Standschützen
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The ''Standschützen'' (singular: ''Standschütze'' The
German noun The nouns of the German language have several properties, some unique. As in many related Indo-European languages, German nouns possess a grammatical gender; the three genders are masculine, feminine, and neuter. Words for objects without obviou ...
''Standschütze'' is a so-called
nominal composition In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme (less precisely, a word or sign) that consists of more than one stem. Compounding, composition or nominal composition is the process of word formation that creates compound lexemes. Compounding occurs ...
, composed of the nouns ''Stand-'' (en = social position, standing, status) and ''-Schütze'' (en = rifle man). In the Imperial-Royal Austria (e.g. Vorarlberg and Tirol) it referred to members of the ''Schützenstand'' (en = rifle guild) or a ''Schützenverein'' (en = shooting club). ''Standschützen'' were skilled in precision shooting and often volunteered for deployments in a k.k. Standschützen units.
) were originally rifle guilds and rifle companies that had been formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, and were involved time and again in military operations within the borders of the Austrian
County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised ...
. A ''Standschütze'' was a member of a ''Schützenstand'' ("shooting club"), into which he was enrolled,''enrolliert'' is the Austrian military jargon for "enrolled" (from the
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intel ...
''enroller'').
which automatically committed him to the voluntary, military protection of the state of
Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
(and
Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with th ...
). In effect they were a type of Tyrolean local
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
or home guard. Even though the regular army was already stationed in the Tyrol and Vorarlberg, voluntary ''Standschützen'' were often called up, for example in the
War of the First Coalition The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French Republic that suc ...
of 1796–1797, the
revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire The Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire were a set of revolutions that took place in the Austrian Empire from March 1848 to November 1849. Much of the revolutionary activity had a nationalist character: the Empire, ruled from Vienna, incl ...
, the Austro-Sardinian War of 1859 and the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
of 1866. The highlights of their military involvement, however, were undoubtedly their struggle for freedom under
Andreas Hofer Andreas Hofer (22 November 1767 – 20 February 1810) was a Tyrolean innkeeper and drover, who in 1809 became the leader of the Tyrolean Rebellion against the Napoleonic and Bavarian invasion during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subs ...
against their Bavarian and French occupiers, culminating in the Battles of Bergisel, and their mobilization during the First World War. The origins of the ''Standschützen'' are found in the '' Landlibell'', a deed issued by Emperor Maximilian I dating to 1511, and a decree by Archduchess
Claudia de' Medici Claudia de' Medici (4 June 1604 – 25 December 1648) was Regent of the Austrian County of Tyrol during the minority of her son from 1632 until 1646. She was a daughter of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Christina of Lorraine. ...
of 1632, in which each Tyrolean judicial district had an obligation to provide volunteers, capable of acting as fighting men, the number to be determined in each case depending on the threat, in order to form of a '' Landwehr'' for the defence of the state.


Development

In the late 19th century, the hitherto independent militia rifle companies were placed under command of the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and sponsored and supported as sources of manpower that could be utilized for the territorial defence of the state. The now officially titled ''Standschützen'' were given the opportunity to practise shooting under better conditions than before in order to be prepared to defend their homeland in a crisis. The National Defence Act of 1887 specified that organizations formed for territorial defence were henceforth to be regarded as part of the armed forces, and were to be divided into the ''Standschützen'', supplemented by new firing ranges, and the ''
Landsturm In German-speaking countries, the term ''Landsturm'' was historically used to refer to militia or military units composed of troops of inferior quality. It is particularly associated with Prussia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Sweden and the Nethe ...
''. With the enactment of regulations (§ 17) in the National Defence Act for Tyrol and Vorarlberg on 25 May 1913 and the law relating to firing range regulations (same date), the ''Schießstände'' (literally "firing ranges" but referring to the shooting clubs with their enrolled members) and all other entities of a military character (veterans and military societies) became liable for ''
Landsturm In German-speaking countries, the term ''Landsturm'' was historically used to refer to militia or military units composed of troops of inferior quality. It is particularly associated with Prussia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Sweden and the Nethe ...
'' service. From this point on, every registered ''Standschütze'' was committed to ''Landsturm'' duty; he was no longer regarded as a volunteer. Only those ''Standschützen'' enlisting after mobilization retained the title of "volunteer". Discharge from the militia was prevented by law from August 1914. From that date, the ''Standschützen'' were regarded as regular troops by the Hague Convention.Ludwig Wiedemayr: ''Weltkriegschauplatz Osttirol. Die Gemeinden an der Karnischen Front im östlichen Pustertal.'' Nearchos, Archäologisch-militärhistorische Forschungen, Vol. 2. Osttiroler Bote Medienunternehmen, Lienz, 2007, . They could only be deployed in their own country and used to defend the country's borders. However, this stipulation was not observed in the last years of the war.


Formation

The formation of a ''Schießstand'' or shooting club could be carried out if there were at least 20 eligible men from one or more neighbouring villages or districts. Every Tyrolese and Vorarlberg male over 17 years of age who was physically and mentally fit to shoot was eligible. It was mandatory for every member to participate in at least four exercises per year and to fire at least 60 shots on each occasion as part of a proper training plan. These shooting clubs had no military importance in peacetime. The ''Standschützen'' had the right to elect their own
officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
s (which, to many serving officers, was a thorn in the side). The men first elected all the officers, initially to the rank of lieutenant. The officers then elected, from amongst themselves, the
captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
and the
company commander A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 250 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons. The exact organization of a company varies by countr ...
and they, in turn, elected the
major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...
as battalion commander. The highest rank was major because
Andreas Hofer Andreas Hofer (22 November 1767 – 20 February 1810) was a Tyrolean innkeeper and drover, who in 1809 became the leader of the Tyrolean Rebellion against the Napoleonic and Bavarian invasion during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subs ...
was only a ''Standschützen'' major and no one was intended or allowed to be placed above him. The result of the election had to be notified to the military chain of command and confirmed by "His Majesty". Only in the rarest cases, was this rejected, as in the case of ''Standschützen'' officer who had been convicted and demoted years before to six months imprisonment. The officers of the ''Standschützen'' had the same ranks as the regular army and a ''Standschützen'' command was the equivalent of a command in the army, even if it was commanded by an officer of lower rank. The officers of the ''Standschützen'' wore as rank badges the star rosettes of military officers in goldwork on grass-green gorgets in the same pattern as that of the other members of their
arm of service Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation' ...
. Overall, there were 65,000 riflemen (''Standschützen'') in 444 ''Schießständen'' in
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
,
East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
,
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and Welsch Tyrol.


Garrison and recruiting locations

The following tables show the location of the garrison and recruiting areas for the various ''Standschützen'' units. The abbreviation "k.k." stands for " Imperial-Royal".


Welschtirol


Vorarlberg


First World War


Preparation and mobilization

At the beginning of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the three
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
s of ''Landesschützen'' were transferred to the Russian front, although, according to the letter of the law, they should only have been used to defend the
Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
. As a result, in Tyrol, the only trained troops available to protect the border with
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
were two fully effective
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s (No. X
march battalion A march battalion (french: Bataillon de Marche, , it, Battaglione di marcia or ) is a military unit comprising replacement and support personnel, usually for a regiment or brigade-sized formation. The term rear echelon – especially in the armi ...
of the 59th Infantry (''K.u.k. Salzburgisch-Oberösterreichisches Infanterie-Regiment „Erzherzog Rainer“ Nr. 59'') and the Tyrolean Ist ''Landsturm'' Battalion. A further 19 battalions were only partially effective. The Tyrol defence command soon began to distrust "neutral" Italy. Since the ''Standschützen'', who were liable to call-up, had already been mobilized and were no longer available, the remaining, non-liable ''Standschützen'' were rapidly trained in military skills. These included, for example, disabled or otherwise discharged ''
Kaiserjäger The ''Kaiserjäger'' (officially designated by the Imperial and Royal (''k.u.k.'') military administration as the ''Tiroler Jäger-Regimenter'' or "Tyrolean Rifle Regiments"), were formed in 1895 as four normal infantry regiments within the Comm ...
'' or ''Landesschützen'' riflemen. Training took place in the national costume or shooting jackets; in addition the men had to furnish their own
hunting rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with bo ...
s. Their initial tasks involved guard duties at military installations and on bridges or the like. Since no uniforms were available, black and yellow armbands were made. Training was not easy. In particular, the younger conscripts, who had not yet received any regular military training, but also the elderly, who had not done any military service for decades, gave their leaders headaches. The youngest rifleman was just 14 years old;and ''Standschützen'' under 17 years old were only allowed in to be employed on duties in the rear area. the oldest was over 80.''Das Standschützenwesen''. In: Bezirkslandwirtschaftskammer Lienz: '' Osttiroler Bote.'' Issue dated 29 November 2007, . Because of these deficiencies, many serving officers did not take the ''Standschützen'' seriously for a long time, and often patronized or even insulted them. This was not surprising, because suddenly people were appointed as majors, in an instant, as it were, whereas a normal officer only attained this rank after serving about 15 years. A captain with ten or more years of service suddenly found himself facing a ''Standschützen'' major, who had only been a
lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...
or
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
when on active military service or who even had no military service at all. This inevitably caused tension. The commander in chief in Tyrol, ''
Feldmarschalleutnant Lieutenant field marshal, also frequently historically field marshal lieutenant (german: Feldmarschall-Leutnant, formerly , historically also and, in official Imperial and Royal Austrian army documents from 1867 always , abbreviated ''FML''), was ...
'' Dankl, issued an order in November 1915 that insults and improper treatment of ''Standschützen'' officers would be severely punished. In April, the ''Standschützen'' units were inspected for the first time. In the wake of this inspection, the ''Standschützen'' were divided into those capable of service at the front (thus considered field formations) and those of lower capability (deployed on guarding duties or used as replacements). It was expected that Italy would declare war on
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. For this reason the ''Standschützen'' were
mobilized Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and t ...
on 18 May 1915. Only a day later, the first formations in South Tyrol advanced to the southern front. Another three days later trains arrived at the new front, having crossed the
Brenner Pass The Brenner Pass (german: link=no, Brennerpass , shortly ; it, Passo del Brennero ) is a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has ...
, carrying North Tyrolese ''Standschützen''. Italy finally declared war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May.


Welsch Tyrolese ''Standschützen''

The Imperial and Royal leadership of the Army were uneasy about members of the ''Standschützen'' units in
Trentino Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...
. Although the ''Schießstände'' had existed for a long time, they were mistrustful of the Italian-speaking Tyrolese and attempted to classify them according to their reliabity. The classification ranged from "fully reliable" to "completely unreliable". Weapons and uniforms were only issued to the Welsch Tyrolese ''Standschützen'' that were absolutely reliable units; even so they were only deployed in combat on a few occasions. In most cases they were assigned to guard duties or used as porters, or were divided into work details.


Equipment

Until the end of March 1915, no military clothing or weapons had even been envisaged for the ''Standschützen'', much less made available or issued. But after it became increasingly evident that Italy would enter the war on the side of the Entente, the formation of ''Standschützen'' units, which had started in the January, began to accelerate. Initially they were issued with whatever uniforms could be found. On 23 May 1915, the two companies of the
Schwaz Schwaz () is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district. Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley. Location Schwaz lies in the middle of the Lower Inn Valley at the foot of the Kellerjoch a ...
battalion, for example, drew pike gray parade uniforms of the pattern designed for the ''Jägertruppe''. Mannlicher repeating rifles were initially either unavailable or only available in small numbers so, to begin with, the ''Standschützen'' were issued with old, single-shot Werndl rifles or forced to use their own weapons. In May 1915, the North Tyrol and Vorarlberg ''Standschützen'' received 16,000
Model 98 Tippmann is an American manufacturer of paintball markers and paintball equipment, including military simulation ( MilSim) kits. A related company, Tippmann Industrial Products manufactures manual and pneumatic heavy-duty sewing machines prim ...
guns from German sources; at that time the South Tyrolean units were still only armed with Mannlicher rifles. The Welsch Tyrolese units kept their Werndl guns; only a few units, assigned to combat missions, were given Model 98s.
Schwarzlose machine gun The Maschinengewehr (Schwarzlose) M. 7, also known as the Schwarzlose MG, is a medium machine-gun, used as a standard issue firearm in the Austro-Hungarian Army throughout World War I. It was utilized by the Dutch, Greek and Hungarian armies dur ...
s were allocated to individual units when needed and, where they had good relations, like the Bolzano battalion, were even given their own machine gun sections. The ''Standschützen'' had no artillery; only the Schlanders
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
had a very old 6 inch mountain gun of unknown origin. After some initial difficulties, the ''Standschützen'' were issued with mountain infantry uniform.''Montur'' is the Austrian word for working dress or uniform The sudden effort made to do this stemmed from fears that non-uniformed
combatant Combatant is the legal status of an individual who has the right to engage in hostilities during an armed conflict. The legal definition of "combatant" is found at article 43(2) of Additional Protocol I (AP1) to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It ...
s might be treated as guerrillas. Nevertheless, significant deficiencies in the quality of equipment remained. For example, instead of sashes (''Riemenzeug''), web belt material (''Webgurtmaterial'') was issued. There were no bread bags or
spade A spade is a tool primarily for digging consisting of a long handle and blade, typically with the blade narrower and flatter than the common shovel. Early spades were made of riven wood or of animal bones (often shoulder blades). After the a ...
s - both were initially fashioned or improvised out of anything possible. As a badge, troops wore the Tyrolean eagle of Tyrolese units on grass green gorgets. The Vorarlberg troops wore the
Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with th ...
coat of arms. On the left side of the cap, the
edelweiss EDELWEISS (Expérience pour DEtecter Les WIMPs En Site Souterrain) is a dark matter search experiment located at the Modane Underground Laboratory in France. The experiment uses cryogenic detectors, measuring both the phonon and ionization signal ...
of the mountain infantry could be attached. The front of the cap itself was specially designed for the additional badge with the slogan "Hands off Tyrol" (''Hände weg von Tirol''). The
celluloid Celluloids are a class of materials produced by mixing nitrocellulose and camphor, often with added dyes and other agents. Once much more common for its use as photographic film before the advent of safer methods, celluloid's common contemporary ...
stars of the regular army were used as rank badges for
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s and men, instead of the envisaged silver embroidered rosettes. The difficulties of ordering the latter in large quantities meant that they could only be issued to the officers. The rescue equipment of the
Alpine hut A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization d ...
s in the mountains were made to serve as medical facilities. Their equipment and medical stores were emptied out, packed onto wooden frames and assigned to the battalions. Each battalion was given two
medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
and two
bandage A bandage is a piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to provide support to or to restrict the movement of a part of the body. When used with a dressing, the dressing is applie ...
knapsacks. Units were intended to have standards, but the only ones to receive them were the battalions at Bozen, Kaltern, Passeier and Meran II. Many of the other units flew their club standards for the
swearing-in Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to giv ...
ceremonies and march off parades.


Deployment

Following the mobilization order issued by Emperor Franz Joseph I on Tue 18 May 1915, 39 German Tyrolese rifle battalions and 2 independent rifle companies, 6 Vorarlberg battalions, 4 Welsch Tyrolese battalions and 41 Welsch Tyrolese rifle companies were formed. On 22 May 1915, one day before Italy declared war, the ''Standschützen'' deployed to protect the frontier in the south and southwest. The only exceptions were the Zillertal and Nauders-Ried battalions, which remained to protect the
main chain of the Alps The main chain of the Alps, also called the Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the drainage divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest ...
, and the Lienz battalion, which was initially deployed to protect the East Tyrolean border south of the River Drau and remained there until September 1915.


Operational theatre and operations

The operational theatre of the ''Standschützen'' covered all five districts of the South Tyrolean front. It stretched from the ''
Dreisprachenspitze (; german: Dreisprachenspitze; both meaning 'peak of the three languages'; it, Cima Garibaldi), is a minor summit of the Ortler Alps, located on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The summit is the tripoint between the Italian regions ...
'' mountain on the Swiss border to the eastern foothills of the
Carnic Alps The Carnic Alps ( it, Alpi Carniche; german: Karnische Alpen; sl, Karnijske Alpe; fur, Alps Cjargnelis) are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in Austria and northeastern Italy. They are within Austrian East Tyrol and Carinthia, and Itali ...
at the Kreuzberg Saddle. Although the ''Standschützen'' were used almost exclusively to defend the Tyrol against the frequent Italian attacks, they also participated in attacks against Italy. In addition to trench warfare they also conducted patrols and reconnaissance operations. Their other main task was in the construction and repair of defensive works: they built defensive positions, accommodation, caverns and barbed wire barriers, and assisted in repairing damaged fortifications. They were also used to transport supplies, as stretcher bearers and on guard duties. In the early weeks the ''Standschützen'' were asked to defend the Tyrolean front on their own. Despite that, these weak forces were sufficient to withstand the Italian attacks, as the Italian leadership could not believe that the border stood virtually unprotected. Only later did regular troops and soldiers of the
German Alpine Corps The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain formation of division size formed by the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best in the German Army. Formation After experiencing considerable dif ...
, the ''
Kaiserschützen The ''k.k. Landesschützen'' (in English, "imperial-royal country 'or'' provincialrifleman") – from 16 January 1917 ''Kaiserschützen'' ("imperial rifleman") – were three regiments of Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry during the '' kais ...
'' and ''
Kaiserjäger The ''Kaiserjäger'' (officially designated by the Imperial and Royal (''k.u.k.'') military administration as the ''Tiroler Jäger-Regimenter'' or "Tyrolean Rifle Regiments"), were formed in 1895 as four normal infantry regiments within the Comm ...
'' arrive. Unlike many other officers, they recognized the ''Standschützen'' as proper soldiers. The Austrian war strategists described the ''Standschützen'' initially as ''"a disorderly mob with no experience of war."'' However, by their courage, marksmanship and mountaineering skills, the ''Standschützen'' soon acquired respect and esteem.


Summary

There is no doubt that the use of the ''Standschützen'' saved Austria-Hungary at that stage of the war in May 1915. There were only 12,000 regular troops available, which theoretically meant that a man with a rifle could only be stationed every 30 metres. Thus the 23,000 ''Standschützen'' men under arms, at two thirds of the total available strength, formed the backbone of the defensive line. The German Alpine Corps could initially only intervene in a limited way, because Germany was not yet at war with Italy at that time and German troops were not allowed to enter Italian soil. Thanks especially to the excellent local knowledge of the ''Standschützen'', they were often able to intercept Italian patrols and reconnaissance companies and repulse them. In particular, since the correct uniforms had now been issued, the impression was given that they constituted regular forces, which may have influenced the reluctance of the Italian commanders. The moral value of the ''Standschützen'' lay in the fact his property and his family were often not far behind the front and had to be protected. The purely military value of ''Standschützen'' formations was highly variable. The proverbial obstinacy and stubbornness, particularly amongst the miners, often led to indiscipline and high-handedness. For example, ''Feldmarschalleutnant'' Goiginger reported on 12 Jun 1915 to Innsbruck that the Monte Piano ''Standschützen'' ''"had left the battle without authorization."'' However, such incidents were not common and restricted to isolated cases. In order to strengthen military discipline, active duty army officers began to be appointed as commanders to the ''Standschützen''. Furthermore, after the manning situation had eased with the arrival of troops from the Eastern Front, work began to train the ''Standschützen'' and strengthen them militarily. Officers and men were sent off on various training courses in order to learn the latest
tactics Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...
and techniques. At the suggestion of the
German Alpine Corps The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain formation of division size formed by the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best in the German Army. Formation After experiencing considerable dif ...
, regular units were inserted into sections of the front that had previously been held by the ''Standschützen'' alone. In this way, a kind of "corset" was formed that further strengthened the combat power available.


Rank badges of the ''Standschützen'' (examples)

Unterjäger der Standschützen von Vorarlberg.png, Zugsführer der Standschützen von Vorarlberg .png, Leutnant der Standschützen von Tirol.png, Oberleutnant der Standschützen von Tirol.png, Hauptmann der Standschützen von Vorarlberg.png, Major der Standschützen von Tirol.png,


Notes


Literature

* ''Jahrbuch der Kaiserschützen, Tiroler Standschützen und Tiroler Landstürmer.'' (published: 1924–1925). Wagner, Innsbruck, . * Rudolf Huchler: . Verlag des Verfassers, Höchst 1927. (Online at ALO). * Fritz Weiser (Red.), Kaiserschützenbund für Österreich (pub.): ''Kaiserschützen, Tiroler-Vorarlberger Landsturm und Standschützen.'' Göth, Vienna, 1933.  * Karl Kelz: . Graff’sche Buchdruckerei, Feldkirch, 1934. (Online bei ALO). * Anton von Mörl: ''Standschützen verteidigen Tirol 1915–1918''. Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck, 1958 (''Schlern-Schriften.'' 185, ). * Bernhard Wurzer: ''Tirols Heldenzeit vor 150 Jahren.''--> Tyrolia-Verlag, Innsbruck (u. a.) 1959.  * Benedikt Bilgeri: ''Die Landesverteidigung. Zur Erinnerung an den Ausmarsch der Vorarlberger Standschützen vor 50 Jahren.'' Teutsch, Bregenz, 1965.  * Oswald Gschließer, Erich Egg: ''Tiroler Standschützen. Vierhundert Jahre Landesverteidigung in Tirol. Ausstellung im Gedenken an den Auszug der Tiroler Standschützen zu Pfingsten 1915, Juni bis September 1965.'' Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck, 1965.  * Helmut Golowitsch: ''„Und kommt der Feind ins Land herein …“ Schützen verteidigen Tirol und Kärnten. Standschützen und Freiwillige Schützen 1915–1918''. „Buchdienst Südtirol“ Kienesberger, Nürnberg 1985, (''Schriftenreihe zur Zeitgeschichte Tirols.'' 6, ). * Rolando Cembran: ''„Baon Auer“. Die Odyssee des Standschützen-Bataillons „Auer“ No. IX (1915–1918).'' Manfrini, Calliano (Trentino), 1993, . * Heinz Tiefenbrunner, Südtiroler Schützenbund Bezirk Süd-Tiroler Unterland (publ.): ''Standschützen Bataillon Kaltern 1915–1918. Aus dem Kriegstagebuch des Major Johann Nepomuk Baron Di Pauli.'' Verlagsanstalt Athesia, Bozen, 1996, . * Oswald Kaufmann (Hrsg.): ''Meine Kriegs-Chronik. Mit dem Standschützenbataillon Bezau in Südtirol und Albanien. 1. Weltkrieg, Kriegsgefangenschaft, Wirtschaftskrise und Inflation 1914-1925.'' 2. Auflage. Gesellschaft Vorarlberger Militärmuseum, Bregenz, 1997. Permalink ''Österreichischer Bibliothekenverbund''
* Wolfgang Joly: ''Standschützen. Die Tiroler und Vorarlberger k.k. Standschützen-Formationen im Ersten Weltkrieg. Organisation und Einsatz''. Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck, 1998, (''Schlern-Schriften.'' 303).


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Standschutzen Austro-Hungarian Army