What did the uniforms look like of the Freikorps? Was it one single dress or many different types? Was the organization modeled off of the old army? I'd except they were...
Regards,
Zachary
Freikorps Organization and Uniforms
Freikorps Organization
Hallo,
The size and organizational structure of the Freikorps is hard to pin down. Estimates as to the total number of men who served in the Freikorps ranges from 150,000 to 400,000.
The size of a Freikorps unit ranged from that of a Division (several thousand men, their own artillery, armored cars, and engineers [I seem to recall that the FK in the Baltic area even had their own air support, but I need to check this again]) to that of a regiment (several hundred to one thousand men). Some units evolved from standing WW I military units and some were formed in various towns and regions by local WW I veterans as a type of militia in defense of the border region (particularly along the border with Poland).
Although they justly deserved their reputation as freebooters, there was a great deal of discipline, loyalty, and camraderie within a FK unit.
As Marcus explained, FK soldiers dressed mainly in imperial army or reichswehr uniforms. However, some adopted their own style. In the book Red Rising in Bavaria by Richard Grunberger, there is a picture of FK soldiers marching in Munich after the overthrow of the Räterrepublik. The men in the picture are wearing traditional Bavarian-style clothing and they look more like happy huntsmen than uniformed soldiers (I would post the picture, but I do not have the means to do so). After January 1920, some FK units adopted the swastika and painted them on their helmets.
Hope this helps.
J.D.
The size and organizational structure of the Freikorps is hard to pin down. Estimates as to the total number of men who served in the Freikorps ranges from 150,000 to 400,000.
The size of a Freikorps unit ranged from that of a Division (several thousand men, their own artillery, armored cars, and engineers [I seem to recall that the FK in the Baltic area even had their own air support, but I need to check this again]) to that of a regiment (several hundred to one thousand men). Some units evolved from standing WW I military units and some were formed in various towns and regions by local WW I veterans as a type of militia in defense of the border region (particularly along the border with Poland).
Although they justly deserved their reputation as freebooters, there was a great deal of discipline, loyalty, and camraderie within a FK unit.
As Marcus explained, FK soldiers dressed mainly in imperial army or reichswehr uniforms. However, some adopted their own style. In the book Red Rising in Bavaria by Richard Grunberger, there is a picture of FK soldiers marching in Munich after the overthrow of the Räterrepublik. The men in the picture are wearing traditional Bavarian-style clothing and they look more like happy huntsmen than uniformed soldiers (I would post the picture, but I do not have the means to do so). After January 1920, some FK units adopted the swastika and painted them on their helmets.
Hope this helps.
J.D.