Gefreiter ([ɡəˈfraɪ̯tɐ], abbr.Gefr.; pluralGefreite) is a military rank used inGermany,Switzerland, andAustria since the 16th century. It is typically the second rank or grade to which anenlisted soldier, airman, or sailor can be promoted.[1][2]
The word has also been lent into the Russian language asyefreytor (Russian:ефрейтор) and is in use in several Russian and post-Soviet militaries.
Historically, the military rank ofGefreiter (female and plural form:Gefreite)[3] emerged in 16th-century Europe for the GermanLandsknechte foot soldiers.[4] These soldiers were predominantly composed of German and Swissmercenarypikemen and supportinginfantry foot soldiers.[5][6][7][8] Soldiers who proved especially reliable and experienced were appointed togefreytenKnechten (exempted/freed servants/soldiers, a cognate to 'knight'). They were positioned in criticalbattlefield roles and, along with their extra rank privileges, they were generally exempted fromsentry duties.[1][5][6][9][10][11][12]
From the 18th century,Gefreite were the frontline members of amilitary company, with everyGefreiter leading and commanding asection orsquad ofGemeine[13] (ordinary-rank soldiers). The rank existed in thecavalry,infantry,pioneers, andartillery, whereGefreiter rank held a higher rank-class status.[5][6]
Gefreiter was the onlyenlisted rank within the RoyalPrussian Army and theimperial army of theGerman Empire until 1918, to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of theHauptmann (Captain) orRittmeister (Cavalry-Master), and ultimately endorsed by theRegiments-Commandeur (RegimentalColonel). An exception to this was the rank ofObergefreiter (since 1859) in thefoot artillery, which later replaced the artilleryBombardier (Corporal) rank.[5]
TheGefreiter rank was also considered a transition rank for promotion to and from which replacements were selected to theUnteroffizier (Corporal)[14] rank.[5] Within the Royal Prussian Army and the imperial army of the German Empire, the rankGefreiter served as a deputy to theUnteroffizier (Corporal) and was distinguished by the wearing of anAuszeichnungsknopf (rank distinction button) known as theGefreitenknopf (Gefreiter button) on each side of their uniform collar, similar to the slightly larger rank collar side-buttons worn by both theSergeant andFeldwebel ranks.[5]
In the Royal Prussian Army until its reorganization after 1806, there existed, along with the rank ofGefreiter, the rank ofGefreite-Korporale,[5] who wore a silverPortepee (sword lanyard). These officer cadets were specifically selected for higher advancement and stood equal with their officer cadet counterpart, thePortepee-Fähnriche.[5] The rank ofGefreite-Korporale also existed alongsideGefreiter in the Austrian Army during theThirty Years' War.[5]
Since the 1920s, the German rank ofGefreiter has expanded into several additional ranks and duties:
AllGefreiter ranks are currently in use with the German army, air force, and navy.
The female form,Gefreite, is not used by the military; the formal address isFrau Gefreiter.[15]
| Gefreiter | |
|---|---|
 Cap insignia | |
  Service and field insignia | |
| Abbreviation | Gfr |
| Rank group | Charges |
| Non-NATO rank | OR-2[16] |
| Formation | 1857 |
| Next higher rank | Korporal |
| Next lower rank | Rekrut |
Gefreiter (abbr.Gfr) is amilitary rank of the AustrianBundesheer. It is officially translated aslance corporal.[17]
In theAustro-Hungarian Army (1867–1918),Gefreiter (Hungarian:Őrvezetö) corresponded toPatrouilleführer andVormeister. It was used by theKaiserjäger as well as theFeldjäger,Standschützen troops, cavalry, medical corps, and infantry.
Then rank insignia was a single white celluloid star on the stand-up collar of the so-calledWaffenrock (tunic) on gorget patch (German:Paroli). The stand-up collar and background of the gorget patch displayed a particularegalisation colour.
| Junior rank Soldat (Honvéd) |  Rank insignias of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces Gefreiter Patrouilleführer Vormeister | Senior rank Korporal |
| Desigahntion | AustrianImperial and Royal (k. u. k.) Army enlisted ranks | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||
| insignia | ||||||||||
| description | Patrouilleführer | Gefreiter | Vormeister | |||||||
| k. u. k. Mountain troops | k. u. k. Rifles | Machine-gun units | Infantry IR 7 | |||||||
| branch | Rifles | Cavalry | Infantry | Military engineering | Artillery | |||||
Gefreiter in the context of infantry
| Gefreiter | |
|---|---|
  Heer shoulder andMarine sleeve insignia | |
| Country |  Germany |
| Service branch | |
| Abbreviation | Gefr. |
| Rank | German enlisted rank |
| NATOrank code | OR-2 |
| Non-NATO rank | E-2 |
| Formation | 1955 |
| Next higher rank | Obergefreiter |
| Next lower rank | |
Gefreiter (abbr.Gefr. orG.) is the secondenlisted rank grade within the modern-day Army (Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe), and Navy (Marine) of theBundeswehr.[18] Following theNATO ranking system,Gefreiter equates to OR-2 on the NATO-standard rank scale, making the rank equivalent to either private, private first class, vice corporal, lance corporal, or corporal, depending on the chosen NATO-allied force used for the comparison.[2] It is grade A4 in the pay scale of theFederal Ministry of Defence.
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in this particular group is as follows:
In line with Bundeswehr rank advancement conditions, enlisted personnel at the OR-1 level may be promoted to the OR-2 level after passing primaryrecruit training (usually after three months) to the rank ofGefreiter.
| Junior rank Soldat |    (German enlisted rank) | Senior rank Obergefreiter |
Throughout the periods of the Royal Prussian Army, the Imperial Army of the German Empire, theReichswehr, theWehrmacht, and theWaffen-SS, the rank ofGefreiter was considered equivalent to that of alance corporal.
TheObergefreiter was regarded as senior lance corporal or rathersecond corporal in the artillery, and the fullcorporal rank known asUnteroffizier[14] (subordinatenon-commissioned officer) replaced theKorporal rank from 1856.
Within thearmy branch (Heer) of theWehrmacht, a rank ofOberschütze (senior rifleman) once existed between the ranks ofGefreiter andSchütze/Soldat ("[enlisted] ordinary-rank rifleman/soldier").
AGefreiter was considered an "exempted man", who was not typically assigned more menial duties, such as guard detail. A soldier promoted toGefreiter was seen as showing some promise of leadership capability, while those who did not were promoted toOberschütze.
Since the unmasking of theLuftwaffe on 1 March 1935, theGefreiter was also part of their ranks. Prior to this, the Luftwaffe operated secretly under the guise of theGerman Air Sports Association (DLV). TheGefreiter emerged from theFlieger-Gefreiter (Airman Lance Corporal) of the DLV flying corps, where this rank served as an assistant aircraft pilot (DLV-Hilfsflugzeugführer), assistant radio operator (DLV-Hilfsbordfunker), or assistant supervisor (DLV-Unterwart).
The LuftwaffeGefreiter ranked immediately above the lowest rank,Flieger (Airman, Aviator); there was no equivalent to the army rank ofOberschütze. Instead of the rank insignia of its DLV counterpart, which was three aluminum-colored wings on bothcollar patches, the LuftwaffeGefreiter wore only two collar wings. The collar patches were in one of the respectiveLuftwaffe branch colours. Additionally, theGefreiter wore a chevron on the left upper arm according to the army pattern, but on a base made of blue-grey fabric. The chevrons were made of aluminium-coloured braid (for service tunic, flight blouse, coat), grey-blue braid (fordrill blouse, work protection suit), or dark brown braid (for tropical shirt).
| Waffen-SS | Heer(Army) | Luftwaffe(Air Force) | Kriegsmarine(Navy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS-Schütze | Schütze | Flieger | Matrose |
| SS-Oberschütze | Oberschütze | ||
| SS-Sturmmann | Gefreiter | Matrosengefreiter | |
| SS-Rottenführer | Obergefreiter | Matrosenobergefreiter | |
| No equivalent | Hauptgefreiter | Matrosenhauptgefreiter | |
| No equivalent | Stabsgefreiter | Matrosenstabsgefreiter | |
| No equivalent | Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter | ||
The best-known holder of the rank ofGefreiter wasAdolf Hitler, who held the rank in theBavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16 of the RoyalBavarian Army duringWorld War I.
"Bohemian corporal" was a derogatory term used privately inWorld War II forAdolf Hitler by German generals (many of whom werePrussian aristocrats) dissatisfied with Hitler's military leadership and detailed control. Among the generals wereGerd von Rundstedt,Erich von Manstein, andFriedrich Paulus.
Rundstedt often remarked during and after the war, "Without Hitler's consent, I can't even move my own sentry from my front door around to the back!"Wilhelm Keitel once asked Hitler, "Do you realise that Rundstedt called you a Bohemian corporal?" Hitler replied, "Yes, but he is the best field marshal I have".
Von Rundstedt used the termdieser böhmische Gefreiter, which Hitler had acquired in the 1930s from World War I hero,German PresidentPaul von Hindenburg. Hindenburg, who took an instant mutual dislike to Hitler on their first meeting, mistook Hitler's hometown of Braunau in Austria (Braunau am Inn) for another town of the same name (Broumov, German:Braunau) in Bohemia. Initially, he said "Austrian corporal", but later used "Bohemian corporal", which was a pejorative term, as he regarded Bohemians as "essentially gypsies", unlike the more cultured Prussians or even Austrians.[19]
| Yefreytor | |
|---|---|
  Army and Air Force shoulder insignia | |
| Country |  Russia |
| Service branch |  Russian Ground Forces Russian Air Force |
| Rank | Table of ranks |
| Non-NATO rank | OR-4 |
| Formation | 1716 in theImperial Russian Army |
| Next higher rank | Mladshy serzhant |
| Next lower rank | Ryadovoy |
Yefreytor (Russian:ефрейтор) is aGermanloanword inRussian and denotes a similar rank in theRussian army.
In Russia, the rank ofyefreytor was introduced byPeter I in 1716 to the infantry, cavalry, and engineer forces. The rank was not used after 1722. During the reign ofPaul I, it was made an equivalent rank toprivate which, after the reign ofAlexander I, was used only for theImperial Guard.Yefreytor was re-introduced in the course of the military reforms of 1826.
In the armed forces of the Soviet Union (and later theRussian Federation),yefreytor is the highest rank of enlisted personnel. According toNATO-rank system, the rank might be comparable to OR-4 in Anglophone armed forces.[20]
| junior rank: Ryadovoy |  Yefreytor | senior rank: Junior sergeant |
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![ԵՖՐԵՅՏՈՐ Yefreytor (Armenian Ground Forces)[21]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aArmenia-Army-OR-2.svg)
![Яфрэйтар Jafrejtar (Belarusian Ground Forces)[22]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aRussia-Army-OR-2-1994-field.svg)
![Ефрейтор Efreytor (Bulgarian Land Forces)[23]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBulgaria-Army-OR-4.svg)
![Ефрейтор Efreĭtor (Kazakh Ground Forces)[24]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a02-RKGF-SPV.svg)
![Ефрейтор Efreytor (Kyrgyz Army)[25]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3a02.Kyrgyzstan_Army-PFC.svg)
![Ефрейтор Efreytor (Tajik Ground Forces)[26]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTajikistan-Army-OR-4.png)
