Ranks of the German Army (German Empire)
The German Empire did not have a single land army . Rather, the armies of the four largest federal states ( Prussia , Bavaria , Saxony and Württemberg ) continued to exist . However, equipment and army organization were based on the example of Prussia except for certain deviations in badges and equipment, and in the Bavarian units also in the color of the cloth. The army contingents of the smaller principalities and the Hanseatic cities were already integrated into the Prussian army before 1870, those of Baden and Hesse in the course of the establishment of the empire in 1871 . These troops wore Prussian uniforms and had their own state cockade as the only distinguishing feature on their helmets and hats, in addition to the Reich cockade (black-white-red). The supreme command was with the emperor , who was King of Prussia in the Realunion . However, the Bavarian army only came under imperial command in the event of war.
After the establishment of the Empire, the rank designations of the other contingents gradually followed the Prussian example listed here.
Teams
- Riflemen , fusiliers , grenadiers , musketeers , infantrymen (Bavaria), soldiers (Saxony), hunters , dragoons , hussars , cuirassiers , lancers , gunners , drivers, etc. (soldiers of the guard units had the rank of guard fusilier, guard grenadier, etc.) wore no special badges.
- Corporal contributed since 1853 on both sides of a collar coat of arms button, which was similar to the sergeant, but was smaller.
- Corporal , who were only available in the foot artillery , wore the sergeant's button and the sergeant's tassel or knuckle strap on the side rifle (bayonet or saber).
Additional badges:
- One-year-old volunteers wore twisted woolen cord in the national colors along the edge of the shoulder boards.
- Capitulants wore a narrow wool braid in the national colors across the lower edge of the epaulets, a bayonet tassel or a saber strap in the national colors (similar to the NCO badge).
Note: The one-year volunteer and the surrender were not ranks, but military service volunteers. The special badges were not taken off in the event of possible promotions.
NCOs
NCOs without portepee
- Non-commissioned officers and chief hunters (hunters' troops) wore a braid made of silver or gold metal around the collar edge and the cuffs, a bayonet tassel or a rider's saber knuckle strap in the national colors (e.g. black and white for Prussia , white and blue for Bavaria ) on the side gun and since 1875 the peaked cap.
- Sergeants wore the badges of the NCOs and also the sergeant button with the state coat of arms embossed (e.g. the Prussian eagle or the Bavarian lion).
- Ensigns (since January 1, 1899 , previously: Portepee-Ensigns ) wore the badges of the NCOs and additionally the portepee on the side rifle and the officer's cockade on the headgear.
Note: The (portepee) ensign was a candidate for a career officer ( Avantageur , since January 1, 1899: Fahnenjunker ). Before being promoted to (portepee) ensign, the avantageur / ensign wore the team uniform. After passing the ensign examination and at least six months of service, the avantageur / ensign was promoted to (portepee) ensign. Now he put on the sergeant's uniform with the additional badges mentioned above. After passing the officer's examination, the (portepee) ensign was authorized to carry an officer's sidearm (sword, saber, pistol); at the same time he moved up to the non-commissioned officers with portepee (colloquially "sword-ensign").
NCOs with portepee
- Deputy Sergeants and Deputy Sergeants wore the badges of the sergeants and additionally the officer's side weapon with portepee on the team belt, the officers' buttons and the officer's cockade on the headgear.
- (Portepee) ensigns ("swords-ensigns") wore the badges of the vice sergeants, but without braids and sergeant buttons on the collar. They also wore the officer's sidearm and wore an officer's overcoat with team shoulder flaps (then the sidearm stuck through the left skirt for foot troops, buckled under for mounted troops) and officer's cockades on the headgear.
- Sergeants and sergeants wore the badges of the vice sergeants. Since 1889 the company sergeants (budget sergeants) wore a second, narrow braid made of woven metal over the cuffs, for which the Reichswehr used the term "piston rings".
- Deputy officers wore the badges of the vice sergeants, but had a metal braid around their epaulets and wore the officer's headgear.
Note: From 1893 onwards, the newly introduced blouse-like Litewka came into use with angular braids. Instead of the usual rank badges on the left upper arm, the open angles of private and non-commissioned officers were worn as follows:
- Private: a corner of the cloth;
- NCO: a metal braid;
- Sergeant: two corner braids, the outer one being a metal braid, the inner one a cloth corner;
- Vice Sergeant: two metal angle braids;
- Sergeant: three metal angle braids.
From 1915 the number plate was worn again on the M 15 field blouse.
Winkeltressen was also created by the protection troops in the German colonies, but in a slight modification to the way they were worn in Germany. On the left upper arm, the upwardly open angles were worn as follows:
- Private: no angle;
- NCO: a metal braid;
- Sergeant: two metal angle braids;
- Vice Sergeant: three metal angle braids;
- Sergeant: four metal angle braids.
Officers
The officers had different shoulder badges depending on their suit. A distinction was made between epaulettes and armpit pieces.
Subaltern officers
- Sergeants ' lieutenants wore the badges of the vice sergeants and also the armpits of the lieutenant.
- Lieutenant (since January 1, 1899, previously: Second-Lieutenant ) wore armpits made of eight silver flat cords or epaulettes without fringes and a star.
- Oberleutnante (previously: Premier-Lieutenant ) wore the badge of the lieutenant and also a square, pointed gold star.
Captains and captains
- Captains and (in the cavalry and other mounted units, e.g. train ) Rittmeister wore the badge of the lieutenant, but with two gold stars.
Staff officers
The epaulettes of the staff officers had narrow fringes on the edge, the cords of the armpits were not next to each other, but were braided from silver flat cords.
- Major : no star.
- Lieutenant Colonel : a gold star.
- Colonel / Marshal : two gold stars.
Generals
The generals' epaulettes had wide fringes (so-called cantilles), and the shoulder pieces were plaited from gold and silver flat cords.
- Major General : no star.
- Lieutenant General : one star.
- General of the infantry, cavalry or artillery: two stars (as characterized field marshal also two crossed marshal's baton).
- Colonel General : like Major General, but three stars arranged in a triangular pyramid (as characterized General Field Marshal also two crossed marshal's baton).
- Colonel General with the rank of General Field Marshal (rank introduced on January 23, 1911 ): four stars (arranged in a square).
- Field Marshal General : two crossed marshal's baton .
Note: Colonel General with the rank of General Field Marshal was a personal honorary title. The General Field Marshal , which had been awarded until then, corresponded to him .
literature
- Herbert Knötel: Uniform Studies - The German Army - Peace Uniforms at the outbreak of the World War. I. Text vol. II. And III. Table floor. 2nd edition Stuttgart 1982.
- Georg Ortenburg, Ingo Prömper: Prussian-German uniforms from 1640-1918 , (Orbis Verlag), Munich 1991.
- Paul Pietsch: The formation and uniforming history of the Prussian army. Berlin 1912, or 2nd edition Hamburg 1963.