Rank insignia of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces

This article deals with the rank insignia of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces, as worn by the Austro-Hungarian Army after the reorganisation in 1867 until 1918.

Army forces
The rank insignia of the Austro-Hungarian Army or ground forces (1867–1914) were always worn on the fore-part of the sleeves for jackets, but never on shoulder straps of shirts, service jackets, and dress uniforms. They were identically for the Common Army as well as to the Imperial-Royal Landwehr. However, the mountain corps wore additionally an edelweiss since 1907 behind the distinction star(s). The rank stars of enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers (NCO) were made from white celluloid, those of the ranks Feldwebel and Stabsfeldwebel have been made from white silk since 1914. The rank stars of the junior officer ranks normally consisted of relief metal. Pertaining self procured uniforms, embroidered (from metallic fibre) rank stars might have been selected. The embroidered version was mandatory for staff officer ranks from major (OF3 ) onwards.

For all other k.k. badges of the Austrian-Hungarian mountain corps from OR1-rank Jaeger (en: hunter/ private) to the OF5-rank Oberst (en: colonel) see also:

⇒ main article Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops (badges of rank)

Even on the field shirts, officer rank stars showed the button-colour of the uniform jacket.

However, staff officers had additionally to wear a galloon on the uniform sleeve. If the galloon colour was silver, the colure of the buttons and the stars had to be golden and vice versa. On the galloon there was a serrated ornament. Generals wore always silver stars on golden galloon. From that derives, that the colour of the rank stars and galloons had nothing to do with the rank.

On coats rank insignias had never been worn. Officers of the so-called Kaiserschuetzen as well as of the "Landwehr infantry regiments number 4 and 27" (also Mountain infantry regiments 4 and 27) wore on their dress uniforms shoulder straps with the imperator´s insignias (not to be mixed up with the particular rank). For any rank description there had to be provided as well an equivalent expression in Hungarian language. Military units, who consisted mainly of Czech, Slovakian, and/ or Polish personal, used unofficially the rank term in there mother language. NCOs were counted to the enlisted personnel, and did not made up a separate rank group.

Cadet
The Cadet (de: Kadett), in its position as aspirant to the professional officer career, ranked as well to the enlisted rank group. The cadet ranks counted to the appropriate nominal rank, however, behind the next higher rank. E.g. the "Cadet-gefreiter" was counted for the Gefreiter, however, behind the Corporal, who himself was lower than the "Cadet-corporal".

The characteristic of the cadet ranks was the so-called distinction-galloon on the sleeve ends. It was similar to the feldwebel-galloon, however, from gold colour instead of imperial-yellow. The particular rank was added as well.

Stabsfeldwebel
The ranks Stabsfeldwebel, Stabsoberjäger, Stabsfeuerwerker and Stabswachtmeister were introduced to the k.u.k. armed forces in 1913. Before it was equivalent to the Bezirksfeldwebel (en: District-feldwebel) of the Gendarmerie (as part of the Landsturm; in Austria Landwehr). To the feldwebel–uniform the Stabsfeldwebel/ Bezirksfeldwebel wore a headgear similar to the officers cap, however, without the characteristic golden officers distinction. In 1913 the sleeve distinction consisted of a 1.3 cm broad feldwbel-galloon made from imperator-yellow silk. Additionally three white rank celluloid stars were appliquéd. In June 1913 the rank insignia was changed. The galloon was now silver designed, and the rank stars were made from white silk and embroidered. In 1915 the ranks Stabsfeldwebel/ Stabswachtmeister und Offiziersstellvertreter (en: officer deputy) were summarised to the new rank group higher/ senior NCOs (de: höhere Unteroffiziere).

One-year volunteer
The officer aspirant (de: Offizieranwaerter (OA)/ hu: Tisztjelölt) of the reserve undertook military training as a One-year volunteer (de: Einjaehrig-Freiwilliger (EF)/ hu: Egyégvi Önkéntesi). The distinguishing badge was an imperator-yellow silk square-balloon on the upper part of the cuff. In 1915 the balloons was removed after passing the final examination. It was replaced by the so-called bright “EF-button” to be worn on the collar. The EF-button was fixed behind the nominal rank stars, and was removed on promotion to first officer grade.

Ensign
The rank „Cadet officer-deputy“ (de: Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter) was renamed to Ensign (de: Fähnrich) in 1908. The service insignia was a map case, made from black coloured leather, and to be worn on the waist belt. More characteristics were the black officer´s cap, however with imperator-yellow side ornament (instead from gold). The white celluloid star was replaced by a silver coloured star. Also in this year, the old term (rank) “Kadett-Feldwebel” was replaced by the new one Cadet (de. Kadett / hu: Hadapród).

Shako
In addition to the gorget rank insignias, the so-called distinction, the individual rank was indicated by the imperial-yellow distinction-balloon on the parade headgear, called shako (de: Tschako) a special version of helmet.
 * Gefreiter: Was to be identified with a imperial-yellow, black-carved 0.5 Austrian inch (~0.5 cm) thick round cord
 * Corporal: Wore a 1.5 Austrian inch (~4 cm) broad the imperial-yellow distinction-balloon (with zigzag trim ornament)
 * Zugsführe, Wachtmeister, and Cadet officer-deputy (Fenrik): As to the corporal, however, concentric divided by a 1/24 Austrian inch (~1 mm) small black stripe

The distinction ballons and pipings for enlisted ranks and NCOs were made from imperial-yellow sheep's wool, for Fenriks since 1908 from imperial-silk, and for officers from gold yarn. Pertaining private procured special editions to enlisted ranks and NCOs, silk trims have been allowed as well.

The corps colour had to be in correlation to the appropriate regiment, branch, or branch of service.

Officers
The embroideries of the collars of the ranks major to colonel were always in the same color as the tunic buttons (silver/gold). The rank stars were converse (silver embroidery - golden star(s)) The ranks lieutenant to captain had stars in the same color as the tunic buttons.
 * Note:

Generals
In the course of uniform reorganisation pertaining the Imperial-Royal Landwehr (de: k.k. Landwehr), the service coat (de: Waffenrock or Unifiormrock) of all enlisted personnel was subsidized by a tunic (de: Bluse) in general. The rotary coloured gorget was replaced by a "gorget patch" (de: Paroli) in the particular corps colour and with rank insignias. According to the special function, e.g. as member to a "machine gun unit", the Edelweiss on the gorget patch was replaced appropriate.

Enlisted men guards
In the Austrian-Hungarian armed forces there existed five guard units. In two of them served exclusively officer grades. The remaining three of them were called “Enlisted men guards” (de: Mannschaftsgarden).

There was no difference between the rank insignias of the officers in comparison to regular troops.

Estate riflemen troops
k.k. Estate riflemen units and companies were established in the 15th/16th century and did belong to the so-called Landwehr (en: home guard). However, k.k. Estate riflemen troops did not wear regular uniforms. After k.k. Estate riflemen troops had to be involved in 1915 to regular military engagement, the Austrian-Hungarian administration was forced to procure these units with regular uniforms. To emphasise the character and status of the Estate riflemen, they did wear slightly different rank insignias. Officer collar patches showed a gold embroidered rosette. Pertaining enlisted personnel and NCOs the rosette was silver embroidered. Because silver and gold embroidery was deficit, the rosettes were finally replaced by celluloid stars, as this was the case to regular troops. The rank insignias were fixed on the collar patches (de: Parolis) showing at the background the corps colour of the Riflemen infantry (also: Hunter-troops or Riflemen-troops; de: Jägertruppe) "Grass-green". Tyrolese collar patches showed the silver metallic "Tyrol eagle" behind the rosette/star. For the Vorarlberg estate riflemen the eagle was replaced by a white metallic shield with the "Vorarlberg coat of arms".

Major was the highest rank of the Estate riflemen troops.

Military officials
As regards to military officials, there were in force exactly the same rules who applied to military officer ranks. However, military officials wore only four-leaved star rosettes instead of the rank stars (the only acceptation: officials with explicit star ranks!).

Fiscal officials (de: Rechnungsführer) in line service have been procured always with silver color buttons.


 * Further exemptions from the principal rule are described as follows:
 * Military officials with port epée: Staff ranks wore a gallon with put on "crucial band ornament" (de: Kreuzbandmuster)
 * Military commissariat official: in the Common Army – golden color buttons; in the home guard (de: Landwehr) silver color buttons
 * Military construction engineers: in the Common Army – silver color buttons; in the home guard golden color buttons),
 * Military officials without port epée: Staff ranks wore a galloon with "waved crucial band ornament" (de: gewelltes Kreuzbandmuster)
 * Auditors: in the Common Army gold color buttons; in the Home guard silver buttons
 * Military surgeon officer corps: in the Common Army gold color buttons; in the Home guard silver buttons (with the appropriate variations of collar)

Austro-Hungarian Navy
For the rank insignias and ranks in the Austro-Hungarian Navy see:

⇒ see main article Ranks in the Austro-Hungarian Navy