Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

military rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in ...

that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted.

Duden The Duden () is a dictionary of the Standard High German language, first published by Konrad Duden in 1880, and later by Bibliographisches Institut GmbH. The Duden is updated regularly with new editions appearing every four or five years. , ...

; Definition of Gefreiter, in German

/ref>Official Website (Bundeswehr): Dienstgrade und Uniformen der Bundeswehr (Service Ranks and Uniforms of the German Federal Defence Forces), in German

/ref> Within the combined Ranks and insignia of NATO, NATO rank scale, the modern-day rank of ''Gefreiter'' is usually equivalent to the NATO-standard rank scale OR-2. The word has also been lent into the Russian language (''russian: yefreytor/ефрейтор''), and is in use in several Russian and post-Soviet militaries.

History

Historically the military rank of ''Gefreiter'' (female and plural form: ''Gefreite'') emerged in 16th-century Europe for the German ''

Landsknechte The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line ...

'' foot soldiers,

; Origin and meaning of "Landsknecht", in German

/ref> predominantly made up of German and Swiss

mercenary A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any ...

pikemen and supporting

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

foot soldiers."Gefreiter" - Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, Erste Section, A-G, (Universal Encyclopaedia of the Sciences and Arts, First Section, A-G), Author: Johann Samuel Ersch and Johann Gottfried Gruber, Publisher: F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1852, Page 471-472, in German

/ref>Corpus Juris Militaris Des Heiliges Römisches Reich (Military Law of the Holy Roman Empire), Volume 2, Author: Johann Christian Lünig, Leipzig, 1723, in German.The Landsknechts, Author: Douglas Miller, Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Great Britain, 1976, .Landsknecht Soldier 1486-1560, Author: John Richards, Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Great Britain, 2002, . Those soldiers who proved especially reliable and experienced were appointed to ''gefreyten Knechten'' (exempted/freed Servants/Soldiers; a cognate to '

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

') and were installed in critical

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

field positions; along with their extra rank privileges they were exempted in general from

sentry Sentry or The Sentry may refer to: Comics *Sentry (Kree) *Sentry (Curtis Elkins) * Sentry (Robert Reynolds) *Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry Vehicles *Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data *E-3 Sentry AWAC ...

duties. From the 18th century, ''Gefreite'' were the first line members of a military company, and every ''Gefreiter'' led and commanded a

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army d ...

of ''Gemeine''

; Origin and meaning of "Gemeine", in German

/ref> (ordinary-rank soldiers). The rank existed in the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

, pioneers, and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

where the ''Gefreiter'' rank received a greater rank-class status. ''Gefreiter'' was the only

enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United State ...

until 1918 within the Royal

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

and respectively the imperial army of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of the ''

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

'' (

Captain 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 ...

) or ''

Rittmeister __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...

'' (Cavalry-Master otherwise Captain) and ultimately endorsed by the ''Regiments-Commandeur'' (Regimental

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

), with exception of the rank ''

Obergefreiter Obergefreiter (''abbr.'' OGefr.) is an enlisted rank of the German and Swiss militaries which dates from the 19th century. In today's Bundeswehr, every ''Gefreiter'' is normally promoted ''Obergefreiter'' after six months. The NATO-Code is OR-3 ...

'' (since 1859) in the foot artillery which later replaced the artillery ''Bombardier'' (Corporal) rank. The ''Gefreiter'' rank was also considered a transition rank for promotion to and wherefrom replacements were selected to the ''Unteroffizier'' (Corporal)

; Origin and meaning of "Korporal", in German

/ref> rank. Within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire, the rank ''Gefreiter'' was a deputy to the ''Unteroffizier'' (Corporal), and were distinguished by the wearing of a ''Auszeichnungsknopf'' (''rank'' Distinction-button) known as the ''Gefreitenknopf'' (Gefreiter-button) on each side of their uniform collar, similar to the slightly larger rank collar side-buttons worn by both the ''Sergeant'' and ''Feldwebel'' ranks. In the Royal Prussian Army until its reorganization after 1806, there existed along with ''Gefreiter'' the rank of ''Gefreite-Korporale'' who wore a silver ''Portepee'' (sword lanyard). These were officer cadets specifically selected for higher advancement, they stood equal with their officer cadet counterpart the ''Portepee- Ensign (rank), Fähnriche''. The ''Gefreite-Korporale'' was a rank that also existed along with ''Gefreiter'' in the Austrian Army during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

. From the 1920s the German rank of ''Gefreiter'' has expanded into several additional ranks and duties, those being ''Obergefreiter'' (Senior Lance Corporal otherwise Second Corporal in the Prussian Army since 1859); ''Hauptgefreiter'' (Leading Lance Corporal in the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...

during 1935–1944, the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

during 1938–1945, and the Heer from 1955); ''Stabsgefreiter'' (Staff Lance Corporal in the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshape ...

since 1927, the Kriegsmarine until 1945, the Luftwaffe from 1944 temporarily replacing ''Hauptgefreiter'' rank); and ''Oberstabsgefreiter'' (Senior Staff Lance Corporal in the Kriegsmarine since 1940, not in the Heer or Luftwaffe until 1996). All ''Gefreiter'' ranks are now in use with the German army, air force, and navy. The female form, ''Gefreite'', is not used by the military; the formal address is "''Frau Gefreiter''".

Germany

Bundeswehr

''Gefreiter'' (abbr. ''Gefr.'' or ''G.'') is the second

grade within the modern-day Army (''Heer''), Air Force (''Luftwaffe'') and Navy (''Marine'') of the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

. Following the NATO ranking system, Gefreiter equates to OR-2 on the NATO-standard rank scale, the rank is thus equivalent to either private, private first class, vice corporal or corporal rank depending on the chosen NATO-allied force used for the comparison. It is grade A4 in the pay scale of the Federal Ministry of Defence. The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in this particular group is as follows: *OR-4a: '' Oberstabsgefreiter'' *OR-4b: '' Stabsgefreiter'' *OR-3a: ''

Hauptgefreiter Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted. Duden ...

'' *OR-3b: ''

'' *OR-2: Gefreiter *OR-1: '' Soldat/Schütze'' (Army), ''Flieger'' (Air Force), '' Matrose'' (Navy) In line with Bundeswehr rank advancement conditions, enlisted personnel OR-1 may be promoted to OR-2 level after passing primary

recruit training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

(usually after three months) to the rank of ''Gefreiter''.

''Wehrmacht''

Throughout the periods of the Royal Prussian Army, Imperial Army of the German Empire, ''

'' and the German ''

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

'', the rank of ''Gefreiter'' was considered the equivalent to a junior

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 ...

rank, with ''Obergefreiter'' as senior lance corporal or rather second corporal in the artillery, and a full

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- ...

rank known as ''Unteroffizier'' (subordinate

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 ...

) which replaced the ''Korporal'' rank from 1856. Within the army branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'', a rank of ''

Oberschütze Oberschütze (, ) was a German military rank first used in the Bavarian Army of the late 19th century. Usage The rank and its equivalents (''Oberkanonier, Oberpionier'' etc.) was in generally introduced into the German ''Reichswehr'' from ci ...

'' (senior rifleman) once existed between the ranks of ''Gefreiter'' and '' Schütze/Soldat'' (" nlistedordinary-rank rifleman/soldier"). A Gefreiter was considered an "exempted man", who was not normally assigned more menial duties, such as guard detail. A soldier promoted to Gefreiter was seen as showing some promise of leadership capability, while those who did not were promoted to Oberschütze.

Bohemian corporal

The best-known holder of the rank of ''Gefreiter'' was

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

, who held the rank in the Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16 of the Royal

Bavarian Army The Bavarian Army was the army of the Electorate (1682–1806) and then Kingdom (1806–1919) of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty (''Wehrhoheit'') of Bavaria into that of ...

during

World War I 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, ...

. ''Bohemian corporal'' was a derogatory term used (privately) in World War II for

by German generals (many of whom were Prussian aristocrats: ''

von The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''. Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...

'') dissatisfied with Hitler's military leadership and detailed control, e.g.

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered th ...

Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...

and

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle ende ...

. Von Rundstedt said often during and after the war: ''Without Hitler’s consent, I can’t even move my own sentry from my front door around to the back!'' Wilhelm Keitel once said to Hitler ''Do you realise that Rundstedt called you a Bohemian corporal''; Hitler replied ''Yes, but he’s the best field marshal I have''. Von Rundstedt used the term ''Dieser böhmische Gefreiter'' which he got in the 1930s from World War I hero,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...

. Hindenburg (he and Hitler took an instant dislike to each other on first meeting) mistook Hitler's home town of Braunau in Austria ( Braunau am Inn) for another town of the same name (

Broumov Broumov (; german: Braunau) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,100 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administrative ...

; "Braunau" in German) in Bohemia; initially he said that ''Austrian corporal'' but later used ''Bohemian corporal''; a pejorative term as he regarded Bohemians as ''essentially gypsies'' unlike the more cultured Prussians or even Austrians.

Switzerland

Austria

''Gefreiter'' (abbr. Gfr) is a

of the Austrian

Bundesheer The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria. The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of natio ...

. It might be comparable to enlisted men OR2/ private 1st Class ranks in Anglophone armed forces. However, in the Bundesheer it belongs to the so-called

charges Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

rank group (OR2 to OR4).

Austro-Hungarian Army

In the k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army (1867–1918) ''Gefreiter'' ( hu, Őrvezetö) was corresponding to Patrouilleführer, and Vormeister. It was used by the k.u.k. Kaiserjäger as well as the Feldjäger, Standschützen troops, k.u.k. Cavalry, Medical corps, and Infantry. Then rank insignia was a single white celluloid-star on the stand-up collar of the so-called ''Waffenrock'' (en: Tunic) on gorget patch (de: Paroli). Stand-up collar and background of the gorget patch showed a particular egalisation colour. ; Rank insignia: ;Gefreiter in adjustation of the infantry Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 7.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 25.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 33.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 37.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 41.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 50.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 62.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 69.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 77.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 87.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 92.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 99.png, Gefreiter im k.u.k. InfRgt 101.png, ; See also:

Russia

''Yefreytor'' (russian: Ефрейтор) is a

loanword A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because ...

in Russian and denotes a similar rank in the

Russian army The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...

. In Russia, the rank of ''yefreytor'' was introduced by

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

in 1716 to the infantry, cavalry and engineer forces. The rank was not used after 1722. During the reign of Paul I it was made an equivalent rank to

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, which after the reign of

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of A ...

was used only for the

Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, i ...

. ''Yefreytor'' was re-introduced in the course of the military reforms of 1826. In the armed forces of the Soviet Union (and later the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

) ''yefreytor'' is the highest rank of enlisted personnel. According to NATO-rank system the rank might be comparable to OR-4 in Anglophone armed forces.

Rank insignia

Imperial Russian Army

1908ur03-e02.png, 1911-ir001-p02-1.png, 1914 Gefreiter of Russian Life Guards Uhlan Regiment of Her Majesty p02 (re-enlistee 2nd category in Guard).png,

Red Army (RA) and Soviet Armed Forces (SA)

RA A R2PVT col 1943.PNG, 1943avia-p19-1.png, Rank insignia of ефрейтор of the Soviet Army.svg, Rank insignia of ефрейтор of the Soviet Air Force.svg,

Russian Liberation Army

File:ROA-Gefreiter h.svg,

Russian Armed Forces

RAF AF-ABTr R2Kursant 2010.png, Rus efreitor.png, Rus efreitor field.svg, Russia-Army-OR-2-2010.svg, Russia-Airforce-OR-2-2010.svg, 2efr.png,

References

{{Authority control Military ranks of Germany Military ranks of Switzerland Military ranks of Austria Military ranks of the Soviet Union Military ranks of Russia