Cadet schools (Austria-Hungary)

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In Austria-Hungary , the cadet schools (also cadet institutions ) were part of the "military education and training institutions". They were intended to impart to their pupils, in addition to their general education, the theoretical knowledge that the officer needed to carry out his profession and for further training.

The way in which they had to fulfill this task, however, changed over the course of their history through reforms in the training of junior officers.

1852 to 1869

Around 1859 there were four cadet institutes in Austria for 200 pupils each, divided into four years.

The pupils were admitted between the completed 11th and not yet 12th year of age, and they also had to have the content of the 4th grade of a normal school. Knowledge of German was not necessary; non-German speakers received additional lessons in the German language during the first year.

After successfully completing the fourth year of the Cadeten Institute, he switched to one of the three military academies :

Pupils with poor progress in their training were either released from the cadet institutes or, as an exception, transferred from each of the first three years to the next year of a higher education center and from the last year directly to an infantry school company.

1869 to 1918

Cadet School - 1907

So far, the pupils of the Cadet Institutes have only been prepared for attending the military academies, where they first received their officer training. From now on, the pupils had the choice of the path to officer rank: cadet school or military academy. It was also possible for soldiers who had already been deployed to train to become officers.

Distinction cadet
Imperial Coat of Arms of the Empire of Austria.svg One-year volunteer cadet (kuk) 1908-14.png Kuk Kadett 1914-18.png Kadett kk mountain troop 1914-18.png
Annual volunteer Cadet from 1914 Mountain troops from 1914

Pupils and frequenters

Students of the cadet schools who have not yet been sworn in were referred to as pupils. After leaving the cadet schools, they entered the officer's career as officer candidates with the rank of non-commissioned officer. Until 1891, only those graduates from the cadet schools who had passed their training with “very good” carried the rank of "Cadet Officer Deputy"; after 1891, however, all graduates. The rank of "Cadet Officer Deputy " was renamed " Ensign " in 1908 .

Frequenters were already sworn ("assent") soldiers of all degrees . They either volunteered for service or were in the military because of their conscription. An immaculate conduite ( job description ) and the required previous education were required for admission . For many of them, this was an opportunity to still be able to complete the training that had been abandoned for various reasons, provided that this was not done for disciplinary reasons.

The promotion of the frequentants to real non-commissioned officers' batches as well as the awarding of titular batches was limited to the fourth-year students, so that due to the year-round classification in the third and the six-month degree in the fourth year

  • in the case of excellent and very good overall success, the real or titular sergeant (sergeant, fireworks) batch;
  • with good overall success the titular platoon leader batch;
  • if the overall success is sufficient, the real or titular corporal batch

could be awarded.

Those frequenting the artillery and pioneer cadet school, who had graduated from the second year with excellent or very good success, were awarded the titular corporal charge when they advanced to the third year.

With the beginning of the school year 1893 / 1894 aspirants were left out of the troop level in the kuk cadet schools. One of the reasons for this measure were protests by the parents of pupils against the great age difference between the pupils and frequenters who were trained together.

(In the following, no distinction is made between pupils and frequenters!)

Years and new admissions

According to “The kk cadet schools as military education and training institutions. Admission Conditions (1889) ” , the infantry, artillery and engineer cadet schools each had four years, the cavalry cadet school three years.

Preparatory courses from 1900

A decree of February 17, 1900 enabled those interested in a cadet school to attend a one and a half year preparatory course.

The allocation to these preparatory courses was decided by the assessment of the entrance exam (“suitable”, “not suitable”, “application for preparatory course”).

The first such preparatory courses were in the school year 1900/ 1901 to the infantry cadet schools Prague and Lviv erected.

Infantry cadet schools

For admission to the first, second or third year of an infantry cadet school, successful attendance of the four, five or six lowest classes of a grammar school or a secondary school was expected. For inclusion in the fourth year they demanded the successful visit of an upper secondary school or a secondary school .

Engineer and artillery cadet schools

For the pioneer and artillery cadet schools, the condition for admission to the first year was attending a secondary school or a grammar school or the corresponding year of an educational institution equivalent to these schools. For the second year, the complete attendance of an upper secondary school or an upper grammar school or an educational institution equivalent to these schools was necessary. There were no direct new admissions in the two upper years.

Cavalry Cadet School

There was no first year in the cavalry cadet school in Mährisch Weißkirchen , only a second, third and fourth year. The training therefore only lasted three years.

In order to be accepted into the second year of the cavalry cadet school, the completion of the five lower classes was necessary. Candidates who wanted to be admitted to the cavalry cadet school, but did not yet meet this condition, could enter the first year of an infantry cadet school with the dedication to transfer to the cavalry cadet school.

The prerequisite for entry into the third year were the six lower classes of a Realschule or a Gymnasium or an educational institution equivalent to these schools. In order to be admitted to the fourth year, an upper secondary school or an upper grammar school or an educational establishment equivalent to these schools had to be completed in full. In addition, these applicants had to be able to demonstrate a certain skill in riding.

School fees

The school fees were staggered. The sons of officers and military officials were preferred. There was no exemption from paying the half-yearly tuition in advance at the receiving cadet school and no reimbursement of sums paid in the event of leaving school. The school commanders could, however, allow payment in installments .

  • Sons of officers of the reserve and the inactive Landwehr, of officers in the ratio “out of service”, then of court and civil state officials and of court and civil state officials: 60 guilders per year.
  • Sons of all other Austrian or Hungarian citizens: 120 guilders per year.

For sons of the last two groups, the school fees were 30 and 60 guilders, respectively, provided they were admitted to an artillery or pioneer cadet school.

Equitation money

The pupils or frequenters of the cavalry cadet school in Mährisch Weißkirchen also had an amount of 100 guilders at the beginning of the second year (i.e. when starting school), and at the beginning of the third and fourth year an amount of 200 guilders in the equitation fund of the school for the procurement of riding horses and other equipment for riding lessons. In justified cases, this amount could be reduced to 50 and 100 guilders for the sons of officers and military officials.

curriculum

The curriculum included

The number of pupils was very different in the individual schools and was between 120 and 280 people.

location

There were a total of 18 infantry cadet schools, two artillery and one pioneer and cavalry cadet schools at various locations - but not always at the same time.

Infantry cadet schools

Imperial and Royal Infantry Cadet School Graz Liebenau (around 1900).

The infantry cadet schools were in

The pupils of the infantry cadet schools were trained for service with the infantry and hunter troops.

Pupils who wanted to join the medical service came to their own department at the Infantry Cadet School in Pressburg. They completed the first and second years together with the pupils for the infantry troops, in the third and fourth years they received instruction in their specialist subjects.

Pupils who wanted to join the Train Troop were given a separate department at the Infantry Cadet School in Prague. They completed the first and second years together with the pupils for the infantry troops, in the third and fourth years they received instruction in their specialist subjects.

Pupils who wanted to join the Royal Hungarian Horse Breeding Institutions were admitted to the specialist course of the “Royal Hungarian Veterinary Institute” according to the provisions of the “Regulations for the Supplement of the Officer's Corps in the k. Hungarian Horse Breeding Institutions ”trained in the first three years of the Budapest Infantry Cadet School.

The pupils wore the team uniform of Infantry Regiment Number 1 ("Kaiser"), as did the pupils of the "Medical Department" in Pressburg. The pupils of the "train department" in Prague wore the team uniform of the train troops.

Cavalry Cadet School

The pupils of the cavalry cadet school were trained to serve in the cavalry.

As a uniform, the pupils wore the team uniform of the hussar regiment number 1 (Attila after the cut of the summer attila of the officers with cords made of sheep wool).

Artillery Cadet School

Artillery Cadet School Traiskirchen, with the Schneeberg in the background

In October 1900, the construction of a new kuk artillery cadet school began in Traiskirchen, which in 1907 replaced the previous artillery cadet school in the Vienna arsenal .

The pupils of the artillery cadet school were trained to serve in the artillery.

As a uniform, the pupils wore the team uniform of the fortress artillery (but with smooth buttons).

Pioneer Cadet School

The pupils of the pioneer cadet school were trained for service in the pioneer, railroad and telegraph regiments as well as for service with the infantry and fighter troops.

As a uniform, the pupils wore the team uniform of the pioneer regiment.

Transformation of the cadet schools

Since it was planned to train the next generation of officers in the academies, some of the cadet schools were closed in 1913 and converted into military high schools. It is not known whether the pupils concerned were able to continue their training at the previous location and only no new admissions took place or were transferred to other cadet schools.

Passing the cadet test without completing a cadet school

In order to become an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army, one did not necessarily have to go through the military school system of the Danube Monarchy.

Admission

The possibility of taking the cadet test without having completed a cadet school was open to NCOs, corporations and soldiers of the army, as well as civil status.

  • NCOs, private and soldiers had to be very well trained.
  • Civil status persons had to meet the legal requirements for voluntary entry into the army. Foreign civilians also required the very highest (imperial) permit to join the army.

In addition, the applicants had to have been unmarried and had to demonstrate a flawless past life and academic qualifications by means of legal school reports .

At the cadet school at which they wanted to take the cadet examination, the aspirants had to take part in the mapping exercises before the examination. They were exempt from these exercises only if the cadet exam was held during a war.

exam

The aspirants had to take an examination of the prescribed scope from all subjects in the curriculum of the relevant cadet school.

  • Civil status aspirants were exempted from the examination for "Exercise and Training in Troop Service"; proof of skills in gymnastics , fencing , riding and driving was not mandatory for these aspirants.

The theoretical test was to be held in German as the service language of the army.

Appointment as a cadet

After passing the cadet examination, NCOs, private and soldiers were appointed cadets immediately, aspirants of marital status only after the notification and the relevant notification to be submitted directly to the Reich War Ministry from the relevant supplementary district command .

NCOs who had already been tried and tested in the troop service could be appointed as deputy cadet officers, provided that their status allowed it.

Landwehr Cadet School

There was also a Landwehr cadet school in Vienna for the active state of the Landwehr and the Ludovika Academy in Budapest for the Royal Hungarian Landwehr .

literature

  • “ The imperial-royal military educational institutions with special regard to the regulations for entry into the same. Compiled from the most highly sanctioned regulations for the Imperial and Royal Military Educational Institutions ”, published by LW Seidel & Sohn, Imperial and Royal Court Booksellers, Vienna, 1859
  • " The Imperial and Royal Cadet Schools as Military Educational and Educational Institutions - Admission Conditions ", published by LW Seidel & Sohn, Imperial and Royal Court Booksellers, Vienna, 1889
  • “ Regulation on taking the cadet test without having previously completed a cadet school from 1899 ”, printed and published by the kk Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna
  • Gerhard Janaczek: Efficient Officirs and Righteous Men. A historical journey through pictures to the military educational institutions of the k. (U.) K. Monarchy. Vitalis Verlag , Prague 2007, ISBN 978-3-89919-080-9 .
  • Klaus Johann: Limit and stop: The individual in the “House of Rules”. To German-language boarding school literature. Universitätsverlag Winter, Heidelberg 2003, (= contributions to recent literary history. 201.), ISBN 3-8253-1599-1 . Pp. 217-249. (Chapter "On the historical and literary-historical context: the cadet institutions and the cadet literature - transfiguration and indictment" )

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Daily news. (...) Dissolution of cadet schools. In:  Tages-Post , No. 189/1907 (XLIII. Volume), August 20, 1907, p. 3, bottom left. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / tpt.
  2. ^ History of the BEA-Liebenau

Remarks

  1. ↑ Used as barracks after it was closed. - See: Individual records for the Trieste Infantry Cadet School .
    The (no longer existing) school buildings were located on the south-eastern edge of the arsenal site (today: Lilienthalgasse 9, 9A, 9B) and enclosed on three sides the arsenal church (restored after 1945) .
  2. ^ In November 1918 the artillery cadet school was closed and converted into a state foundation school; In 1920 it became a federal educational institution . - See: Oliver Kühschelm (Hrsg.), Ernst Langthaler (Hrsg.), Stefan Eminger (Hrsg.): Lower Austria in the 20th century . Volume 3: Culture . Böhlau, Vienna (among others) 2008, ISBN 978-3-205-78247-6 , p. 61, text online .