German: Leutnant (pronounced as /de/) is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland.
The German noun (with the meaning "German: Stellvertreter" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum tenens» German: Platzhalter (in English "place holder") was derived from the French word French: Lieutenant about 1500. In most German-speaking armies it is the lowest officer rank (in German-speaking navies German: [[Leutnant zur See]] (English "Lieutenant at sea")). In the German Bundeswehr the ranks German: Leutnant and German: Oberleutnant belong to the German: Leutnant rank group. In some other armed forces (such as the former National People's Army) there is the lower grade of Unterleutnant.
From about 1500 until the middle of the 17th century the designation of German: Leutnant was commonly used for any deputy to a commanding officer. So at the army level there was the appointment of German: General-Leutnant (English "lieutenant-general"), at the regimental level there was that of German: Oberst-Leutnant (English "lieutenant-colonel"), and at the company level the German: Leutnant was deputy to a German: Hauptmann (English "captain").
With the formation of standing armies in the second half of the 17th century, the term commonly came to designate the rank of the least senior commissioned officer.
In the 18th and 19th century, at the unit level several German: Leutnants served as platoon leaders. At that time the ranks of French: Premier-Lieutenant and French: Seconde-Lieutenant came into existence. With effect from January 1, 1899, in the German Empire these ranks were renamed as German: Oberleutnant and German: Leutnant.[1]
See also: Ranks of the Austrian Bundesheer.
| German: Leutnant | |
| Country: |  Austria |
| Service Branch: | Austrian Armed Forces |
| Abbreviation: | Lt |
| Rank Group: | Junior officer |
| Non-Nato Rank: | OF-1[2] |
| Higher Rank: | German: [[Oberleutnant]] |
| Lower Rank: | German: [[Fähnrich]] |
In Austria the German: Leutnant (short: Lt) is the second lowest CO rank. Mandatory to be promoted to that rank is a six terms course of high school studies (until August 2008 eight terms) with 180 ECTS points on the Theresian Military Academy in the Wiener Neustadt. The studies are focused on "Military Command and Control" (C2) and the academy-leaver graduate to Bachelor.
The career in the Militia is structured in a different way. Here the modular education comprises the so-called one-year volunteer year (de: German: Einjährig-Freiwilliger [EF][3]) as well as several courses, seminars, and exercises with a final aptitude test. After an overall service time of five years the promotion to «Leutnant» is possible.
Moreover, the appointment designation German: Leutnant is possible for leading officials (E1) of the Austrian executive, e.g. the Austrian Federal Police (ge: German: Bundespolizei) and prison authority personnel (de: German: Justizwache).
See main article: Rank insignia of the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Until 1918 German: Leutnant (Hungarian: Hadnagy) was in the Austria-Hungarian Army the lowest CO-rank as well, equivalent to German: Assistenz-Arzt and Leutnant-Rechnungsführer.
| Description | Rank | Insignia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| German | Hungarian | English | class | Army | Mountain infantry | |
| Low grade officers | ||||||
Leutnant also:
| Hadnagy | |||||
| Lieutenant | |
| Native Name: | Leutnant |
| Country: |  |
| Service Branch: | |
| Abbreviation: | Lt. |
| Nato Rank: | OF-1 |
| Formation: | 1871 |
| Higher Rank: | Oberleutnant |
| Lower Rank: | Oberstabsfeldwebel |
| Equivalents: | Leutnant zur See (Navy) |
The rank of German: Leutnant has been used in the German armed forces since 1899.
See main article: Ranks of the German Bundeswehr.
See also: Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr.
In the German: [[Bundeswehr]] today, a German: Leutnant will be normally appointed as platoon leader. However, the rank of German: Leutnant might also be held while a junior officer is studying at the University of the German Federal Armed Forces or at another training or education establishment. The German: Leutnant of the German: Bundeswehr belongs to the "German: Leutnant's rank group" (also: subaltern officer rank group).
In Germany, German: Leutnant (short.: Lt / on lists also: L) is the designation of a soldier of the lowest officer rank. The equivalent in the German Navy (German: Deutsche Marine) is the German: [[Leutnant zur See]].
Soldiers with that particular rank, are mandated and authorized to provide military orders as to the so-called Superior-subordinate relations to private ranks (de: Mannschaften), NCOs without port épée (de: Unteroffiziere ohne port épée), as well as to Senior NCOs with port épée (de: Unteroffizier mit port épée).
| junior Rank German: [[Oberstabsfeldwebel]] | (German officer rank) German: Leutnant | senior Rank German: [[Oberleutnant]] |
See main article: Ranks of the National People's Army.
In the GDR National People's Army (NPA) the rank German: Leutnant was the second lowest commissioned offer (CO) rank until 1990. This was in reference to Soviet military doctrine and in line with other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.
The equivalent rank of the German: [[Volksmarine]] (en: GDR Navy) was the German: [[Leutnant zur See]], often called simply German: Leutnant for short. In reference to the Soviet armed forces and to other armed forces of the Warsaw pact German: Leutnant was the second lowest officer rank until 1990.
| Junior Rank German: [[Unterleutnant]] | National People's Army rank German: Leutnant (Leutnant zur See) | Senior Rank German: [[Oberleutnant]] |
See main article: World War II German Army ranks and insignia.
See also: Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS.
In Nazi Germany, within the SS and Waffen-SS, the rank of German: [[SS-Untersturmführer]] was considered to be the equivalent of an German: Leutnant in the German Army. However, in the SA the equivalent to German: Leutnant was German: [[Sturmführer|SA-Sturmführer]].
See main article: Military ranks of the Swiss Armed Forces.
| German: Leutnant in Switzerland | |
| Rank insignia | Swiss Army |
| Introduction | |
| Rank group | German: Subalternoffiziere (en: Subaltern commissioned officers) |
| Army / Air Force | Leutnant |
| Navy | no equivalent |
| Lower: Higher: | German: [[Chefadjutant]] |
| German: [[Oberleutnant]] |
In the military of Switzerland the German: Leutnant (French: Lieutenant, Italian: Tenente) is the lowest commissioned officer rank. Promotion to the next highest rank, German: Oberleutnant, occurs after three refresher courses (contingent upon good performance) or automatically after six years' service.[4]
For missions outside of Switzerland, the rank German: Leutnant will be designated in English as Second lieutenant.