Military life and training-3-The Non-Commissioned Officer
Non-commissioned Officers (NCO) came from two sources. They were either promoted from within the ranks or were graduates of one of the NCO training schools. Students graduated from Volksschulen approximately at the age of 14. Military service would not begin until age 17 when young men could be inducted into the Landsturm. They had the option of either working or joining an NCO preparatory school (Unteroffiziervorschule) after finishing Volksschule. There were nine such schools scattered throughout the empire (Weilburg, Sigmaringen, Annaburg, Jülich, Wohlau, Bartenstein, Greifenberg i.P., Fürstenfeldbruck, and Marienberg). The preparatory school had a general curriculum with emphasis on physical development throughout the two-year course. Upon graduation from the Unteroffiziervorschulen, students could go to a NCO school (Unteroffizierschule). There were nine of these (Potsdam, Jülich, Biebrich (in 1914 Wetzlar), Weissenfels, Ettlingen, Marienwerder, Treptow a.R. (on the Rhine), Fürstenfeldbruck, and Marienberg). The course lasted two years for preparatory school graduates or three years for those who joined the NCO school directly, without having gone through the preparatory school. This institution’s graduates were either 19 or 20 years old. Upon graduation, they had a compulsory period of service of four years in the active army. Graduates were posted to the regiments emerging as sergeants and others as Gefreiter. These schools accounted for about 25 percent of all NCOs.
The NCOs who were promoted from the ranks were generally those who had re-enlisted (Kapitulanten). While there was no specific time in grade requirements for promotion, it was seldom less than two years. Annually, the members of the new class were scrutinized and those expected to re-enlist and be suitable as an NCO received special instruction within the regiment.
There were three NCO ranks that were considered Unteroffizier mit Portepee or NCOs with officer sword knot. These were the top NCOs who had certain uniform and prestige differences. They were the Feldwebel, the Vizefeldwebel, and the Fähnrich. The Feldwebel can best be equated to a company First Sergeant in the U.S. system. Each infantry battalion normally had four Feldwebel, one for each company. The name changed to Wachtmeister for mounted units. There was no rank or position of Sergeant Major, Command Sergeant Major, or Regimental Sergeant Major in the imperial Army, and the most senior line NCO on the staff of a regiment or battalion would have been the chief clerk usually in the rank of Vizefeldwebel or Sergeant. The Bandmaster held the same rank but was considered senior to the line Feldwebel. The Feldwebel was also known as the Etatmäßiger Feldwebel— also known as Spieß (one per company)[ “Spieß” is a malapropism of the “Partisane,” a kind of halberd-like lance or Spontoon that senior NCOs and some company grade officers used to carry in the old Prussian army of Frederick the Great. It served as a kind of rank insignia.].
And just to confuse the situation, there was a position/rank known as Bezirksfeldwebel in each home district recruiting/administrative area. The person holding this position could have been any non-commissioned officer, not just a Feldwebel. In the reserve and Landwehr, some selected soldiers were provided special training as potential NCOs—Aspirant Unteroffizier. Promotions to the rank of sergeant and above were not made until mobilization. However, Vizefeldwebel could be bestowed on older trainees and those whose social position was in accordance with a higher rank. The Fähnrich was an NCO but never really treated as one. He was an officer in training.
One substantial advantage in being a non-commissioned officer was that it was a requirement for employment for many positions as civilian clerks or shopkeepers. Typically, non-commissioned officers had low levels of education. Since NCOs were primarily responsible for recruit training, it was more important that they be reliable rather than well educated. There was a definite attempt to recruit small town peasants and the petty bourgeoisie, who had been traditionally loyal to the crown. The authorities insisted on recruiting poorly educated NCOs, who were then paid well and guaranteed positions in the civilian administration after their military service. Non-commissioned officers represented 18.8 percent of the German army, but only 7.8 percent of those coming from the Reichslande (Alsace and Lorraine) ever achieved that rank.