The term Einjährig-Freiwilliger (one-year volunteer) has caused some confusion in haškology. Jaroslav Hašek held the status and privileges of a one-year volunteer, and some have therefore concluded that he must have volunteered for army service[1]. As far as we know, this is not the case; if he had volunteered for wartime service, he would have been described as Kriegs-Freiwilliger, not merely Einjährig-Freiwilliger.
Heerwesen, , 1916
One-year volunteer status was an entitlement granted to young men who had completed middle or higher education. It offered the option of serving in the army for one year instead of the compulsory three (from 1912, two years).
, daný dne 5. prosince 1868
, 1972
© LA-PNP
The system was created in 1868, modelled on Prussia, and remained in operation until 1918. Its aim was to save the state money while limiting the damage to recruits’ careers. The “volunteer” aspect was that soldiers could (but did not have to) attend a course during their term of service in order to become reserve officers. Until 1912, those who failed the reserve-officer examination had to serve a second year; this requirement was abolished that year. A one-year volunteer could also apply to serve outside his home unit, but such requests were granted only if the manpower situation permitted it.
Eligibility depended on the recruit having completed an eight-year middle school (gymnasium, “Realschule”, teachers’ academy, commercial academy or similar). It was up to the candidate to apply for one-year volunteer status, and all candidates had to pass an examination. Anyone convicted of property crimes or immorality automatically lost the right to one-year service.
Thus Reserveoffizier-Schulen were institutions that trained one-year volunteers to become reserve officers. It may appear that Jaroslav Hašek was wrong to use the terms “one-year volunteer school” or “school for one-year volunteers”, but this is not the case. Until the army reforms of 1912, the schools were officially called Einjährig-Freiwilligenschule. Obsolete terms often persist for years after a change has taken place (see, for instance, Salmova ulice).
Literature
- Jednoroční dobrovolníci rakousko-uherské armády,
- Jednoroční praesenční služba vojenská, ,1910
- Der k.k. Einjährig-Freiwillige des stehenden (Gemeisamen) Heeres und Landwehr,
- Zákon branný, ,1869
- Reserveoffiziere, Hugo Schmied,1916
- Einjährig-Freiwilligen-Recht, ,22.5.1912
- Officer Aspirant Insignia in the k.u.k. Army/k.k./k.u. Landwehr 1867-1918, ,2001 - 2016
- Instruktionsbuch für die Einjährigfreiwilligen,