four others , and was the leading figure in this body from 1797. Before that, the soldiers had been recruited with bonuses. “To have to go to the Barras” (do military service) could therefore go back to him. However, the expression is unknown in France itself.
Another explanation derives the expression from Yiddish : there, “baras” describes a type of flat bread that served as food for the soldiers. According to a further interpretation, the military would then be the place where people earn their living.
Today, the expression is mainly used in Bavarian , Palatinate , Ruhr German , Swabian , Alemannic and Austria , i.e. in areas that provided soldiers for the Grande Armée at the time.
various
In 2000, the British led Special Air Service in Sierra Leone , the operation Barras by, during which a group of Royal Irish Rangers , under UN served-Flag, was freed from the hands of rebels.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ At Special Air Service (SAS) - Operation Barras - Sierra Leone. on: eliteukforces.info.