The Officer Corps- Spirit and Social Life
As a member of the élite of military officers, a man found himself in another world. The sovereigns of the four kingdoms governed promotions. Inspections, not examinations, determined suitability. With the exception of the General Staff, promotion through major took place within the regiment. Above the rank of major, there were centralized promotion lists. While there were no precise rules, promotion tended to be slow on average. A normal progression was eight years to first lieutenant, 14 years to captain, 25 to major, and 30 to lieutenant colonel. General Staff officers were usually promoted six years earlier than normal regimental officers. Seniority and noble connections both mattered. Officers were held to the highest standards, both inside and outside the confines of the post. An officer wore his uniform at all times. There were streets in Berlin where an officer was not allowed to smoke during the day. In fact, there were entire areas that were off-limits. Much of this policy was to keep officers away from the influence of socialists.
An officer relying on his military salary alone simply could not live in an appropriate style, because the salary was only one-fifth of that of his American counterpart. The uniform for an infantry lieutenant cost between 900 and 1,100 marks. The low salary caused shocking problems for most officers. While most guard and cavalry officers had to prove that they had a sufficient outside income prior to acceptance in the regiment, other officers tended to just do without. It was not unusual for an officer to be short of food or warmth, and they often failed to wear their coats in an effort to avoid wearing them out. Many regiments had a small fund to bail out officers who became short of funds. Most officers had to balance debt and the stigma attached to poor financial management. Aristocratic families usually had the money to grant pay supplements to their sons in officers’ careers. From commissioning, even infantry officers had to pay for two horses, uniforms, their side arms, etc. Becoming a cavalry officer was more expensive than it was for an infantry or artillery officer. The most expensive, when considering individual costs, certainly were the Garde Kürassier and the Gardes-du-Corps. Erich Ludendorff gives a very interesting account of his years as both an infantry lieutenant and captain—largely without any pay supplement by the family.
Through the rank of captain, army pay was hardly sufficient to support the officer, let alone adequate to support a family; therefore, promotion to the rank of major was usually called Majorsecke, which means that financially, “going around that corner,” would make his life much easier. Since most officers had to borrow money from their families, it was a common saying that after successfully passing the meager years, officers had “Schulden wie ein Stabsoffizier” (debts like a field-grade officer).
The Kaiser was personally aware of the burden of extra expenses required of officers. As he attempted to enlarge the officer corps in 1890, he gave an order that officers in infantry, foot artillery, and engineer regiments should be required to have no less than 45 marks per month of additional private income. He expected field artillery officers to have 70 marks per month, and those of the cavalry 150 marks per month. Bearing in mind that a newly commissioned lieutenant earned only 125 marks per month, there was no conceivable way to make ends meet on a salary alone.
Low pay with high status meant that marriage had to be a business deal in which the woman brought the “bacon” to the table. It was not unusual to use a marriage agency. A normal practice was for the bride’s father to assume the officer’s existing debts. The regimental commander had to approve the marriage to ensure the woman had at least an equal social background, enough money, and an unblemished record.
The courting process was an interesting one. In the upper middle classes, attendance at a party or ball depended on the regiment that was garrisoned nearby. The host was responsible for ensuring that officers attended, or it reflected poorly on him. The most desirable dancing partners were lieutenants. Guard officers were particularly sought-after, while socially those of the “lesser” branches like artillery and engineers, were decidedly also-rans.
Class distinction also entered the equation. A Württemberg officer who was non-noble but had a very rich, non-noble wife, i.e., the daughter of a Berlin publisher, could not take his wife to any formal events because of her background. Perhaps this exclusion contributed to the rarity of smiles on German brides in their wedding pictures. Or, it could have been cultural, but it might also have been a function of dental care or the lack thereof. There were also restrictions on interfaith marriages. Prussian officers were required to raise their children as Protestants. This policy conflicted directly with the guidance of the Catholic Church.
