One-year volunteer

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Einjährig-Freiwilliger shoulder board insignia of the Imperial German Army, here in the 45th Field Artillery Regiment, 1899–1915

A one-year volunteer, short EF (de: Einjährig-Freiwilliger[1]), was, in a number of national armed forces, a conscript who agreed to pay his own costs for the procurement of equipment, food and clothing, in return for spending a shorter-than-usual term on active military service and the opportunity for promotion to Reserve Officers.[2]

The "one-year volunteer service" (de: Einjährig-Freiwilligen-Dienst) was first introduced 1814 in Prussia and was inherited by the German Empire from 1871 until 1918. It was also used by the Austro-Hungarian Army, from 1868 until 1918, and the Austro-Hungarian Navy. One-year volunteers also existed in the national armies of Bavaria, France and Russia.

Prussia and Bavaria

In the

Wilhelm II.[3]
Eligibility for the one-year route of military service was a privilege conferred after examination of the enlistee's suitability and academic qualifications.

On completing their primary

recruit training, those aspiring to become Reserve Officers would have to qualify and demonstrate suitability for promotion to the Gefreiter ("Lance Corporal") rank, and would then continue to receive further specialized instruction until the end of their one-year term, usually attaining and leaving as überzählige Unteroffiziere ("Supernumerary Corporals") with the opportunity to advance further as Reservists. Enlistees who did not aspire to officer grade would leave at the end of their one-year term as Gemeine[4] (Ordinary soldier) enlisted rank (for example Musketier or Infanterist) and a six-year reserve duty obligation.[3]

In 1868 the Bavarian Army, reforming after the loss against Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War, created One-year volunteers as well.[5] Like the Prussians the status was marked by twisted wool piping in the national colours (blue and white); here attached to the shoulder pads that would soon be exchanged for shoulder boards.[6]

German Empire

Einjährig-Freiwilliger chevron of the Imperial German Navy

When the

epaulettes or the strap of shoulder scales.[7]

One-year volunteers also existed in the Imperial German Navy, their status shown by a down-turned double chevron in the national colours black, silver (instead of white) and red on the left shoulder sleeve.[8]

Austria

Tunic of a one-year volunteer corporal in the 1st Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army

The

Austrian Bundesheer still recruits their reserve officers from one-year volunteers. It also uses this means to assess the suitability of aspirant officers to begin specialized studies in "military command and control" (C2) at the Theresian Military Academy in the Wiener Neustadt
.

References

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  1. ^ Langenscheidt's Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: „Der Große Murat-Sander“, Part II German-English First Volume A–K, 9th edition 2002, p. 449
  2. ^ Brockhaus, The Encyclopedia in 24 volumes (1796–2001), Volume 6: 3-7653-3666-1, page 172
  3. ^ a b Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th Edition, Volume 6, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1885–1892, Page 659. in German
  4. ^ Duden; Definition of "Gemeine", in German. [1]
  5. ISBN 9789027272584
    .
  6. ^ Hoffmann, Richard (1868). Der einjährige Freiwillige im bayerischen Heere (in German). Bamberg: Verlag der Buchner'schen Buchhandlung. p. 28.
  7. ^ Die Uniformen der Deutschen Armee, Teil 2 (in German). Leipzig: Verlag Moritz Ruhl. 1885. pp. 7, Table 15, Table 16.
  8. ^ Die Uniformen der Deutschen Marine (in German). Leipzig: Verlag Moritz Ruhl. 1887. p. 35.
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