The Imperial and Royal Infantry (german: k.u.k. Infanterie) was an arm of the
Common Army of the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy and comprised two elements:
* the German
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
s that recruited from those kingdoms and lands represented in the
Austrian Reichsrat (the territory known as
Cisleithania
Cisleithania, also ''Zisleithanien'' sl, Cislajtanija hu, Ciszlajtánia cs, Předlitavsko sk, Predlitavsko pl, Przedlitawia sh-Cyrl-Latn, Цислајтанија, Cislajtanija ro, Cisleithania uk, Цислейтанія, Tsysleitaniia it, Cislei ...
)
* the Hungarian regiments, whose personnel came from
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and those territories claimed by Hungary in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
(i.e.
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
and
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
), parts of
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, as well that region of
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
known then as
Upper Hungary, the so-called
lands of the Hungarian crown (also known as
Transleithania).
Organization
In its entirety the k.u.k. Infantry consisted of the following:
*62 "German" infantry regiments
*40 "Hungarian" infantry regiments
*4 regiments of
Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry (german: Bosnisch-Hercegovinische Infanterie), commonly called the ''Bosniaken'' (German for Bosniaks), were a branch of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Recruited from outside the Austrian and Hungarian regions of the ...
*28 rifle (''
Feldjäger
The ''Feldjäger'' () are Germany's military police. The term ''Feldjäger'', literally meaning field huntsmen (military), huntsmen or field Jäger (military), Jäger, has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century.
Hi ...
'')
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s
*1 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Feldjäger battalion
*4 regiments of
Tyrolean rifles (''Tiroler Jäger'')
According to the organizational regulations for the k.u.k.
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
in 1895, each of the 102 infantry regiments in peacetime was structured as follows:
* Regimental headquarters (''Regimentsstab'')
* Four
field battalions
* Sixteen
field companies
* A reserve battalion cadre
Side arms
In the k.u.k. Infantry the following soldiers carried a
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
as a
side arm
Sidearm, side-arm or Side Arm(s) may refer to:
*Sidearm (weapon), a backup weapon
*Sidearm (baseball), a baseball throwing technique
*Sidearm, a flying disc (Frisbee) throw
*'' Side Arms Hyper Dyne'', a 1986 arcade game
*AGM-122 Sidearm
The ...
:
Officers carried the infantry officer's sabre, which was 82 cm long and had a
hollow grind
A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (me ...
on both sides. At the tip the blade was double-edged. The scabbard was made of brass and fitted with a sharpening iron (''Schleifeisen''). Two iron suspension rings were fastened to the scabbard in order to hang it from the sword belt. The sabre was always carried buckled underneath. The
sword knot
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip ...
of the sabre was made of gold thread and consisted of a
tassel
A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric and clothing decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.
History and use
In the Hebrew Bible, the Lord spoke to Moses instructing him to ...
and strap. The tassel was made of dangling knots (''Bouillons'') that were gold on the outside and black inside. This sabre was carried by ensigns and orderly sergeants (''dienstführenden Feldwebeln'').
Paymasters, field officers and members of the regimental band carried the M 1861 infantry sword as a
melee weapon. This was 65.8 cm long and carried in a leather scabbard.
NCOs
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
carried this sabre with an NCO's sword knot which was made of imperial yellow and black wood. The tassel was immediately below it.
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
and
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
drummers, battalion buglers, stretcher bearers, bandage carriers (''Bandagenträger'') and wagon drivers (''Fahrsoldaten'') carried the M 1862 engineer sabre.
Dress
Soldiers' peacetime parade dress
Soldiers and NCOs wore parade
dress or ceremonial headwear (''Paradekopfbedeckung'') and
frock coats (''Waffenrock''). In summer the coat was only worn when ordered. Depending on the weather it was either carried ''en bandouilère'' (i.e. rolled and slung over the shoulder) or worn. In winter it was always worn. Bread bags and field implements were not carried.
In the field, soldiers wore the so-called marching order (''Marschadjustierung''), i.e. they wore a field cap (''Feldkappe'') instead of the ceremonial hat and a field shirt (''Feldbluse'') instead of the frock coat. In summer the coat was worn ''en bandouilère'', in rainy weather and in winter it was put on. Other orders of dress (e.g. mountain dress) were worn by order or in special circumstances.
Officers parade dress
Parade headwear, frock coat,
sash, all medals - but without the ribbons of the grand crosses. When marching off on
parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
with the troops, in their order of dress, but only with coats if these were worn by the troops. Mounted officers without saddle bags and
revolver
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
s. If the troops were wearing their coats ''en bandouilère'', mounted officers must strap their coats to the saddle. In full dress, as on parade, as ordered with or without sashes and ribbons on the grand crosses.
In the field officers had to wear the same uniform as the soldiers (except that mounted officers wore it breeches).
Sources
*
k.u.k. Kriegsministerium
The Imperial and Royal Minister of War (german: K.u.k. Kriegsminister), until 1911: Reich Minister of War (''Reichskriegsminister''), was the head of one of the three common ministries shared by the two states which made up the dual monarchy of Au ...
(ed.): ''Dislokation und Einteilung des k.u.k Heeres, der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine, der k.k. Landwehr und der k.u. Landwehr'' ("Location and organization of the Imperial and Royal Army, Imperial and Royal Navy, Imperial-Royal Landwehr and Royal Hungarian Honved") in: Seidel's ''kleines Armeeschema'' - pub.: Seidel & Sohn, Vienna, 1914
Literature
* Austrian State Archives/War Archives in Vienna (Adjustierungsvorschrift für das k.u.k. Heer, II. Teil, Wien 1911)
* Glenn Jewison, Jörg C. Steiner
''The Austro-Hungarian Land Forces 1848-1918''* Papers by the
Museum of Military History in Vienna (''Militärwissenschaftliches Institut'') Vol. 10 ''Das k.u.k. Heer'' ("The Imperial and Royal Army"). Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz, 1997
External links
{{Military of Austria-Hungary
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...