Military assistance corps

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The military assistance corps (also voluntary assistance body , voluntary assistance corps or assistance corps ) designated formations set up by the federal government in Austro-Fascist Austria and based on a military model for the purpose of supporting the armed forces and maintaining order.

The legal basis for this was an ordinance of May 26, 1933. With this, the Federal Government of Dollfuss practically anticipated the decision in the Geneva Conference on Disarmament , which in August 1933 allowed the establishment of an assistant corps, which was previously prohibited by the Treaty of Saint-Germain . In September 1933 the military assistant corps was declared part of the armed power of Austria in a provisional defense order and called up. 8,000 men now added to the armed forces to a level of 30,000, which allowed the creation of a seventh division .

The distinction between the armed forces and the military assistance corps was significant under international law , but not in the practice of the armed forces. The members of the assistant corps took the same oath of oath and were subject to the same regulations as armed forces soldiers, but their military service time , in contrast to them, lasted only five to six months instead of twelve. With a further obligation, she was able to extend her military service time by up to six months. Subsequently, they belonged to the Armed Power for the same period of time as "those on leave of absence ". After their service in the military assistance corps, particularly suitable persons could be accepted into the regular armed forces upon request.

Applications for the voluntary assistance corps were “morally, mentally and physically” suitable, single male citizens between 18 and 26 years of age, who spoke and written German, were at least 156 cm tall and committed to the democratic republic. Members of the assistance corps were offered a daily allowance of 50 groschen , food, barracks accommodation, military clothing and free medical treatment in the event of illness.

The staff of the regular armed forces (so-called B-team ) was now exclusively recruited from the assistant body ( A-team ). This had several advantages for the state: In the federal army, which is significantly more expensive for the state (daily allowance here: 5 shillings ), only people who had previously proven that they were qualified were accepted. Savings in personnel costs freed up budget for the purchase of more modern equipment (for example submachine guns were purchased for the infantry , a small number of armored vehicles and all -terrain caterpillar vehicles to replace pack animals ). Last but not least, the number of reservists increased significantly due to the short periods of service.

Statutory regulations have been passed that unemployed, disarmed members of the military assistance corps are given preferential treatment in the labor market.

In April 1936, was designed for 18- to 42-year-old men federal conscription called conscription introduced. An ordinance issued a little later stipulated that those found fit for military service ( D-men ) could be deployed in any part of the armed force for one year. The daily allowance for conscripts was set at 40 groschen.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Emmerich Tálos : The Austrofascist system of rule: Austria 1933–1938 (=  Politics and Contemporary History . Volume 8 ). 2nd Edition. LIT Verlag, Münster 2013, ISBN 978-3-643-50494-4 , p. 223 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  2. ^ Ordinance of the Federal Government of May 26, 1933, regarding the voluntary assistant body (1st assistant body ordinance) . In: BGBl . No. 201/1933 . Vienna May 31, 1933 ( online at ALEX ).
  3. ↑ a b Ordinance of the Federal Government of September 1, 1933, regarding provisional provisions on armed power (Military Transitional Ordinance) . In: BGBl . No. 392/1933 . Vienna September 2, 1933 ( online at ALEX ).
  4. ^ Ordinance of the Federal Minister for National Defense of September 3, 1933, regarding the republication of the Defense Act . In: BGBl . No. 393/1933 . Vienna September 4, 1933 ( online at ALEX ).
  5. ^ A b Alfred Jansa : Excerpt from the memoirs of FML Alfred Jansa . ( Chapter online at diemorgengab.at).
  6. ↑ G. d. I. Vaugoin : An army order to create the assistance corps . In: Güssinger Zeitung . September 17, 1933, p. 1 ( online at epa.oszk.hu (PDF; 9.21 MB)).
  7. ↑ a b Advertisements for the new military assistant corps . In: Güssinger Zeitung . September 17, 1933, p. 1–2 ( online at epa.oszk.hu (PDF; 9.21 MB)).
  8. ↑ Federal law, concerning the amendment of the provisions on the preferential employment of unemployed, disarmed members of the voluntary protection corps and the military assistance corps in the factories . In: BGBl . No. 172/1936 . Vienna May 30, 1936 ( online at ALEX ).
  9. ↑ Federal Constitutional Law on General Compulsory Service for Public Purposes (Federal Compulsory Service Act) . In: BGBl . No. 102/1936 . Vienna April 1, 1933 ( online at ALEX ).
  10. ^ Ordinance of the Federal Chancellor in agreement with the federal ministers involved, with which further provisions on general federal service are enacted (II. Ordinance on the Federal Compulsory Service Act) . In: BGBl . No. 285/1936 . Vienna August 22, 1933 ( online at ALEX ).