Military ranks of the Weimar Republic

The military ranks of the Weimar Republic were the military ranks used by the Reichswehr .

Military ranks of the Peacetime Army (1919)

The Peacetime Army (German : Friedensheer) continued to use the uniforms of the Imperial German Army, however, the ranks were influenced by Soviet insignia. The ranks were used from January 1919 to May 1919. ^[1]

Commissioned officers

Rank group	Generals			Officers
Heer [2] [3]
	General der Waffengattung	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant Feldwebelleutnant

Enlisted personnel

Rank group	NCOs				Other ranks
Heer [2] [3] [4]
	Feldwebel	Vizefeldwebel	Fähnrich Sergeant	Unteroffizier	Gefreiter	Soldat

Military ranks of the Provisional Reichswehr (1919–1920)

The Provisional Reichswehr (German : Vorläufige Reichswehr) introduced slightly more elaborate insignia than the Peacetime Army. ^[5]

Commissioned officers

Rank group	Generals			Officers
Heer [6] [3]
	General der Waffengattung	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant / Feldwebelleutnant

Enlisted personnel

Rank group	NCOs				Other ranks
Heer [6] [3] [4]
	Offiziersstellvertreter	Feldwebel	Vizefeldwebel	Fähnrich/ Sergeant	Unteroffizier	Obergefreiter	Gefreiter	Wehrmann

Military ranks of the Reichswehr (1920–1935)

Commissioned officers

Rank group	Generals			Officers
Heer [7]
	General der Waffengattung	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant
Reichsmarine
	Admiral	Vizeadmiral	Konteradmiral	Kapitän zur See	Fregatten­kapitän	Korvetten­kapitän	Kapitän­leutnant	Oberleutnant zur See	Leutnant zur See

Enlisted personnel

Rank group	NCOs				Other ranks
Heer [4] [7]									No insignia
	Oberfeldwebel	Feldwebel	Unterfeldwebel	Unteroffizier	Stabsgefreiter (introduced 1927) [8]	Obergefreiter	Gefreiter	Oberschütze	Schütze
Reichsmarine [9]									No insignia
	Oberfeldwebel	Feldwebel	Obermaat	Maat		Obergefreiter	Gefreiter	Obermatrose	Matrose

Waffenfarben

Regiment or Battalion type [10]	Colour [a]
General officers Artillery Ordnance troops	Scarlet (Hochrot)
Staff Corps of the Reichswehr Veterinary service	Carmine (Karmesin)
Infantry	White
Motor transport	Rose-pink (Rosa)
Signals	Light brown
Cavalry	Golden yellow
Jäger (light infantry)	Dark green
Transport (horse-drawn)	Light blue
Medical service	Dark blue
Engineers	Black

Notes

1. In addition to the colours, monograms and symbols were used to denominate services or units.

References

Citations

1. Jurado 2001, p. 62.
2. Antique Photos1 2011.
3. Jurado 2001, p. 44.
4. Kidd 2013, p. 55.
5. Jurado 2001, p. 63.
6. Antique Photos2 2011.
7. F. A. Brockhaus 1926.
8. Penzkofer, Andreas (16 April 2019). "Die Ärmeldienstgradabzeichen". phalerika.de (in German). Retrieved 2 March 2024.
9. Hoyer, K; Brennecke, F (1925). Die Uniformen des Reichsheeres und der Reichsmarine nebst amtlichen Uniformtafeln; mit Genehmigung des Reichswehrministeriums (in German). Charlottenburg: Verlag "Offene Worte, ". OCLC   44571687.
10. Knötel & Knötel 1956, p. 48-50.

Bibliography

• Antique Photos1 (2011). "Uniforms and ranks of the Peacetime Army (19.01.1919-05.05.1919)". Antique Photos. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
• Antique Photos2 (2011). "Ranks and insignia of the Provisional Reichswehr (05.05.1919-06.12.1920)". Antique Photos. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
• F. A. Brockhaus (1926). "Uniformen des Reichsheers und der Reichsmarine" (in German). F. A. Brockhaus. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
• Jurado, Carlos Caballero (2001). The German Freikorps 1918–23. Elite. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   978-1841761848.
• Kidd, R Spencer (2013). Military Uniforms In Europe 1900 - 2000 Volume One (Volume 1). Lulu.com. ISBN   978-1291187441 . Retrieved 28 November 2019.
• Knötel, Richard; Knötel, Herbert (1956). Handbuch der Uniformkunde: Die militärische Tracht in ihrer Entwicklung bis zur Gegenwart (in German) (6th ed.). Hamburg: Helmut Gerhard Schulz.

Further reading

• Haarcke, Ingo G (1983). Die Uniformen des Friedensheeres, der vorlaufigen Reichswehr und die Reichsheeres von 1919 bis 1921 (in German). Hamburg: Verlag Militaria-Archiv Klaus D. Patzwall.
• Schlicht, Adolf; Kraus, Jürgen (2006). Rest, Stefan (ed.). The German Reichswehr: Uniforms and Equipment of the German Army from 1919 to 1932. Verlag Militaria. ISBN   978-3902526014.
• Saßmann, Anton. Die Deutsche Reichswehr in ihrer neuesten Bekleidung, Bewaffnung und Ausrüstung (in German). Leipzig: Moritz Ruhl.