The Imperial and Royal Infantry (german: k.u.k. Infanterie) was an arm of the

Common Army The Common Army (german: Gemeinsame Armee, hu, Közös Hadsereg) as it was officially designated by the Imperial and Royal Military Administration, was the largest part of the Austro-Hungarian land forces from 1867 to 1914, the other two eleme ...

of the

Austro-Hungarian monarchy Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

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 conscript ...

s that recruited from those kingdoms and lands represented in the Austrian Reichsrat (the territory known as Cisleithania) * the Hungarian regiments, whose personnel came from

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

and those territories claimed by Hungary in

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(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), 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: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

, 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 Upper Hungary is the usual English translation of ''Felvidék'' (literally: "Upland"), the Hungarian term for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia. The region has also been ...

, the so-called

lands of the Hungarian crown The "Lands of the Hungarian Crown"Laszlo PéterHungary's Long Nineteenth Century: Constitutional and Democratic Traditions in a European Perspective BRILL, 2012, pp. 51–56 was the titular expression of Hungarian pretensions to the various territo ...

(also known as

Transleithania The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( hu, a Szent Korona Országai), informally Transleithania (meaning the lands or region "beyond" the Leitha River) were the Hungarian territories of Austria-Hungary, throughout the latter's entire exis ...

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 *28 rifle ('' Feldjäger'')

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 a ...

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 mar ...

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 Schlanders 28er Infanterie Kaserne

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:

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

s 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 (m ...

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 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'').

Paymaster A paymaster is someone appointed by a group of buyers, sellers, investors or lenders to receive, hold, and dispense funds, commissions, fees, salaries (remuneration) or other trade, loan, or sales proceeds within the private sector or public secto ...

s, field officers and members of the regimental band carried the M 1861 infantry sword as a

melee weapon A melee weapon, hand weapon or close combat weapon is any handheld weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, i.e. for use within the direct physical reach of the weapon itself, essentially functioning as an additional (and more impactful) extension of th ...

. This was 65.8 cm long and carried in a leather scabbard. NCOs 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 a ...

and company 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 A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that co ...

or ceremonial headwear (''Paradekopfbedeckung'') and

frock coat A frock coat is a formal men's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at th ...

s (''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 A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, bu ...

, all medals - but without the ribbons of the grand crosses. When marching off on parade 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 revolvers. 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 (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 mar ...