Rank table
armies of the German Empire
(Deutsches Reichsheer)
1901

This article examines the system of military ranks of the so-called. Second German Empire (zweite Deutsches Reich), which existed from 1871 to 1918. The first German Empire was formed during the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire and perished during the era of the Napoleonic wars in 1806. There was no single German state between 1806 and 1871.

The Second German Empire was not a unitary state, but a union of German states that had a certain degree of independence, including in the military field. This left its mark on the organization of the German army. In the field of military ranks in some army structures, depending on which of the German Lands this structure belongs to, there could be differences in the names of ranks and their number. These differences will be discussed in the text.

It is possible that before 1914 this rank system underwent some changes, but in general the article makes it possible to navigate the rank system of the German army during the First World War.

All who in one way or another belonged to the German army were divided into sharply different groups:

1.Militaerpersonen,
2.Military officials (Militaerbeamte),
3. Civilian officials in the military department (Zivilbeamte der Militarverwaltung).

The servicemen included those who performed the duties of a combatant army service in infantry, cavalry, artillery, sapper units, as well as doctors and musicians.

All support personnel, except for medics, musicians, artillery and technical service specialists, and ammunition specialists, were military officials. These are employees of clothing, food, veterinary, transport services, construction specialists, priests, lawyers, pharmacists, weapons repairmen.

All clerical workers of large headquarters, service (non-medical) personnel of hospitals, service personnel of the barracks fund, technical personnel of military factories, personnel of equestrian repair factories, etc. belonged to civilian officials of the military department.

The servicemen, in turn, were divided into:

*. Lower ranks (Mannschaften)
a. Soldiers (Gemeinen)
b. Gefreiters
*. Non-commissioned officers (Unteroffizieren).
*. Officers (Offiziere)
a. Subaltern officers (Subaltern-Offiziere).
b. Captains and captains (Hauptleute und Rittmeister).
v. Staff officers (Stabsoffiziere).
*. Generals (Generale).

Military officials fell into two categories:
1. Junior Military Officers (untere Militaer-Beamte)
2. Senior military officials (obere Militaer-Beamte).

The former, in their official position, were equated with the non-commissioned officer corps, the latter with the officer corps. However, military officials occupied a humiliated position in the hierarchy of ranks. Thus, senior military officials stood above soldiers and non-commissioned officers, but below officers. Junior military officials, although they were equated with non-commissioned officers, did not dominate the soldiers.

Civilian officials of the military department were generally outside the hierarchy of ranks.

The army was recruited with soldiers on the basis of the law on general conscription of 1871. During the period of compulsory service, a soldier could only rise one step in rank. those. become a gefreiter.

The army was recruited by non-commissioned officers from among the soldiers who had served compulsory service and passed the appropriate training, or from civilian youth who had graduated from high-school officers. Non-commissioned officers served 4 years or more.

Army officers were recruited from among graduates of the cadet corps who had completed additional training at a military school, as well as young people who had the appropriate education and were trained in military schools and passed the officer's exam.

There were no class restrictions, and at the same time, for any promotion in rank or transfer to a higher category, it was required by their service to confirm their suitability and pass the appropriate exam.

From the author. Obviously, the high professional and combat qualities of non-commissioned officers and officers of the German army are explained both by a complex multi-stage system of career growth, and by the fact that, in general, in Germany, unlike Russia, an ordinary soldier was not considered as a person standing at the lowest rung of social status. but as "a citizen entrusted with the high honor of wearing the uniform of the German army."
The non-commissioned officer was already a man standing very high on the social ladder. Upon dismissal from the army, he was guaranteed a high pension and prestigious positions in the local administration. We can say that the non-commissioned officer was valued in Germany in society more than the chief officer in Russia.
The social position of a German officer can be conditionally equated with the position of Russian generals.

Infanterie

In the German army, the infantry was divided into line infantry and light infantry. The soldiers of the line infantry were named according to their specialty:
Grenadier is a grenadier.
Musketier is a musketeer.
Fusilier - fuselier.
Schuetze - Schuetze.

From the author. It is difficult to explain such different names for the same specialty - infantryman. Obviously, this is due to the traditional names of infantry soldiers in the various Lands of Germany, coming from the past centuries.

In the light infantry, ordinary soldiers were called:
Jaeger is a gamekeeper.

In the Guards Infantry, the soldiers were called:
Garde du Korps - garde du corps.

In addition, in the infantry units there were ordinary soldiers who had the ranks:
Trainsoldat - trainsoldat or Traingemeiner - traingemeiner. This is a convoy soldier.
Sanitaetssoldat -sanitetszoldat. This is an orderly.

The last two are not musicians, but signalmen. In the regimental bands there were military personnel with the same titles, but those trumpeters and drummers are musicians.

In the divisions in the respective units, there were ordinary soldiers with the following ranks:
Telegraphist - telegraphist.
Krankenwarter - krankenwerter (medicine assistant).
Oekonomiehandwerker - economirhandwerke (soldier of the rear units). Handwerker is a person who knows some kind of craft and works in this area.
Militaerbaeсker - militaerbaker (military baker)

Line infantry

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	by specialty (see above)
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a
5 B		Feldwebel - Feldwebel
8a		Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Hauptmann (Hauptmann)
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11
12		Oberst
14	Generale (generals)	Generalmajor (major general)
15
16		General der Infanterie
17		Generaloberst (Generalloberst)
18		Generalfeldmarschall (Generalfeldmarschall)

* Read more about rank encoding.

Light infantry

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Jaeger (gamekeeper)
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Oberjaeger (amulet)
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Feldwebel (Vice Feldwebel)
5 B		Feldwebel - Feldwebel
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Hauptmann (Hauptmann)
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst

Cavalry (Kavallerie)

Cavalry soldiers, depending on the type of cavalry, were named according to their specialty:
Kuerassier - kirassier.
Ulan - lancer
Dragoner -Dragoner (i.e. dragoons).
Husar is a hussar.
schwerer Reiter - schwerer reiter (cavalry of the heavy cavalry).
Karabinier - carabinier,
Gardereiter - Guards Cavalier
Jaeger zu Pferde - horse ranger
Grenadier zu Pferde

In addition, there were ordinary soldiers in the cavalry with the ranks:
Trainsoldat - trainsoldat or Traingemeiner - traingemeiner. This is a convoy soldier.
Sanitaetssoldat -sanitetzoldat. This is an orderly.
Trommler -trommler. This is the drummer
Hornisten - horny. This is a trumpet player.
Krankenwarter - krankenwarter (medicinal assistant).
Oekonomiehandwerker - economirhandwerker (soldier of rear units).

Cavalry other than horse rangers

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	by specialty (see above)
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a
5 B		Wachtmiester - (wachtmeister)
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Rittmeister
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst
14	Generale (generals)	Generalmajor (major general)
15		Generalleutnant (Generalleutnant)
16		General der Kavallerie

Horse ranger

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Jaeger zu Pferde - Jaeger zu Pferde
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Oberjaeger zu Pferde - Oberjaeger zu Pferde
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Wachtmiester (Vice-Wachtmiester)
5 B		Wachtmiester - (wachtmeister)
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Rittmeister
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst

Foot artillery (Fussartillerie)

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Kanonier (gunner)
2a	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
2b		Obergefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Feldwebel (Vice Feldwebel)
5 B		Feldwebel - Feldwebel
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Hauptmann (Hauptmann)
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst

Horse artillery (Reitenden Artillerie)

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Kanonier (gunner)
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Wachtmiester (Vice-Wachtmiester)
5 B		Wachtmiester - (wachtmeister)
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Rittmeister
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst

Field artillery (Feldartillerie)

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Kanonier (gunner)
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Feldwebel (Vice Feldwebel)
5 B		Feldwebel - Feldwebel
8a		Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Hauptmann (Hauptmann)
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst
14	Generale (generals)	Generalmajor (major general)
15		Generalleutnant (Generalleutnant)
16		General der Artillerie

Sappers (Pionieren)

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Pionier
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5a		Vize-Feldwebel (Vice Feldwebel)
5 B		Schirrmeister der Pioniere
8a	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Leutnant
8b		Obereutnant
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Hauptmann (Hauptmann)
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Major (major)
11		Oberstleutnant
12		Oberst
14	Generale (generals)	Generalmajor (major general)
15		Generalleutnant (Generalleutnant)

Replenishment Bodies (Ersatzbehorde)

This is an analogue of our modern military registration and enlistment offices. Actually, in order to organize conscription in local administrations (Bezirkskommando), according to our military enlistment offices, draft commissions (Ersatzkommissionen) are assembled, to which senior officers, representatives of local civilian authorities, and doctors are seconded. Non-commissioned officers and lower ranks are constantly working in the military registration and enlistment offices. The lower ranks, unsuitable for service in the ranks for health reasons, but not subject to dismissal to the reserve, are sent to the military registration and enlistment offices. For non-commissioned officer positions in the military registration and enlistment offices, military personnel of the appropriate ranks, who have experience in conducting office work and are familiar with keeping records, are sent.

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	in the specialty available in the combat unit
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Gefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Unteroffiziere
4		Sergeanten (sergeant)
5 B		Bezirksfeldwebel

Army Medical Service (Sanitaetskorps der Armee)

In the German army, military doctors, in addition to specialists in the pharmaceutical service, belonged to the military. The difference between officers of the main branches of the armed forces (infantry, cavalry, artillery and engineering troops) and medical officers (military doctors) was only in the methods of recruitment. The army was staffed with military doctors both from military medical schools and from civilian doctors who wished to transfer to military service, as well as from among students who graduated from the university with a medical specialty.

For military service as lower ranks of the medical service, recruitment went from young people of military age (20 years old), who before service worked as orderlies, medical assistants, and employees of medical institutions. With a shortage of such people, it was possible to recruit from among those who declared their desire to serve in the medical industry and showed their propensity for such activities.
Non-commissioned officers of the medical service were recruited exclusively from sanitary freighters who had completed active service (2 years) and expressed a desire to continue serving in the non-commissioned officer corps. The title of sanitetssergent could be awarded no earlier than 7 years after the title of sanitetsunterofitsir was awarded.

* The title "Unterarct" can rather be equated with the rank of fenrich (candidate for an officer rank) in the main branches of the armed forces. It is assigned to persons who have completed the initial 6-month military training, have a medical diploma, have passed all the required exams and are sent to a military unit to perform the duties of a doctor. Not earlier than 3 months later, with a satisfactory performance of duties and the availability of vacancies, the unterarct can be submitted for the assignment of an officer rank.

From the author. In general, in Germany there has always been a simple, but very true rule - whoever you were before the army, and no matter what position in the army you apply for, you must serve as a simple soldier for 6 months. Without this segment of military service, obtaining any military rank is impossible.
One example is the German pilots of the "Condor Legion" who fought in Spain in 1937-39, were awarded German orders and held high enough positions there, before being accepted into the Luftwaffe and assigned officer and general ranks, were put in the infantry formation as ordinary soldiers for six months. And an infantry non-commissioned officer yelled at tomorrow's Luftwaffe general today, the eternal gefreiter forced the floor in the barracks to scrub.

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Sanitaetssoldat
2	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Sanitaetsgefreiter
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Sanitaetsunteroffiziere
4		Sanitaetssergeanten
5		Sanitaetsfeldwebel
6		Unterartz (unterartz)
7	Subaltern-Offiziere (subaltern officers)	Assistenzarzt
8		Oberarzt
9	Hauptleute und Rittmeister (captains and captains)	Stabsarzt
10	Stabsoffiziere (staff officers)	Oberstabsarzt I. Klasse (Oberstabsarzt I class)
11		Generaloberarzt (Generalloberarzt)
12a		Generalarzt II. Klasse (General II. Class)
12b		Generalarzt I. Klasse (Generalarzt I class) *
14	Generale (generals)	Generalarzt I. Klasse (Generalarzt I class) **
15		General-Stabsarzt der Armee ***

* In the Land of Württemberg, this title is called General- Stabsarzt der Armee.
** Generalarct I class, i.e. chief physician of the first class, who is given a general's level. In Bavaria, this rank is called General-Stabsarzt der Armee.
*** So this rank is called in Prussia, and therefore in other lands except Württemberg and Bavaria.

From the author. So, it turns out that the rank of General-Stabsarzt der Armee:
in Württemberg is equal to the rank of colonel,
in Bavaria is equal to the rank of major general,
in Prussia equal to the rank of lieutenant general.

It is not entirely logical that the general loberatt is a lieutenant colonel, and a general marc is a colonel and above. But so in the source - the German edition of 1901. Obviously, this mishmash with the highest medical titles is an echo of the not so long-standing independence of the German states. Obviously, in Württemberg it was believed that the colonel's level for the most important medical officer of the Württemberg army was quite enough. But in Bavaria, they found it useful to equalize the chief physician to major general. The Prussians made their highest medic a lieutenant general. After the unification of the German lands into the empire, they obviously could not come to a consensus and left everything as it was before.

Artillery and technical personnel (Zeugpersonal)

Artillery and technical personnel are intended for management service in artillery parks, technical institutes of artillery, for managing the park artillery control commission, as well as for managing artillery devices in rifle schools and at artillery shooting ranges. In addition, this personnel is used in the Directorate of the Chief of Artillery and the Directorate of Artillery Parks.

The junior personnel of the artillery and technical service refers to military officials, but in terms of their official and legal status they are equated to non-commissioned officers, i.e. to the military.

Officers of the artillery and technical service are considered military personnel, but according to their official and legal status they are not equated to military officers, but to officers of the Landwehr.

It is possible to get into this service after the soldier's service. Zeughausbuchenmashern, i.e. masters of the art technical service are recruited from among those who have served in the soldier's service as military weapons masters (Truppenbuechsenmachern) and are not further promoted in rank.
Zeugserzhanten are replenished from non-commissioned officers of the artillery, partly also from the infantry. It is required that they prove themselves well in their unit, that the artillery applicants have a good knowledge of the artillery materiel, the infantrymen have a good command of small arms. Those. there is a transition from military non-commissioned officers to military officials. After 9 years of service, the Zeugsergeantten can receive the title of Depot Vice-Feldwebel.

Code*	Category	Rank name
3	Zeugunterpersonal (junior staff of the art technical service)	Zeughausbuechsenmachern
4		Zeugsergeanten (Zeugsergeanten)
5a		Depot-Vizefeldwebel (depot-vicefeldwebel)
5 B		Zeugfeldwebel
7	Zeugoffizieren (officers of the artillery service)	Zeug-Leutnant
8		Zeug-Oberleutnant
9		Zeug-Hauptleuten (Zeug-Hauptleuten)

Pyrotechnic staff (Feuerwerks-Personal)

Pyrotechnic personnel are intended for management service in artillery arsenals, ammunition and explosives depots.

There are no soldiers or gefreighters in this service.
The junior staff of the pyrotechnic service refers to military officials, but in terms of their official and legal status they are equated to non-commissioned officers, i.e. to the military.

The officers of the pyrotechnic service are considered military personnel, but according to their official and legal status they are not equated to military officers, but to officers of the Landwehr.

It is possible to get into this service after the soldier's service after the appropriate training and passing exams.
The officers of the artillery-technical service are exclusively Zeugfeldwebel, who have passed the exam for the rank of Zeig-Leutnant.

Code*	Category	Rank name
4	Feuerwerkunterpersonal (junior staff of the pyrotechnic service)	Feuerwerker
5		Oberfeuerwerker
7	Feuerwerkoffizieren (officers of the pyrotechnic service)	Feuerwerkers -Leutnant
8		Feuerwerkers-Oberleutnant
9		Feuerwerkers-Hauptmann

Military Musicians (Militaermusiker)

Each regiment or separate battalion has an orchestra (Muesikkorps). In the cavalry regiments, this unit is referred to as the Trompeterkorps. Young people capable of music were enrolled in this unit, who entered the 2, 3 or 4-year voluntary service after compulsory six-month service in the ranks. At the same time, they were required to undergo training at a music institute. The study lasted 3 years. They had to make a commitment to serve actively for each year of study for another 2 years.
Upon entering the service, they were enrolled in the orchestra as supernumerary musicians and they were awarded the rank:
* in the line infantry - Hilfshoboisten,
* in the cavalry - Hilftrompeter (Hilftrompeter),
* in light infantry and sappers - Hilfshornisten.
This rank is equal to the rank of an ordinary soldier. If the quality of the musician was high, then with the same name of the rank, his level could rise to the non-official.
When vacant places in the orchestra were vacated, the musician was transferred to full-time musicians and he was appropriately assigned the rank:
in the line infantry - Hoboisten,
* in cavalry - Trompeter,
* in light infantry and sappers - Hornisten.
This rank was equal to the rank of non-commissioned officer. If the quality of the musician was high, then with the same title of rank, his level could rise to the level of a sergeant.
The leader of the orchestra wore the rank of staff gooysten (respectively, staff strompeter, staff horn). An orchestra musician who possessed a remarkable musical talent, had a general education, devoted himself to military service, and graduated from a musical institute with success could receive the same rank.
The honored leader of the orchestra could receive the title of his rank Militar-Musikdirigent, and the especially honored title of Koniglicher Musikdirektor. However, this did not change his level equal to that of the sergeant.

The entire orchestral service of the army was no longer led by a soldier, but by an officer-level military official.

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Hilfshoboisten (hilfgoboisten), or Hilftrompeter (hilftrompeter), or Hilfshornisten
3		Hoboisten (oboysten), or Trompeter trompeter), or Hornisten
4		Hoboisten (oboysten), or Trompeter trompeter), or Hornisten
5		Stabshoboisten (ishtabsgoboisten), or Stabstrompeter, or Stabshornisten, or Militar-Musikdirigent, or (Koniglicher Musikdirektor (Koniglicher-music director)
7	Oberen Militarbeamten	Armee-Musik-Inspizienten

From the author. As you can see, in the German army, the officer's and even more so the general's rank was not profaned or depreciated, as is the case in our army. An officer and even more so a general in the German army is the commander of only a combat subunit, unit, formation. Anyone who does not stand in a combat formation, they are not considered military personnel and are not entitled to wear an officer or, moreover, a general's rank.

If in our army the head of the orchestral service is already a lieutenant general ("general from the piano"), then in the German army the same duties were assigned to a military official who was only equated to the officer corps (but was not considered an officer!). And nothing, quite coped. And at the head of the regimental orchestra was not a major, like ours, but a belwebel. And also nothing, I did it.

Perhaps this is the case when it is worth borrowing something from enemies. Remove shoulder straps from conductors, heads of military repair factories, design bureaus, military registration and enlistment offices, military builders, military house managers, chiefs of officers' houses, and from clerical workers of large headquarters. And list them in military officials. And for the military budget it is cheaper, and the authority of the officer's rank will increase.

Well, really, which of the designer Kalashnikov is Lieutenant General? He will not be able to cope with the company, not that with the army corps (the rank of lieutenant general can only be received by the corps commander). It's time to understand to everyone that a military rank is a reflection of the level of military qualifications, and not an honorary title. A captain means he can command a company, a colonel can command a regiment.

Will "Colonel" Zhirinovsky be able to lead a tank regiment into battle? Of course not. Well, there is no need for him to sculpt colonel's stars on his shoulder straps. If you want to mark him with an honorary title, then give him the title of People's Artist of Russia, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Diploma of the Rachmaninov Competition, Laureate of the Competition of Circus Artists, Master of Medicine, Master of Machine Milking, Honored Inventor and Innovator, Chess Grand Master, or at worst, a master of sports of international class. Would you say that he has not won a single international sports competition and giving him a master of sports is simply stupid? Agree! Well, is it not stupid to give him the rank of colonel?

The famous German tank designer "Tiger" Heinz Knimpkamp did not have an officer or general rank, but had the rank of a military official "ministerial advisor". And nothing, did not suffer from an inferiority complex. He understood perfectly well that he could not stand on a par with General Oberst Heinz Guderian.

Army officer training (Ergaenzung der Offiziere der Armee)

The German army was staffed primarily by graduates of the Royal Cadet Corps in Berlin (Koniglichen Kadettenkorps). Boys were admitted to this corps at the age of 10-15 years. They exchanged cadets (Kadetten), but unlike the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, German cadets were not military personnel and the name "cadet" did not mean a military rank.

In the cadet corps, future officers received a complete secondary education (13 classes). At the end of the 13th grade, the best cadets remained to study in the corps for one more year. At the end of this year of training, they passed the officer's exam and were sent to the troops with the rank of fenrich of the level of vice sergeant-webel. They received the rank of Leutnant (with the consent of the meeting of the officers of the regiment) as soon as a vacant place of Leutnant was opened in the regiment.

The rest of the cadets took the Faehnriche exam. After that, they entered military service in military units with the rank of Fenrich sergeant level. Simultaneously with the service, the fenrichs are required to complete a one-year course of study at a military school. After 5 months, the level of fenrichs rises to vice-feldwebel. After 6 months, these fenrichs received the right to pass the officer's exam, after the successful passing of which the officers' meeting of the regiment made its opinion on whether the fenrich was worthy of being awarded an officer's rank or not. Worthy ones received the rank of Leutnant as soon as a vacant Leutnant position was opened in the regiment. The unworthy were transferred to the reserve.

Young people who did not graduate from the cadet corps could become officers. To do this, it was necessary to have an age from 17 to 23 years old, submit a certificate of secondary education (12-13 grades) and pass an exam for fenrich. After that, the young man enlisted in the service in the rank of Fahnenjunker. This rank is equivalent to the rank of an ordinary soldier. After 6 months of service, the fannunker is awarded the rank of sergeant-level fenrich. Simultaneously with the service, the fenrichs are required to complete a one-year course of study at a military school. Fenrichs were exempted from the course of study at the military school, who had studied for at least a year at a German university, a technical institute, a mining academy or a forestry academy before entering military service. After 5 months, the level of fenrichs rises to vice-feldwebel. After 6 months, these fenrichs received the right to pass the officer's exam, after the successful passing of which the officers' meeting of the regiment made its opinion on whether the fenrich was worthy of being awarded an officer's rank or not. Worthy ones received the rank of Leutnant as soon as a vacant Leutnant position was opened in the regiment. The unworthy were transferred to the reserve.

From the author. There were no class restrictions on the possibility of becoming an officer in Germany. At the same time, there were norms that excluded representatives of the lower strata of society from entering the ranks of the officer corps. The rules for enrollment in fannunkers required that parents guarantee an additional payment of the difference between the minimum income level of a serviceman and the monetary allowance that the treasury gave him. And these norms were such that the German soldier got rid of the need to milk his parents only by reaching the rank of Hauptmann.

It should be noted that the officer training system was based on training directly in military units. In the workplace, so to speak. The military school only systematized knowledge and gave that part of it that could not be obtained in the regiment.

It is also worth noting that regiment officers decided whether to become a fenrich officer or not. Without their consent, the order to confer the rank of Leutnant could not take place. No fathers and mothers, "furry paws", titles and merits of ancestors could mean nothing here.

Obviously, all these factors ensured a very high level of the officer corps, and therefore the entire German army. In the Austro-Hungarian army, the officer training system was different, and the First World War showed that the fighting qualities of the Austrian army were a cut below the German one.

It is hardly worth recognizing the system of training officers of the Russian Army as successful. After all, our graduate of a military school first saw a living soldier only when he came to the regiment as a young second lieutenant. Whether at least the theoretical knowledge of the Russian second lieutenants was higher than the knowledge of the German Leutnants is difficult to say. This is hardly noticeable in the battles of the First World War.

Code*	Category	Rank name
1	Gemeine (lower ranks)	Fahnenjunker
4	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Faehnriche (fenrich)
5		Faehnriche (fenrich)

It should be noted that the officers of the medical service (military doctors), artillery-technical and pyrotechnic services were trained in a completely different way.

Notes on the ranks of the military

1. To obtain the right to be awarded a non-commissioned officer rank, a young man entered a non-commissioned officer school, where he studied for 2 or 3 years. During this period, he bore the title of Unteroffizierschueler (Unteroffizierschueler). Upon its completion, he received, depending on his success, the title of Unteroffizier or Gefreiter (gefreiter) with the right to be awarded the title in the future (unterofficir).

From the author. Note that in the Russian Army of the same period, in order to obtain the rank of the first officer's rank, second lieutenant, it was enough to finish a two-year military school. Non-commissioned officers were trained from among the soldiers during the period of the soldier's service for six months. The German non-commissioned officer served for 12 years, and the Russian non-commissioned officer left at the end of his military service or could remain on long-term service (there were no more than 10% of the total number of non-commissioned officers). It is easy to understand that the quality of the German non-commissioned officers was a cut above the Russian ones, and in fact they were not inferior to the Russian junior officers.

2. Civilian food service officials (Proviantaemtern) are engaged in the food supply of the troops, but a non-commissioned officer level (usually a non-commissioned officer to a field webel) is directly involved in food service affairs in military units. He holds the title of Proviantamts-Aspiranten.

3.The barracks fund and other structures used by the troops in the garrisons are in charge of civilian officials of the garrison administration (Garnison-Verwaltungen), but the issues related to the servicemen in the garrison are in charge of a non-commissioned officer level (usually the level of a non-commissioned officer) to a field webel. He carries the rank of Garnisonverwaltungs-Aspiranten (Garrisonverwaltung-graduate student).

4. There is the title of Feldwebel-Leutnant. This rank is awarded to non-commissioned officers who, by age or disability, are no longer liable for military service, but serve in the Landwehr, reserve and Landsturm units in officer positions. They belong to the officer corps, but are considered below the rank of Leutnant. This rank does not exist in the active army.

Military Officers (Militaerbeamte)

All members of the army described below were military officials (Militaerbeamte). They also wore uniforms, but were divided into only two categories - junior military officials (equated to non-commissioned officers) and senior military officials (equated to officers).

Army Treasurers (Zahlmeister der Armee)

These military officials belonged to the quartermaster service, but served in military units (infantry, cavalry regiments, artillery and sapper battalions) or in garrison institutions (garrison administrations, hospitals), where they performed duties to provide personnel with monetary, clothing, food rations, and also carried out office work.

One treasurer and one assistant treasurer relied on every infantry, artillery, sapper battalion and every cavalry regiment.

Zalmeister is a graduate student, i.e. Assistant treasurers, after passing the exams for the treasurer, are equal in their level to sergeants (according to the author's coding -4) and are enlisted as supreme assistant treasurers (ausseretatsmassigen Zahlmeister-Aspiranten). After 9 years of service as a supreme assistant to the treasurer, his level can be raised to a vice-sergeant-webel (according to the author's coding - 5a).
If during the supernumerary service a vacant position is vacated, the supreme assistant treasurer becomes a full-time assistant treasurer (etatsmassigen Zahlmeister-Aspiranten). However, its level remains the same. After 8 years of service as a full-time assistant to the treasurer, he receives the level of Feldwebel (according to the author's coding - 5b).

Provisions to the rank of treasurer (Zahlmeister) are subject to a vacant position. All treasurers are only regular ones. This is already an officer's level. This is usually the last promotion of treasurers to the rank
Few of them who are fortunate enough to become treasurer of a garrison, a large hospital, or go to serve in the quartermaster receive the rank of Oberzalmeister.

The staff of the fortress building. (Festunsbau-Personal)

These military officials were engaged in overseeing fortification works, the construction of fortresses, were members of engineering commissions, taught at the school of fortification, carried out cash operations, carried out surveys, supervised construction, and laid the army telegraph. In addition, they were entrusted with the duties of organizing pigeon mail.

Among them there was one rank of the non-commissioned officer level and two ranks of the officer level. Non-commissioned officers of the engineering troops were accepted as wallmeister, who had undergone training before this and passed the exam for a serf specialist. After passing the officer's exam, the walmeister could receive the rank of festung-bauwart.

Equestrian medical personnel (rossarztliche Personal)

These are veterinarians. However, highly specialized - only for horses. Moreover, this service included both non-commissioned officers and military officials.
Fanenschmeide and Oberfanenschmeide were mainly involved in shoeing horses, but were also trained in the treatment of horse hoof diseases. These positions were assigned to those who had served in the soldier's service and had the specialty of a rural blacksmith, and additionally trained in an army forge. After 12 years of service, the Oberfanenschmeida was given the level of a watchmaker. He could not advance higher in ranks.
Military officials of the equestrian medical service, as a rule, were graduates of the army equestrian medical school. Also, qualified civilian veterinarians doing military service could, after six months of combat service, move to the position of volunteers and receive the rank of unterrossarzten and later receive the rank of rossarzte.
For each cavalry squadron, horse artillery battery, transport battalion relied on one unterrossarzten or rossarzten. Oberrossarzten was the regimental commander for Unterrossarzten and Rossarzten, but at the same time he was in charge of one of the squadrons.
Korsarzten was the chief chief for all the equestrian medical personnel of the corps. There were no chiefs of this service in the higher headquarters.

Code*	Category	Rank name
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Fahnensehmiede (fanenschmeide)
4
5a		Oberfahnensehmiede
5 B	Unteren Militarbeamten	Unterrossarzten
7	Oberen Militarbeamten (senior military officials)	Rossarzten
8		Oberrossarzten
9		Korpsrossarzten

In Bavaria, equestrian medical personnel belonging to military officials wore other titles:

Code*	Category	Rank name
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Fahnensehmiede (fanenschmeide)
4		Oberfahnensehmiede
5a		Oberfahnensehmiede
5 B	Unteren Militarbeamten (junior military officials)	Veterinare II. Klasse (class II veterinarian)
7	Oberen Militarbeamten (senior military officials)	Veterinare I. Klasse (class I veterinarian)
8		Stabsveterinare (headquarters veterinarian)
9		Korpsveterinare

Militar-Indendantur

This military organization deals with all issues of providing and supplying troops with all types of material and technical means, as well as replenishing troops with personnel. The quartermaster service includes both servicemen at the level of soldiers and non-commissioned officers who directly in military units perform the relevant duties of supply and support, and military officials who deal with these issues in the military authorities (headquarters from the headquarters of the division, corps and above).

Military officials of the quartermaster offices.

Subaltern quartermaster officials are equated to non-commissioned officers. The highest quartermaster officials are equated to the officer corps. But there is no equating specific ranks of officials with specific ranks of non-commissioned officers and officers.

Code*	Category	Rank name
.	Intendantur-Subalternbeamte (quartermaster subaltern officials)	Kanzlisten (kantslisten)
.		Registratur-Assistenten
.		Registratoren (registered)
.		Intendantur-Diaetare
.		Intendantur-Sekretare
.	Hohere intendantur-beamte (senior quartermaster officials)	Indendantur-Referendare
.		Indendantur-Assesoren
.		Indendantur-Rate
.		Indendanten

From the author. Obviously, on the one hand, the importance of military officials of the quartermaster service is very high, since they work in high military headquarters and solve very important and complex, one might say key tasks, and therefore it is necessary to consider them high ranks. On the other hand, in the German state and the army, no one could be considered superior to the military by social status. Therefore, the commissary officials were equated with non-commissioned officers and officers, but they did not begin to determine the equivalence of the ranks of officers and officials.

Servicemen dealing with quartermaster issues in the troops and quartermaster directorates.

Schreiber is a clerk, and a Zeicher is a draftsman. Those. these are servicemen at the level of sergeants and vice-feldwebel, who keep records, keep records and draw up topographic maps.

Military personnel, bakery specialists

Code*	Category	Rank name
2a	Gefreite (gefwriters)	Schiesser (shaser)
2b		Baeсker (backer)
3	Unteroffiziere (non-commissioned officers)	Obebaeсker
4		Obebaeсker I. Klasse (Obebaeсker 1st class)

Military priests (Militargeistliche)

This is a special category of military officials designed for the religious service of military personnel. All of them belong to senior military officers at the officer level (oberen Militar-Beamten im Offiziersrange). At the same time, the ranks of military priests are not equated to specific officer ranks. In the German army, only priests of the Catholic and Evangelical (Protestant) churches could carry out their activities.
Accordingly, in the army structures (garrisons, divisions, corps) there were simultaneously two priests of the corresponding level - one evangelical, the other Catholic.
A priest with the rank of Anstaltsgeistliche (antstaltsgeistlishe) is a confessor in the garrisons of a small number. Often, his duties were performed by the civil priest of the nearest parish.
A full-time military priest relied alone on a division or a fairly large garrison. He carried the rank of Divisionspfarrer or Garnisonpfarrer.
At the headquarters of the army corps there was a Militaer-Oberpfarrer. He supervised the activities of the divisional and garrison priests, and was also the confessor of the personnel of the corps headquarters and corps units.

The highest religious leader of the German army was Feldpropst der Armee. There were also two of them - Catholic and Evangelical. He was in charge of all the army priests. In the church hierarchy, he had the rank of bishop.

Unlike all other military officials, priests did not obey the military commanders of the corresponding levels, but only coordinated their activities with them.

Military Lawyers (Militar-Justizbeamte)

This is a category of military officials who prosecuted personnel who violated the law, as well as supervised the observance of the rule of law in the troops. They were equated with officers, but specifically the ranks of military lawyers were not equated with specific officer ranks. In addition, the most junior rank of a military lawyer, although it was considered an officer, was not obliged by non-commissioned officers and soldiers to greet him as they greet officers.

Military pharmacists (Militaer-Apotheker)

These medical specialists are recruited from among those lower ranks dismissed at the end of active service who served in military pharmacies and signed a commitment to one-year voluntary military service. However, they are not enrolled in military personnel, but in military officials. Pharmacists of the first two ranks are junior military officials (equated to non-commissioned officers), and the three senior ranks are senior military officials (equated to officers). However, there is no specific correspondence between the ranks of pharmacists and military ranks.

Code*	Category	Rank name
.	Unteren Militarbeamten (junior military officials)	Einjahrig-Freiwillige Militar-Apoteker
.		Unter-Apoteker
.	Oberen Militarbeamten (junior military officials)	Ober-Apoteker
.		Garnison-Apoteker
		Korps-Stabsapoteker

Gunsmiths (Buchsenmachern)

In general, specialists in the production and repair of weapons are classified as civilian officials, but of them one gunsmith (Buchsenmacher) is allocated to each battalion of foot units and a cavalry regiment. Since civilian officials are not allowed to serve in military units, gunsmiths sent to military units are transferred to the category of military officials and are reassigned to battalion and regiment commanders. These officials are provided with military uniforms, which are required to wear on certain occasions. The rest of the time they perform their duties in civilian clothes.

Civilian military officials
(Zivilbeamte der Militar-Verwaltung)

This category of officials performs military-administrative and military-technical functions of an auxiliary nature, as a rule, in high military headquarters (from the headquarters of the corps and above), garrison departments, hospitals, military factories, cadet corps, and military schools. As a rule, civilian officials are subordinate to generals and staff officers, military officials and are auxiliary personnel for them.

Civilian officials wear uniform or civilian clothing. They have no ranks and titles as such.

Civilian officials should, if they appear in uniform, be greeted in a military manner by non-commissioned officers and lower ranks, on the other hand, they are also not obliged themselves to generally greet people of the level of lower ranks or junior military officials other than their immediate superiors.

Below are the names of their positions in German, indicating the duties performed in relation to Russian names:

Place of service	Job title	Explanation
Kriegsministerium (Ministry of War)	standige Hilfsarbeiter	permanent ancillary workers
	Unterbeamte	lower officials
	Kanzleibeamte	clerical officials
	Registratoren	registrars
	Kalkulatoren	calculators, calculators
	Sekretare	secretaries
	Raete	advisers, clerks
Generalstabe der Armee (General Staff of the Army)	Unterbeamte	lower officials
	Kanzleibeamte	clerical officials
	Registratoren	registrars
	Kalkulatoren	calculators, calculators
	Sekretare	secretaries
	Raete	advisers, clerks
grossere Generalstabe (large general staff)	Trigonometer, Topographen, Kartographen, Lithographen	specialists in geodesy, cartography, cartography equipment
Bauwessen (construction department)	Bauschreiber	construction clerk
	Bauwarte	building supervisor
	Bauinspektore	building inspector
	Bauraete	construction advisors
Proviantaemtern * (food service)	Magazinaufseher	storekeeper
	Backmeister,	baker
	Muhlenmeister,	miller
	Proviantamts-Assistenten	assistant food supervisor
	Proviantamtskontrolleure	food inspector
	Proviantamtsrendanten	food service provider
	Proviantmeister	food service master
	Proviantsdirektoren,	head of food service
Lazaretten ** (military hospitals)	Heizer	stoker
	Hausdiener	service staff
	Zivilkrankenwarter	civil servant for the sick
	Inspektoren	inspector
	Verwaltungsinspektor	department inspector
	Oberlazarett-Inspektoren	chief inspector of the hospital
Garnison-Verwaltungen *** (garrison management)	Heizer.	stoker
	Maschinenmeister	plumber
	Wachmeister	watchman
	Kasernenwarter	barracks keeper
	Kasernen-Inspektoren	barracks inspector
	Verwaltungs-Inspektoren	control inspector
	Ober-Inspektoren	senior inspector
	Garnison-Verwaltungsdirektoren	garrison chief
Korpsbekleidungsamtern (corps uniform department)	Packmeister	packer
	Maschinisten	driver
	Assistenten	assistant performer
	Rendanten	executor
Remontendepo (horse training depot)	Futtermeister	cattleman
	Rossaerzte	veterinarian
	Wirtschaftsinspektoren	economic inspector
	Rechnungsfuhrer	accountant
	Administatoren	administrator
Kadettenanstalten und sonstigen Schulen (cadet institutions and other schools)	Kompagnie-Verwalter	company overseer
	Hausinspektoren	premises inspector
	Rendanten	executor
	Lehrer	teacher
Gewehr- und Munitionsfabriken **** (weapons and equipment factories)	Revisionbeamte	controller
	Buchsenmacher	gunsmith
	Oberbuchsenmacher	senior gunsmith
	Betriebinspektoren	regime inspector
	Fabriken-Komissare	factory commissioner
Geschutzgiesserei, Geschossfabriken; Feuerwerkslaboratorien, Artilleriewerkestatten, Pulverfabriken (gun, shell factories, pyrotechnic laboratories, artillery arsenals, powder factories)	Meister	master
	Obermeister	head master
	Revisionsbeamte	auditor
	Ingenieure	engineer
	Chemiker	chemical technologist
	Ober-Ingenieure	senior engineer.

* Directly in the troops, a serviceman with the rank of Proviantamts-Aspiranten (provisions-graduate student) of the level from a non-commissioned officer to a field webel is engaged in food supply.
** The medical activities in the hospitals were carried out by military personnel, while civilian officials were involved in ensuring the functioning of the hospital.
*** The Office of the Garrison is an institution dealing with the administrative regulation of general garrison activities. Those. they were engaged in the maintenance of barracks and other objects in the garrison used by the troops. To some extent, this is similar to the IES service (housing maintenance service) in our modern army. In the management of the garrison there was one soldier of the level from a non-military officer to a felwebel in the rank of Garnisonverwaltungs-Aspiranten (garrisonferwaltung-graduate student), who resolved issues related to the military personnel in the garrison.
**** From this category of civilian officials, one armorer (Buchsenmacher) is allocated to each infantry battalion and cavalry regiment. Since civilian officials are not allowed to serve in military units, riflemen sent to military units are transferred to the category of military officials and are reassigned to the commanders of battalions and regiments.

From the author. In general, the German system of military ranks seems overly complex and obscure, but it should be remembered that the systems of military ranks of all armies grew out of the names of specific positions.

At the same time, it should be recognized that the division of all those related to the army into servicemen and officials is very expedient.
Only those who perform their duties in the ranks are classified as servicemen, i.e. directly in battalions and regiments. All support and maintenance personnel are not endowed with the status of military personnel. This increases the social status of servicemen as defenders of the Motherland, the importance of non-commissioned officer and officer ranks is not diminished or undermined. Only those who directly endanger their lives on the battlefield have the right to the honorary title of a soldier.

Sources and Literature

1.Das kleine Buch vom Deutsche Heere. Verlag von Lipsins & Tischer. Kiel und Leipzig 1901.
2. Military encyclopedic dictionary. Great Russian Encyclopedia. Ripol-Classic. Moscow. 2001
3.R. Hermann, J. Nguyen, R. Bernet. Uniformen der deutshen Infanterie 1888 bis 1915 in Farbe. Motot Buch Verlag. 2003.
4.K.U. Keubke. Uniformen der preussiscen Armee 1858/59. Miliraerverlag der DDR. 1989.
5. G. Ortenburg, I. Proemper. Preussisch-deutsche Uniformen von 1640-1918. Orbis Verlag. 1991

One of the most brutal and ruthless organizations of the 20th century is the SS. Ranks, decals, functions - all this was different from those in other types and branches of troops in Nazi Germany. Reichsminister Himmler even brought together all the disparate security detachments (SS) into a single army - the Waffen SS. In the article, we will take a closer look at the military ranks and insignia of the SS troops. And first, a little about the history of the creation of this organization.

Prerequisites for the formation of the SS

In March 1923, Hitler was worried that the leaders of the Storm Troops (SA) were beginning to feel their power and importance in the NSDAP party. This was due to the fact that both the party and the SA had the same sponsors, for whom the goal of the National Socialists was important - to carry out a coup, and they did not have much sympathy for the leaders themselves. Sometimes it even came to an open confrontation between the leader of the SA - Ernst Rohm - and Adolf Hitler. It was at this time, apparently, that the future Fuhrer decides to strengthen his personal power, creating a detachment of bodyguards - the staff guard. He was the first prototype of the future SS. They did not have titles, but the insignia had already appeared. The abbreviation for the headquarters guard was also SS, but it came from the German word Stawsbache. In each hundred of the SA, Hitler allocated 10-20 people, ostensibly to protect high-ranking party leaders. They personally had to swear an oath to Hitler, and their selection was carried out carefully.

A few months later, Hitler renamed the organization Stosstruppe - this was the name of the shock units of the Kaiser's army during the First World War. The SS abbreviation nevertheless remained the same, despite the fundamentally new name. It is worth noting that the entire Nazi ideology was associated with a halo of mystery, historical continuity, allegorical symbols, pictograms, runes, etc. Even the symbol of the NSDAP - the swastika - Hitler took from ancient Indian mythology.

Stosstrup Adolf Hitler - the strike force "Adolf Hitler" - acquired the definitive features of the future SS. They did not yet have their rank, but insignia appeared, which Himmler would later retain - a skull on headdresses, a black distinctive color of uniforms, etc. The "dead head" on the uniform symbolized the detachment's readiness to defend Hitler himself at the cost of his life. The basis for the future usurpation of power had been prepared.

Emergence of Strumstaffel - SS

After the Beer Putsch, Hitler ended up in prison, where he remained until December 1924. The circumstances that allowed the future Fuhrer to be released after an attempt to seize power by force are still unclear.

Once released, Hitler first of all forbade the SA to carry weapons and position himself as an alternative to the German army. The fact is that the Weimar Republic could have only a limited contingent of troops under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty after the First World War. It seemed to many that the armed forces of the SA were a legitimate way to avoid the restriction.

At the beginning of 1925, the NSDAP was again restored, and in November - the "shock detachment". At first it was called Strumstaffen, and on November 9, 1925 it received its final name - Schutzstaffel - "cover squadron". The organization had nothing to do with aviation. This name was invented by Hermann Goering, a famous fighter pilot of the First World War. He loved to use aviation terms in his daily life. Over time, the "aviation term" was forgotten, and the abbreviation has always been translated as "security squads". It was headed by Hitler's favorites - Shrek and Schaub.

Selection in the SS

The SS gradually became an elite unit with decent salaries in foreign currency, which was considered a luxury for the Weimar Republic with its hyperinflation and unemployment. All Germans of working age were eager to join the SS. Hitler himself carefully selected his personal guard. The following requirements were imposed on the candidates:

1. Age from 25 to 35 years old.
2. The presence of two recommendations from the current members of the SS.
3. Permanent residence in one place for five years.
4. The presence of such positive qualities as sobriety, strength, health, discipline.

New development under Heinrich Himmler

The SS, despite the fact that it was personally subordinate to Hitler and the Reichsfuehrer SS - from November 1926 this position was occupied by Joseph Berthold, nevertheless it was part of the SA structures. The attitude towards the "elite" in the assault detachments was contradictory: the commanders did not want to have SS members in their units, so they shouldered various responsibilities, for example, distributing leaflets, signing up for Nazi propaganda, etc.

In 1929, Heinrich Himmler became the leader of the SS. Under him, the number of the organization began to grow rapidly. The SS turns into an elite closed organization with its own charter, mystical ritual of entry, imitating the traditions of medieval knightly Orders. A real SS man had to marry an "exemplary woman." Heinrich Himmler introduced a new mandatory requirement for joining the renewed organization: the candidate had to prove evidence of purity of origin in three generations. However, this was not all: the new Reichsfuehrer SS ordered all members of the organization to look for brides only with a "pure" genealogy. Himmler managed to nullify the subordination of his SA organization, and then completely withdraw from it after he helped Hitler get rid of the SA leader, Ernst Rohm, who sought to turn his organization into a mass people's army.

A detachment of bodyguards was transformed first into a personal guard regiment of the Fuhrer, and then into a personal SS army. Ranks, insignia, uniform - everything indicated that the unit was independent. Next, let's talk in more detail about insignia. Let's start with the rank of SS in the Third Reich.

Reichsfuehrer SS

At the head was the Reichsfuehrer SS - Heinrich Himmler. Many historians claim that he intended to usurp power in the future. In the hands of this man was control not only over the SS, but also over the Gestapo - the secret police, the political police and the security service (SD). Despite the fact that many of the above organizations were subordinate to one person, they were completely different structures, which sometimes even were at enmity with each other. Himmler was well aware of the importance of a ramified structure of different services concentrated in the same hands, so he was not afraid of Germany's defeat in the war, believing that such a person would be useful to the Western Allies. However, his plans were not destined to come true, and he died in May 1945, biting through an ampoule of poison in his mouth.

Consider the highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the German army.

SS High Command Hierarchy

The insignia of the SS high command consisted in the fact that on the buttonholes on both sides were depicted Nordic ritual symbols and oak leaves. Exceptions - SS Standartenfuehrer and SS Oberfuehrer - wore oak leaf, but belonged to senior officers. The more of them there were on the buttonholes, the higher the rank of their owner.

The highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the land army:

SS officers

Consider the features of the officer corps. The SS Hauptsturmführer and lower ranks no longer had oak leaves on their collar tabs. Also on the right buttonhole they had the SS coat of arms - a Nordic symbol of two lightning bolts.

SS officer hierarchy:

Rank CC	Buttonholes	Conformity in the army
Oberfuehrer SS	Double oak leaf	No match
Standartenfuehrer SS	Single leaf	Colonel
Obersturmbannfuehrer SS	4 stars and two rows of aluminum filament	Lieutenant colonel
Sturmbannfuehrer SS	4 stars
Hauptsturmführer SS	3 stars and 4 rows of thread	Hauptmann
Obersturmführer SS	3 stars and 2 rows	Chief Lieutenant
Untersturmführer SS	3 stars	Lieutenant

I would like to note right away that the German stars did not resemble the five-pointed Soviet ones - they were four-pointed, rather resembling squares or rhombuses. Next in the hierarchy are the non-commissioned officer ranks of the SS in the Third Reich. More about them in the next paragraph.

Non-commissioned officers

Hierarchy of non-commissioned officers:

Rank CC	Buttonholes	Conformity in the army
Sturmscharführer SS	2 stars, 4 rows of thread	Staff Feldwebel
Standartenoberünker SS	2 stars, 2 rows of thread, silver piping	Ober-Feldwebel
Haupscharführer SS	2 stars, 2 rows of thread	Oberfenrich
Oberscharführer SS	2 stars	Feldwebel
Standartenjunker SS	1 asterisk and 2 rows of thread (differed in shoulder straps)	Fanenunker Feldwebel
Scharführer SS		Unter-sergeant-major
Unterscharführer SS	2 strands at the bottom	Non-commissioned officer

Buttonholes are the main, but not the only insignia of ranks. Also, the hierarchy could be determined by shoulder straps and stripes. The military ranks of the SS were sometimes subject to change. However, above we have presented the hierarchy and the main differences at the time of the end of World War II.

Rank insignia
German security personnel (SD)
(Sicherheitsdienst des RfSS, SD) 1939-1945.

Foreword.
Before describing the insignia of the security forces (SD) in Germany during the Second World War, it is necessary to provide some clarifications, which, however, will confuse readers even more. And the point is not so much in these signs and uniforms themselves, which were repeatedly changed (which further confuses the picture), as in the complexity and confusion of the entire structure of state governing bodies in Germany at that time, which, moreover, was closely intertwined with the party organs of the Nazi party , in which, in turn, the SS organization and its structures, often beyond the control of the party organs, played a huge role.

First of all, as if within the framework of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) and, as it were, being the militant wing of the party, but at the same time not subordinate to the party organs, there was a kind of public organization Schutzstaffel (SS), which was originally a group of activists who engaged in the physical protection of rallies and meetings of the party, the protection of its top leaders. This public, I emphasize, is a public organization after numerous reforms in 1923-1939. transformed and began to consist of the proper public organization CC (Algemeine SS), SS troops (Waffen SS) and concentration camp guards (SS-Totenkopfrerbaende).

The entire SS organization (both general SS, and SS troops and camp guard units) was subordinate to SS Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler, who, in addition, was the chief of police for all of Germany. Those. apart from one of the highest party posts, he also held a state post.

In the fall of 1939, the General Directorate of State Security (Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA)) was created to exercise leadership in all structures involved in ensuring the security of the state and the ruling regime, law and order (police), intelligence and counterintelligence.

From the author. Usually in our literature it is written "General Directorate of Imperial Security" (RSHA). However, the German word Reich is translated as "state", and by no means as "empire". The word "empire" in German looks like this - Kaiserreich. Literally - "the state of the emperor". There is another word for the concept of "empire" - Imperium.
Therefore, I use words translated from German as they mean, and not as is generally accepted. By the way, people who are not very versed in history and linguistics, but inquisitive mind, often ask: "Why was Hitler's Germany called an empire, and there was no emperor in it even nominally, as, say, in England?"

Thus, the RSHA is a state institution, and by no means a party and not part of the SS. It can be compared to some extent with our NKVD.
Another question is that this state institution is subordinate to the Reichsfuehrer SS G. Himmler and he, naturally, recruited members of the public organization CC (Algemeine SS) as the staff of this institution.
Note, however, that not all RSHA employees were members of the SS, and not all departments of the RSHA consisted of SS members. For example, the criminal police (5th department of the RSHA). Most of its leaders and employees were not members of the SS. Even in the Gestapo there were quite a few leaders who were not members of the SS. Yes, the famous Müller himself became a member of the SS only in the summer of 1941, although he led the Gestapo since 1939.

We now turn to the SD.

Initially in 1931. (i.e., even before the Nazis came to power), the SD was created (from among the members of the general SS) as an internal security structure of the SS organization to combat various violations of order and rules, identify government agents and hostile political parties, provocateurs among the SS members, renegades, etc.
in 1934 (this was after the Nazis came to power) the SD extended its functions to the entire NSDAP, and actually left the SS subordination, but was still subordinate to the SS Reichsfuehrer G. Himmler.

In 1939, with the creation of the General Directorate of State Security (Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA)), the SD entered its structure.

SD in the structure of RSHA was represented by two departments (Amt):

Amt III (Inland-SD), who dealt with issues of state building, immigration, race and public health, science and culture, industry and trade.

Amt VI (Ausland-SD), who was engaged in intelligence work in Northern, Western and Eastern Europe, the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and in the countries of South America. It was this department that was led by Walter Schellenberg.

And, too, many of the SD staff were not SS men. And even the head of subdivision VI A 1 was not a member of the SS.

Thus, the SS and the SD are different organizations, although they are subordinate to the same leader.

From the author. In general, there is nothing strange here. This is a fairly common practice. For example, in today's Russia there is the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), to which two rather different structures are subordinate - the police and the Internal Troops. And in Soviet times, in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs there were still fire brigades and structures for managing places of deprivation of liberty.

Thus, in summary, it can be argued that the SS is one thing, and the SD is something else, although there are a lot of SS members among the employees of the SD.

Now you can move on to the uniform and insignia of SD employees.

End of the preface.

In the picture on the left: Soldier and SD officer in service uniform.

First of all, the SD officers wore a light gray open tunic with a white shirt and black tie similar to the uniform of the general SS arr. 1934 (the replacement of the black SS uniform with the gray one lasted from 1934 to 1938), but with its own insignia.
The edging on the officers' caps is made of a silver flagellum, and the edging of the soldiers and non-commissioned officers is green. Only green and no other.

The main difference in the uniform of the SD staff is that there are no signs in the right buttonhole.(runes, skulls, etc.). All SD officials up to and including the Obersturmannführer have a pure black collar.
Soldiers and non-commissioned officers had buttonholes without edging (until May 1942, the edging was still black and white striped), officers had buttonholes edged with a silver flagell.

Above the cuff of the left sleeve, there must be a black diamond with white SD letters inside. The officers have a rhombus edged with a silvery flagellum.

On the left: the SD officer's sleeve patch and buttonholes with the insignia of the SD Untersturmfuehrer.

On the left sleeve above the cuffs of SD officers serving in headquarters and directorates, it is mandatory black tape with silver stripes along the edges, on which the duty station is indicated in silver letters.

In the photo on the left: sleeve tape with an inscription indicating that the owner is serving in the Directorate of the SD Service.

In addition to the service uniform, which was used for all occasions (service, holiday, weekend, etc.), SD employees could wear a field uniform similar to the field uniform of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops with their own insignia.

Pictured on the right: field uniform (feldgrau) of the Untersharfuehrer des SD, model 1943. This uniform has already been simplified - the collar is not black, but the same color as the uniform itself, the pockets and their valves are of a simpler design, there are no cuffs. The right clean buttonhole is clearly visible and the only asterisk in the left, denoting the rank. An SS eagle on the sleeve and an SD patch on the bottom of the sleeve.
Pay attention to the characteristic appearance of the shoulder straps and the green edging of the police epaulette.

The system of titles in the SD deserves special attention. SD employees were named after their SS ranks, but instead of the prefix SS- in front of the title, they had the letters SD behind the name. For example, not "SS-Untersharfuehrer", but "Untersharfuehrer des SD". If the officer was not a member of the SS, then he wore a police rank (and obviously a police uniform).

Shoulder straps of soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the SD, not an army, but a police model, but not brown, but black. Please pay attention to the names of the titles of the staff of the Board of Directors. They differed both from the ranks of the general SS and from the ranks of the SS troops.

In the photo on the left: the shoulder strap of the Unterscharführer SD. The lining of the shoulder strap is grassy green, on which two rows of double soutache cord are superimposed. The inner cord is black, the outer one is silver with black stripes. They go around the button at the top of the shoulder strap. Those. in its structure, this is a shoulder strap of the chief officer's type, but with cords of other colors.

SS-Mann (SS-Mann)... Black shoulder strap of a police model without edging. Before May 1942 buttonholes were edged with black and white lace.

From the author. Why the two very first ranks in the SD are SS, and the titles of general SS, is unclear. It is possible that for the lowest positions SD officers were recruited from the ranks of the general SS, who were assigned police insignia, but were not given the status of SD employees.
This is my speculation, since Böhler does not explain this incomprehensibility in any way, and I do not have the primary source at my disposal.

It is very bad to use secondary sources, as errors inevitably occur. This is natural, since the secondary source is a retelling, an interpretation by the author of the primary source. But in the absence of you have to use what you have. It's still better than nothing.

SS-Sturmmann (SS-Sturmmann) Black shoulder strap of a police model. The outer row of the double soutache cord is black with silver stripes. Please note that in the SS troops and in the general SS, the SS-Mann and SS-Sturmmann shoulder straps are exactly the same, but here there is already a difference.
The left buttonhole has one row of double silver soutache lace.

Rottenfuehrer des SD The shoulder strap is the same, but ordinary German is sewn at the bottom 9 mm aluminum braid. The left buttonhole has two rows of double silver soutache lace.

From the author. A curious moment. In the Wehrmacht and in the SS troops, such a patch indicated that the owner was a candidate for the assignment of a non-commissioned officer rank.

Unterscharfuehrer des SD Black shoulder strap of a police model. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silver or light gray (depending on whether it is made of aluminum or silk thread) with black gussets. The lining of the shoulder strap forms a kind of edging, grassy green. This color is generally characteristic of the German police.
There is one silver star on the left buttonhole.

Scharfuehrer des SD Black shoulder strap of a police model. Outer row double soutache cord silvery with black stripes. the lining of the shoulder strap forming a kind of edging is grassy green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silvery cord with black pads.
On the left buttonhole, in addition to the asterisk, there is one row of double silver soutache lace.

Oberscharfuehrer des SD Black shoulder strap police sample. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silvery with black stripes. the lining of the shoulder strap forms a kind of edging, grassy green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silvery cord with black pads. In addition, there is one silver star on the chase.
There are two silver stars on the left buttonhole.

Hauptscharfuehrer des SD (Hauptscharfuehrer SD) Black shoulder strap police sample. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silvery with black stripes. The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a kind of edging, is grassy green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silvery cord with black pads. In addition, there are two silver stars on the chase.
On the left buttonhole there are two silver stars and one row of double silver soutache lace.

Sturmscharfuehrer des SD Black shoulder strap police sample. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silvery with black stripes. In the middle part of the shoulder strap, weaving of the same silvery laces with black laces and black soutache laces. The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a kind of edging, is grassy green. The left buttonhole has two silver stars and two rows of double silver soutache lace.

It remains unclear whether this title has existed since the creation of the SD, or whether it was introduced simultaneously with the introduction of the title of SS-staff-chief in the SS forces in May 1942.

From the author. One gets the impression that the rank in the SS-Sturmscharführer, mentioned in almost all Russian-language sources (including in my works), is erroneous. In fact, obviously, in the SS forces, the rank of SS-staffscharführer was introduced in May 1942, and in the SD it was Sturmscharführer. But this is my speculation.

The insignia of SD officers are described below. Let me remind you that their shoulder straps were of the type of officer shoulder straps of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops.

On the left: shoulder strap of the SD chief officer. The lining of the shoulder strap is black, the edging is grassy green and two rows of double soutache cord, enveloping the button. Actually, this soutache double cord should be made of aluminum filament and have a dull silver color. At worst, made of light gray shiny silk yarn. But this epaulette pattern belongs to the final period of the war and the cord is made of simple, harsh, undyed cotton yarn.

The buttonholes were edged with an aluminum silver flagellum.

All SD officers, from the Unterschurmführer to the Obersturmbannführer, have an empty right buttonhole, and insignia on the left. Rank insignia in both collar tabs from Standartenführer and above.

The stars in the buttonholes are silvery, on the shoulder straps are golden. Note that in the general SS and in the SS troops, the stars on the shoulder straps were silver.

1. Untersturmfuehrer des SD.
2.Obersturmfuehrer des SD (Obersturmfuehrer SD).
3.Hauptrsturmfuehrer des SD (Hauptsturmfuehrer SD).

From the author. If you start looking through the list of the leadership of the Board of Directors, then the question arises, what position did "Comrade Stirlitz" occupy there. In Amt VI (Ausland-SD), where he served, judging by the book and the film, all leading positions (excluding the head of V. Shelenberg, who had a general's rank) by 1945 were held by officers with the rank of no higher than Obersturmbannführer (that is, lieutenant colonel). There was only one standarteführer, who held a very high position as head of sub-department VI B. A certain Eugen Steimle. And Müller's secretary, according to Boehler, Scholz could not have had a rank higher than Unterscharführer at all.
And judging by what Stirlitz did in the film, i.e. ordinary operational work, then he could not possibly have a rank higher than that of a non-commissioned officer.
For example, open the Internet and make sure that in 1941 the commandant of the huge concentration camp Auschwitz (Auschwitz, as the Poles call it) was an SS officer with the rank of Obersturmührer (senior lieutenant) named Karl Fritzsch. And none of the other commandants was higher than the captain's level.
Of course, both the film and the book are purely artistic, but nevertheless, as Stanislavsky used to say, "there must be the truth of life in everything." The Germans did not scatter the ranks and appropriated them sparingly.
And even then to say, the rank in the military and police structures is a reflection of the level of the officer's qualifications, his ability to occupy the relevant positions. The title is assigned according to the position held. And even then, far from immediately. But it is by no means some kind of honorary title or reward for military or service successes. For this there are orders and medals.

The shoulder straps of senior SD officers were similar in structure to the shoulder straps of senior officers of the Waffen SS and the Wehrmacht. The lining of the shoulder strap was of a grassy green color.

In the picture on the left shoulder straps and buttonholes:

4.Sturmbannfuehrer des SD (Sturmbannfuehrer SD).

5. Obersturmbannfuehrer des SD.

From the author. I deliberately do not give here information about the correspondence of the ranks of the SD, SS and Wehrmacht. And even more so I do not compare these ranks with the ranks in the Red Army. Any comparisons, especially those based on the coincidence of insignia or from the consonance of names, always carry a certain slyness. Even the comparison of ranks proposed by me at one time, based on positions, also cannot be considered one hundred percent correct. For example, our division commander could not have a rank higher than major general, while in the Wehrmacht the division commander was, as they say in the army, a "forked position", that is, The divisional commander could be a major general or a lieutenant general.

Starting with the rank of Standartenführer SD, rank insignia were placed in both collar tabs. Moreover, there were differences in lapel signs before May 1942 and after.

Curious that the shoulder straps
Standarteführer and Oberführer were the same (with two asterisks, but the lapel marks were different. And please note that the leaves are curved before May 1942, and then straight. This is important when dating the pictures.

6.Standartenfuehrer des SD

7.Oberfuehrer des SD.

From the author. And again, if the Standartenführer can somehow be equated with the Oberst (Colonel), based on the fact that there are two stars on the shoulder straps like the Oberst in the Wehrmacht, then who is the Oberführer equal to? Colonel's shoulder straps, and there are two leaves in the buttonholes. "Colonel"? Or "Under-General", because until May 1942 the brigadeführer also wore two leaves in his buttonholes, but with the addition of an asterisk. But the brigadeführer's shoulder straps are generals.
Equate to the brigade commander in the Red Army? So our brigade commander was unequivocally related to the higher command personnel and wore insignia of the highest, not senior command personnel in his buttonholes.
Or maybe it's better not to compare or equate? Just proceed from the scale of ranks and insignia existing for this department.

Well, further there are ranks and insignia koi can definitely be considered generals. Weaving on shoulder straps is not from a double silvery soutache cord, but from a triple cord, and the two outer cords are golden, and the middle one is silvery. The stars on the shoulder straps are silvery.

8 Brigadefuehrer des SD (Brigadefuehrer SD).

9. Gruppenfuehrer des SD.

The highest rank in the SD was the title of Obergruppenführer SD.

This title was awarded to the first chief of the RSHA, Reinhard Heydrich, who was killed by agents of the British special services on May 27, 1942, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who held this post after the death of Heydrich and until the end of the existence of the Third Reich.

However, it should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the SD leadership were members of the SS organization (Algemeibe SS) and had the right to wear SS uniforms with SS insignia.

It is also worth noting that if members of the Algemeine SS of general rank, who do not hold positions in the SS, police, SD troops, simply had the appropriate rank, for example, SS-Brigadefuehrer, then "... and general of the SS troops" was added to the SS rank in the SS troops. ... For example, SS-Gruppenfuehrer und General-leutnant der Waffen SS. And those who served in the police, SD, etc. added "..and the general of the police". For example, SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Polizei.

This is a general rule, but there were many exceptions. For example, the chief of the SD Walter Schelenberg was referred to as SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Waffen SS. Those. SS-brigadefuehrer and Major General of the SS troops, although he did not serve a single day in the SS troops.

From the author. Along the way. Shelenberg received the rank of general only in June 1944. And before that he was in charge of "the most important secret service of the Third Reich" with the rank of only Oberfuehrer. And nothing, I did it. Apparently, the SD was not so important and all-encompassing special service in Germany. So, like our today's SVR (foreign intelligence service). And even then the rank is lower. The SVR is still an independent department, and the SD was just one of the departments of the RSHA.
Apparently, the Gestapo was more important if the leader of it from 1939 was not a member of the SS and not a member of the NSDAP, the district criminal director G. Mueller, who was accepted into the NSDAP only in 1939, was admitted to the SS in 1941 and immediately received the rank of SS-Gruppenfuehrer und Generalleutnant der Polizei, that is, the SS-Gruppenführer und der Generalleutnant of the Police.

Anticipating questions and inquiries, although this is somewhat off-topic, we note that the SS Reichsfuehrer wore slightly different insignia. On the gray general SS uniform introduced in 1934, he wore his old shoulder straps from the old black uniform. Only there were now two shoulder straps.

In the picture on the left: shoulder strap and buttonhole of SS Reichsfuehrer G. Himmler.

A few words in defense of filmmakers and their "bloopers". The fact is that the discipline of uniforms in the SS (both in the general SS and in the SS troops) and in the SD was very low, in contrast to the Wehrmacht. Therefore, it was possible in reality to meet significant deviations from the rules. For example, a member of the SS somewhere in the town, and not only, and in 45 he could join the ranks of the defenders of the city in his black preserved uniform of the thirties.
Here's what I found online when I was looking for illustrations for my article. This is a group of SD officials sitting in a car. The driver in front is in the rank of SD rottenfuehrer, although he is wearing a gray tunic mod. 1938, however, his shoulder straps are from a black old uniform (on which one shoulder strap was worn on the right shoulder). Pilotka, although gray arr. 38g., But the eagle on it is a Wehrmacht uniform (on a dark fabric flap and is sewn on the side, not in front. Behind him sits the Oberscharführer SD with collar tabs of the sample before May 1942 (striped edging), but the collar is trimmed with galloon according to the Wehrmacht type. not a police model, but the SS troops. Perhaps there are no complaints only against the Untersturmfuehrer sitting on the right. And even then, the shirt is brown, not white.

Literature and sources.

1.P. Lipatov. Uniforms of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. Publishing house "Technology-youth". Moscow. 1996
2. Magazine "Sergeant". Chevron series. # 1.
3. Nimmergut J. Das Eiserne Kreuz. Bonn. 1976.
4.Littlejohn D. Foreign legions of the III Reich. Volume 4. San Jose. 1994.
5.Buchner A. Das Handbuch der Waffen SS 1938-1945. Friedeberg. 1996
6. Brian L. Davis. German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945. London 1973
7 SA soldiers. Assault detachments of the NSDAP 1921-45. Ed. "Tornado". 1997
8.Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. Ed. Lockheed Myth. Moscow. 1996
9 Brian Lee Davis Uniforms of the Third Reich. AST. Moscow 2000
10. Website "Wehrmacht Rank Insignia" (http://www.kneler.com/ Wehrmacht /).
11. Site "Arsenal" (http://www.ipclub.ru/arsenal/platz).
12.V. Shunkov. Soldiers of destruction. Moscow. Minsk, AST Harvest. 2001
13. A.A. Kurylev. German Army 1933-1945. Astrel. AST. Moscow. 2009
14. W. Boehler. Uniform-Effekten 1939-1945. Motorbuch Verlag. Karlsruhe. 2009

OFFICER RANKS IN Fascist Germany

OFFICER'S RANKS IN FASCIST GERMANY, Reichsfuehrer SS corresponded to the rank of Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht;
Oberstgruppenführer - Colonel General;
Obergruppenführer - General;
Gruppenfuehrer - Lieutenant General;
Brigadenführer - Major General;
Standartenführer - Colonel;
Obersturmbannführer - Lieutenant Colonel;
Sturmbannführer - Major;
Hauptsturmführer - captain;
Obersturmführer - Oberleutenant;
Untersturmführer - Lieutenant.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

See what "OFFICER RANKS IN Fascist Germany" is in other dictionaries:

The officer ranks of the troops of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition and the Axis countries during the Second World War. Unchecked: China (Anti-Hitler Coalition) Finland (Axis Countries) Legend: Infantry Naval Forces Waffen Air Force ... ... Wikipedia

BRIGADENFUHRER SS, see Officer ranks in Nazi Germany (see OFFICER RANKS IN Fascist Germany) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

GAUPSTURMFUHRER SS, see Officer ranks in Nazi Germany (see OFFICER RATES IN Fascist Germany) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Gruppenführer SS, see Officer ranks in fascist Germany (see OFFICER RANKS IN FASCIST GERMANY) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Obergruppenführer SS, see Officer ranks in Nazi Germany (see OFFICER RANKS IN Fascist Germany) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

SS OBERSTGRUPPENFUHRER, see Officer ranks in Nazi Germany (see OFFICER Ranks in Nazi Germany) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

SS OBERSHTURMBANNFUHRER, see Officer ranks in Nazi Germany (see OFFICER RATES IN Fascist Germany) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Until now, teenagers in cinemas (or during a more thorough study of the topic from photographs on the net) catch an aesthetic thrill from the type of uniforms of war criminals, from the SS uniform. And adults do not lag behind: in the albums of many elderly people, famous artists Tikhonov and Bronevoy flaunt in the appropriate attire.

Such a strong aesthetic impact is due to the fact that for the SS troops (die Waffen-SS) the form and emblem were developed by a talented artist, a graduate of the Hanover Art School and the Berlin Academy, author of the cult painting "Mother" Karl Diebitsch. SS designer and designer Walter Heck collaborated with him to create the final version. And they sewed uniforms at the factories of the then little-known fashion designer Hugo Ferdinand Boss, and now his brand is famous all over the world.

History of the SS form

Initially, the SS guards of the party leaders of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei - National Socialist German Workers' Party), like Rem's stormtroopers (leader of the SA - storm units - Sturmabteilung), wore a light brown shirt plus breeches and boots.

Even before the final decision on the expediency of the existence of simultaneously two parallel "forward guard detachments of the party" and before the clearing of the SA, the "imperial leader of the SS" Himmler continued to members of his squad to wear a black piping on the shoulder of a brown tunic.

The black uniform was introduced personally by Himmler in 1930. A black tunic of a sample of a military Wehrmacht jacket was worn over a light brown shirt.

At first, this tunic had three or four buttons, the general appearance of the full dress and field uniform was constantly being refined.

When the black uniforms designed by Diebitsch-Heck were introduced in 1934, only a red armband with a swastika remained from the days of the first SS units.

At first, there were two sets of uniforms for SS soldiers:

• ceremonial;
• everyday.

Later, without the participation of famous designers, field and camouflage uniforms (about eight variants of summer, winter, desert and forest camouflage) were developed.

Distinctive features of SS units in appearance for a long time have become:

• red armbands with black piping and a swastika inscribed in a white circle ─ on the sleeve of a tunic of a uniform, jacket or overcoat;
• emblems on caps or caps ─ first in the form of a skull, then in the form of an eagle;
• exclusively for the Aryans - signs of belonging to the organization in the form of two runes on the right buttonhole, signs of military seniority on the right.

In those divisions (for example, "Viking") and individual units where foreigners served, the runes were replaced by the emblem of the division or legion.

The changes affected the appearance of the SS in connection with their participation in hostilities, and the renaming of "Allgemeine (general) SS" in "Waffen (armed) SS".

Changes for 1939

It was in 1939 that the famous "death's head" (a skull made first of bronze, then of aluminum or brass) was transformed into the eagle, famous from the TV series, wearing a cap or cap cockade.

The skull itself, along with other new distinctive features, remained the property of the SS Panzer Corps. In the same year, the SS men received a white dress uniform (white jacket, black breeches).

During the reconstruction of the "Algemein SS" in the "Waffen SS" (the purely "party army" was reorganized into combat troops under the nominal high command of the Wehrmacht General Staff) with the uniform of the SS, the following changes took place, under which the following changes were introduced:

• field uniform of gray (famous "fieldgrau") color;
• formal white uniform for officers;
• black or gray overcoats, also with armbands.

At the same time, the charter was allowed to wear overcoats unbuttoned on the top buttons, so that it was easier to navigate in the insignia.

After the decrees and innovations of Hitler, Himmler and (under their leadership) Theodor Eicke and Paul Hausser, the SS was finally divided into police officers (first of all, units of the "Death's Head" type) and combat units.

It is interesting that the "police" units could be ordered exclusively personally by the Reichsfuehrer, but the combat units, considered the reserve of the military command, could be used by the generals of the Wehrmacht. Service in the Waffen SS was equated with conscription, and the police and security forces were not considered military units.

However, the SS units remained under the close scrutiny of the supreme party leadership as "an example of political power." Hence the constant changes, even during the war, in their uniforms.

SS uniform in wartime

Participation in military companies, the expansion of SS units to full-blooded divisions and corps gave rise to a system of ranks (not too different from the general army) and insignia:

• a private (schutzman, in common parlance simply "man", "man of the SS") wore simple black shoulder straps and buttonholes with two runes on the right (the left one is empty, black);
• an ordinary "tested", after six months of service (obershutze) received a silver "bump" ("star") on the shoulder strap of the field ("camouflage") uniform. The rest of the insignia were identical to the schutzman;
• The corporal (navigator) received a thin double silver stripe on the left buttonhole;
• the junior sergeant (rottenfuehrer) already had four stripes of the same color on the left buttonhole, and on the field uniform the "lump" was replaced by a triangular patch.

The non-commissioned officers of the SS troops (it is easiest to determine their affiliation by the particle "ball") received not empty black shoulder straps, but with a silver edging and included the ranks from sergeant to senior sergeant major (head sergeant major).

The triangles on the field form were replaced by rectangles of various thicknesses (the thinnest for the Unterscharführer, the thickest, almost square, for the Sturmscharführer).

These SS men had the following insignia:

• sergeant (unterscharführer) ─ black shoulder straps with silver piping and a small "star" ("square". "lump") on the right buttonhole. The SS Junker had the same insignia;
• senior sergeant (Scharführer) ─ the same shoulder straps and silver stripes on the side of the "square" on the buttonhole;
• foreman (oberscharführer) ─ shoulder straps are the same, there are two stars on the buttonhole without stripes;
• warrant officer (Hauptscharführer) ─ buttonhole, like a foreman's, but with stripes, there are already two bumps on the shoulder straps;
• senior warrant officer or sergeant major (sturmscharführer) ─ shoulder straps with three squares, on the buttonhole the same two "squares" as the warrant officer, but with four thin stripes.

The last rank remained quite rare: it was awarded only after 15 years of blameless service. On the field uniform, the silver edging of the shoulder strap was replaced with a green one with a corresponding number of black stripes.

SS officer uniform

The uniform of the junior officers differed already in the shoulder straps of the camouflage (field) uniform: black with green stripes (thickness and quantity, depending on the rank) closer to the shoulder and intertwined oak leaves above them.

• lieutenant (untersturmführer) ─ silvery "blank" shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
• Senior Lieutenant (Obersturführer) ─ a square on shoulder straps, a silver stripe was added to the badges on the buttonhole, two lines on the sleeve patch under the “leaves”;
• captain (Hauptsturmführer) ─ additional lines on the patch and on the buttonhole, shoulder straps with two "bumps";
• Major (Sturmbannführer) ─ silvery "braided" shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
• lieutenant colonel (oberbannshturmführer) ─ one square on a twisted pursuit. Two thin stripes under the four squares on the buttonhole.

Starting with the rank of major, the insignia underwent minor differences in 1942. The color of the backing of the twisted shoulder straps corresponded to the type of troops; on the chase itself, there was sometimes a symbol of a military specialty (a sign of a tank unit or, for example, a veterinary service). "Bumps" on shoulder straps after 1942 turned from silvery to golden insignia.

Upon reaching the rank above colonel, the right buttonhole also changed: instead of SS runes, stylized silvery oak leaves were placed on it (single for the colonel, triple for the colonel general).

The rest of the insignia of senior officers looked as follows:

• Colonel (Standartenführer) ─ three stripes under double leaves on a patch, two stars on shoulder straps, an oak leaf on both collar tabs;
• the unparalleled title of Oberführer (something like “senior colonel) ─ four thick stripes on a patch, a double oak leaf on the buttonholes.

It is characteristic that these officers also had black-green "camouflage" shoulder straps for "field" combat uniforms. For commanders of higher ranks, the colors were no longer so “protective”.

SS generals uniform

On the uniforms of the SS, the top commanding staff (generals) appear already golden-colored shoulder straps on a blood-red substrate, with silver symbols.

The shoulder straps of the "field" uniform also change, since there is no need for special camouflage: instead of green on a black field for officers, generals wear thin gold insignia. The shoulder straps become gold on a light background, with silver insignia (with the exception of the Reichsführer's uniform with a modest thin black shoulder strap).

Insignia of the high command on shoulder straps and buttonholes, respectively:

• Major General of the SS troops (in the Waffen SS ─ Brigadenführer) ─ gold embroidery without symbols, double oak leaf (before 1942) with a square, triple leaf after 1942 without an additional symbol;
• Lieutenant General (Gruppenführer) ─ one square, triple oak leaf;
• full general (obergruppenführer) ─ two "cones" and an oak leaf trefoil (until 1942, the lower leaf on the buttonhole was thinner, but there were two squares);
• colonel general (oberstgruppenführer) ─ three squares and a triple oak leaf with the symbol below (until 1942, the colonel general also had a thin sheet at the bottom of his buttonhole, but with three squares).
• The Reichsfuehrer (the closest, but not the exact analogue ─ "People's Commissar of the NKVD" or "Field Marshal") wore a thin silver shoulder strap with a silver trefoil on his uniform, and oak leaves in a buttonhole surrounded by a bay leaf on a black background.

As you can see, the SS generals neglected (with the exception of the Reich Minister) the protective color, however, in battles they, with the exception of Sepp Dietrich, had to participate less often.

Insignia in the Gestapo

In the SD security service, the Gestapo also wore SS uniforms, ranks and insignia practically coincided with the ranks in the "Waffen" or in the "Algemein SS".

Employees of the Gestapo (and later the RSHA) were distinguished by the absence of runes on their collar tabs, as well as the obligatory security badge.

An interesting fact: in the great television movie Lioznova, the viewer almost always sees Stirlitz in, although at the time of the spring of 1945, the black uniform almost everywhere in the SS was replaced by a dark green “parade” more convenient for front-line conditions.

In an exceptionally black tunic, Müller could walk both as a general and as an advanced leader of a high rank who rarely gets out to the regions.

Camouflage

After the transformation of the guard detachments into combat units by decrees of 1937, the elite combat units of the SS began to receive samples of camouflage uniforms by 1938. It included:

• helmet cover;
• jacket;
• face mask.

Later, camouflage capes (Zelltbahn) appeared. Trousers (breeches) until the appearance in the 1942-43 region of reversible overalls were from the usual field uniform.

The design itself on camouflage overalls could use many "small-spot" forms:

• dotted;
• under oak (eichenlaub);
• palm (palmenmuster);
• plane leaves (platanen).

At the same time, camouflage jackets (and then double-sided overalls) had almost the entire required range of colors:

• autumn;
• summer (spring);
• smoky (black and gray peas);
• winter;
• "Desert" and others.

Originally, uniforms of camouflage waterproof fabrics were supplied to the Verfugungstruppe (disposition troops). Later, camouflage became an integral part of the uniform of the "target" groups of the SS (Einsatzgruppen) of reconnaissance and sabotage detachments and subunits.

During the war, the German leadership approached the creation of camouflage uniforms creatively: the finds of Italians (the first creators of camouflage) and the developments of the Americans and the British, which were received as trophies, were successfully borrowed.

Nevertheless, one cannot underestimate the contribution of the German scientists themselves and those who collaborated with the Hitler regime to the development of such famous camouflage brands as

• ss beringt eichenlaubmuster;
• sseichplatanenmuster;
• ssleibermuster;
• sseichenlaubmuster.

Physics (optics) professors worked on these types of colors to study the effects of light rays passing through rain or foliage.
The Soviet intelligence knew less about the SS-Leibermuster camouflage overalls than the allied ones: it was used on the Western Front.

At the same time (according to American intelligence), yellow-green and black lines were applied to the jacket and crest with a special "light-absorbing" paint, which also reduced the level of radiation in the infrared spectrum.

The existence of such a paint in 1944-1945 is still relatively little known, it is suggested that it was a "light-absorbing" (of course, partially) black fabric, on which drawings were later applied.

In the 1956 Soviet film "In Square 45", saboteurs can be seen in suits most reminiscent of the SS-Leibermuster.

In a single copy, a sample of this military uniform is in the military museum in Prague. So there can be no question of any mass tailoring of the form of this sample, such camouflages were released so little that now they are one of the most interesting and expensive rarities of the Second World War.

It is believed that it was these camouflages that gave impetus to American military thought for the development of camouflage clothing for modern commandos and other special forces.

The SS-Eich-Platanenmuster camouflage was much more common on all fronts. Actually "Platanenmuster" ("woody)" is found in the pre-war photos. By 1942, the SS troops began to be supplied in large quantities with "reversible" or "reversible" jackets of the "Eich-Platanenmuster" colors ─ autumn camouflage on the front, spring colors on the reverse side of the fabric.

Actually, this tricolor combat uniform with broken lines of "rain" or "branches" is most often found in films about the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War.

The camouflage colors “eichenlaubmuster” and “beringteichenlaubmuster” (respectively “oak leaves type“ A ”, oak leaves type“ B ”) were widely popular in the Waffen SS in 1942-44.

However, for the most part, from them, in the main, capes, cloak-tents were made. And the soldiers of special forces already independently (in many cases) sewed jackets and crests from capes.

SS form today

The advantageously aesthetically resolved black SS uniform is still popular today. Unfortunately, most of the time it is not where you really need to recreate authentic uniforms: not in Russian cinema.

Above, we mentioned a small "blunder" of Soviet cinema, but for Lioznova, the almost constant wearing of black uniforms by Stirlitz and other characters could be justified by the general concept of the "black and white" series. By the way, in the colored version, Stirlitz appears a couple of times in the "green" "parade".

But in modern Russian films on the theme of the Great Patriotic War, horror drives in horror in terms of reliability:

• the notorious film of 2012, "I Serve the Soviet Union" (about how the army fled, but political prisoners on the western border defeated the SS sabotage units) ─ we observe SS men in 1941, dressed in something between "Beringtes Eichenlaubmuster" and even more modern digital camouflages;
• the sad picture "In June 41st" (2008) allows you to see SS men on the battlefield in full black dress uniform.

There are many such examples, even the "anti-Soviet" joint Russian-German film of 2011 with Guskov "4 days in May", where the Nazis, in 1945, are mostly dressed in camouflage uniforms of the first years of the war, is not spared from blunders.

But the SS dress uniform is well-deserved respect among the reenactors. Of course, various extremist groups are also striving to pay tribute to the aesthetics of Nazism, and even those not recognized as such, such as relatively peaceful "Goths".

Probably, the fact is that thanks to the story, as well as the classic films "The Night Porter" by Cavani or "Death of the Gods" by Visconti, the public developed a "protest" perception of the aesthetics of the forces of evil. No wonder the leader of the "Sex Pistols" Sid Vishers often appeared in a T-shirt with a swastika; in the collection of fashion designer Jean-Louis Shearer in 1995, almost all toilets were ornamented with either imperial eagles or oak leaves.

The horrors of war are forgotten, but the feeling of protest against the bourgeois society remains almost the same ─ such a sad conclusion can be drawn from these facts. Another thing, created in Nazi Germany, "camouflage" colors of fabrics. They are aesthetic and comfortable. And therefore they are widely used not only for games of reenactors or work on personal plots, but also by modern fashion couturiers in the world of big fashion.

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