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Military ranks of the Weimar Republic

{{Short description|none}}

The military ranks of the Weimar Republic were the military ranks used by the {{lang|de|Reichswehr}}.

Military ranks of the Peacetime Army (1919)

The Peacetime Army ({{langx|de|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.{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=62}}

=Commissioned officers=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=3| Generals

! colspan=6| Officers

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|Antique Photos1|2011}}{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=44}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|General der Waffengattung}}

| {{lang|de|Generalleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Generalmajor}}

| {{lang|de|Oberst}}

| {{lang|de|Oberstleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Major}}

| {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}

| {{lang|de|Oberleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Leutnant}}
{{lang|de|Feldwebelleutnant}}

=Enlisted personnel=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=4| NCOs

! colspan=2| Other ranks

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|Antique Photos1|2011}}{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=44}}{{sfn|Kidd|2013|p=55}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 100px

| 100px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|Feldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Vizefeldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Fähnrich
Sergeant}}

| {{lang|de|Unteroffizier}}

| {{lang|de|Gefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Soldat}}

Military ranks of the Provisional ''Reichswehr'' (1919–1920)

The Provisional {{lang|de|Reichswehr}} ({{langx|de|Vorläufige Reichswehr}}) introduced slightly more elaborate insignia than the Peacetime Army.{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=63}}

=Commissioned officers=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=3| Generals

! colspan=7| Officers

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|Antique Photos2|2011}}{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=44}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|General der Waffengattung}}

| {{lang|de|Generalleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Generalmajor}}

| {{lang|de|Oberst}}

| {{lang|de|Oberstleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Major}}

| {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}

| {{lang|de|Oberleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Leutnant}}/
{{lang|de|Feldwebelleutnant}}

=Enlisted personnel=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=4| NCOs

! colspan=4| Other ranks

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2 |{{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|Antique Photos2|2011}}{{sfn|Jurado|2001|p=44}}{{sfn|Kidd|2013|p=55}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| colspan=2| 50px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|Offiziersstellvertreter}}

| {{lang|de|Feldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Vizefeldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Fähnrich/
Sergeant}}

| {{lang|de|Unteroffizier}}

| {{lang|de|Obergefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Gefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Wehrmann}}

Military ranks of the ''Reichswehr'' (1920–1935)

=Commissioned officers=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=3| Generals

! colspan=6| Officers

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|F. A. Brockhaus|1926}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|General der Waffengattung}}

| {{lang|de|Generalleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Generalmajor}}

| {{lang|de|Oberst}}

| {{lang|de|Oberstleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Major}}

| {{lang|de|Hauptmann}}

| {{lang|de|Oberleutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Leutnant}}

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2 |{{flagicon|Weimar Republic|naval}} Reichsmarine

!104x104px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|Admiral}}

| {{lang|de|Vizeadmiral}}

| {{lang|de|Konteradmiral}}

| {{lang|de|Kapitän zur See}}

| {{lang|de|Fregatten­kapitän}}

| {{lang|de|Korvetten­kapitän}}

| {{lang|de|Kapitän­leutnant}}

| {{lang|de|Oberleutnant zur See}}

| {{lang|de|Leutnant zur See}}

=Enlisted personnel=

style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
style="background-color:#CCCCCC"

! Rank group

! colspan=4| NCOs

! colspan=6| Other ranks

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic}} Heer
{{sfn|Kidd|2013|p=55}}{{sfn|F. A. Brockhaus|1926}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| File:RWehr H OR3 OGefr 1921.svg

| 50px

| 50px

| No insignia

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|Oberfeldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Feldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Unterfeldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Unteroffizier}}

| {{lang|de|Stabsgefreiter}}
{{small|(introduced 1927){{cite web |last1=Penzkofer |first1=Andreas |title=Die Ärmeldienstgradabzeichen |url=https://www.phalerika.de/aermeldienstgradabzeichen |website=phalerika.de |access-date=2 March 2024 |language=de |date=16 April 2019}}}}

| {{lang|de|Obergefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Gefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Oberschütze}}

| {{lang|de|Schütze}}

style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2| {{flagicon|Weimar Republic|naval}} Reichsmarine
{{Cite book|last1=Hoyer|first1=K|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44571687|title=Die Uniformen des Reichsheeres und der Reichsmarine nebst amtlichen Uniformtafeln; mit Genehmigung des Reichswehrministeriums|last2=Brennecke|first2=F|date=1925|publisher=Verlag "Offene Worte, "|location=Charlottenburg|language=de|oclc=44571687}}

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| rowspan="2" |

| 50px

| 50px

| 50px

| No insignia

style="text-align:center;"

| {{lang|de|Oberfeldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Feldwebel}}

| {{lang|de|Obermaat}}

| {{lang|de|Maat}}

| {{lang|de|Obergefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Gefreiter}}

| {{lang|de|Obermatrose}}

| {{lang|de|Matrose}}

=''Waffenfarben''=

class="wikitable"
Regiment or Battalion type{{sfn|Knötel|Knötel|1956|p=48-50}}

! Colour{{efn|In addition to the colours, monograms and symbols were used to denominate services or units.}}

General officers
Artillery
Ordnance troops

|align="center" style="background:red; color:white;" | Scarlet

(Hochrot)

Staff Corps of the Reichswehr
Veterinary service

|align="center" style="background:#960018; color:white;" | Carmine

(Karmesin)

Infantry

|align="center" style="background:white;" | White

Motor transport

| align="center" style="background:#FF99CC; color:white;" | Rose-pink

(Rosa)

Signals

|align = "center" style = "background:burlywood;"|Light brown

Cavalry

| align="center" style="background:#FFD700;"|Golden yellow

Jäger (light infantry)

| align="center" style="background:#00a53a; color:white;" |Dark green

Transport (horse-drawn)

| align="center" style = "background:cornflowerblue; color:white;"|Light blue

Medical service

| align ="center" style ="background:darkblue; color:white;"|Dark blue

Engineers

| align = "center" style ="background:black; color:white;"|Black

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

=Citations=

{{reflist}}

=Bibliography=

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web |author1=Antique Photos1 |title=Uniforms and ranks of the Peacetime Army (19.01.1919-05.05.1919) |url=https://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/weimar-republic/440-friedensheer.html |website=Antique Photos |access-date=28 November 2019 |date=2011 |archive-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414132955/https://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/weimar-republic/440-friedensheer.html |url-status=usurped }}
  • {{cite web |author1=Antique Photos2 |title=Ranks and insignia of the Provisional Reichswehr (05.05.1919-06.12.1920) |url=https://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/weimar-republic/438-provisional-reichswehr.html |website=Antique Photos |access-date=28 November 2019 |date=2011 |archive-date=14 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414034221/https://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/weimar-republic/438-provisional-reichswehr.html |url-status=usurped }}
  • {{cite web |author1=F. A. Brockhaus |title=Uniformen des Reichsheers und der Reichsmarine |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Reichswehr_Uniformen_1926.jpg |publisher=F. A. Brockhaus |access-date=28 November 2019 |language=de |date=1926 }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Jurado |first1=Carlos Caballero |title=The German Freikorps 1918–23 |series=Elite |date=2001 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1841761848}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Kidd |first1=R Spencer |title=Military Uniforms In Europe 1900 - 2000 Volume One (Volume 1) |date=2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1291187441 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FE4DBAAAQBAJ&q=Reichsheer+ranks&pg=PA55 |access-date=28 November 2019 }}
  • {{cite book |last1=Knötel |first1=Richard |last2=Knötel |first2=Herbert |author-link1=Richard Knötel |title=Handbuch der Uniformkunde: Die militärische Tracht in ihrer Entwicklung bis zur Gegenwart |date=1956 |location=Hamburg |edition=6th |publisher=Helmut Gerhard Schulz |language=de}}

{{refend}}

Further reading

  • {{cite book |last1=Haarcke |first1=Ingo G |title=Die Uniformen des Friedensheeres, der vorlaufigen Reichswehr und die Reichsheeres von 1919 bis 1921 |date=1983 |publisher=Verlag Militaria-Archiv Klaus D. Patzwall |location=Hamburg |language=de}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Schlicht |first1=Adolf |last2=Kraus |first2=Jürgen |editor1-last=Rest |editor1-first=Stefan |title=The German Reichswehr: Uniforms and Equipment of the German Army from 1919 to 1932 |date=2006 |publisher=Verlag Militaria |isbn=978-3902526014}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Saßmann |first1=Anton |title=Die Deutsche Reichswehr in ihrer neuesten Bekleidung, Bewaffnung und Ausrüstung |publisher=Moritz Ruhl |location=Leipzig |language=de}}

{{Military ranks by country}}

Category:Military of the Weimar Republic

Weimar Republic