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| Kadetten-Korps: cadet corps |
| Kaiser: emperor |
| Kanone: large gun, cannon |
| Kanonier: gunner, artillery man; serving in field or foot artillery units |
| Kar 88: carbine model 1888; also used was the Kar 98 and 98A |
| Karabinier: carabinier; private serving in Saxon heavy artillery regiments |
| Kassen-Abteilung (B1): Finance Section; in War Ministry's Army Administration Department (BD) |
| Kavallerie: cavalry |
| Kavallerie-Abteilung (A3): Cavalry Section; in War Ministry's General War Department (AD) |
| KFZ: Kraftfahrzeug |
| KG: Kommandierender General |
| kleiner Rock: officer's double-breasted dress tunic, worn after 1915 |
| Kokarde: cockade; circular insignia on headgear designating state of unit's origin |
| Koller: cuirassier's tunic |
| Kolonne: column |
| Kommandant: commanding officer; a city's military governor |
| Kommandantur: garrison headquarters, commandant's office |
| Kommandeur: commander; general reference to the commander of a division, brigade, regiment or battalion |
| Kommandierender General (KG): commanding general; commander of an army corps |
| kommandiert: detailed; temporarily assigned to unit (for training, probation etc) but remaining assigned to another unit |
| kommandiert zur Dienstleistung: on special assignment; temporarily attached to a unit |
| Kommando: command |
| Kompanie: company; usually comprised of three platoons and normally commanded by a Hauptmann. |
| Königsjäger: Imperial German Jäger; serving in Jäger zu Pferde Regiment Nr.1 |
| Korporalschaft: squad; same as 'Gruppe' but only in basic training units |
| Korps: corps (see Armeekorps) |
| Kraftfahrtruppen: motor vehicle troops |
| Kraftfahrzeug: truck |
| Krätzchen: field cap, fatigue cap; circular cap without visor; see Feldmütze |
| Krieg: war |
| Kriegsakademie (Preußische Kriegsakademie): Prussian War College; facility located in Berlin dedicated to training future general staff officers |
| Kriegsgliederung: order of battle |
| Kriegsminister: War Minister; on mobilization the War Minister went to Great Headquarters with his mobile staff, leaving his deputy in charge. |
| Kriegsministerium: War Ministry |
| Kürassier: cuirassier; mounted soldier distinguished by his wearing of the cuirass, an armored breastplate which covered him from neck to waist. |
| K.u.K.: Austro-Hungarian; Kaiserlich und Koeniglich |
| Landesaufnahme: Topographical Mapping Department; the Prussian General Staff's geographical survey office |
| Landsturm: home guard; 3rd-line reservists who served within the boundaries of the German Empire. Two groups: those aged 17 to 20 and awaiting call-up, and those aged 39 to 45 who had previously served in the Landwehr. |
| Landsturmmann: reservist soldier in the home guard |
| Landwehr: territorial army (usually not translated); those aged 27 to 38 who had completed seven years of active duty, acting as secondary reserve support for regular army units. |
| Lebensmittelwagen: provisions wagon |
| Leib~ : body guard, lifeguard; ie Leibgarde-Regiment |
| Leibgendarmerie: military guard at Hauptquartier, charged with protecting the Kaiser |
| leichte: light (not heavy) |
| Leutnant: second lieutenant; usually commands company or platoon. |
| Litewka: undress or loose tunic; loose service jacket with fly front - basically an updated kleiner Rock |
| Litzen: decorative braid or bars found on the collar/cuff of designated regiments (ie: Guard Regts) |
| Luftfahrt-Abteilung (A7L): Aviation Section; in War Ministry's General War Department (AD) |
| Luftschiff: airship |
| Luftstreitkräfte: air force |
| M1910: uniform adopted by German Army in 1910 to serve as mult-purpose parade and field uniform. |
| M1915: uniform adopted in 1915 with Bluse for field wear and Waffenrock for more formal occasions |
| Major: major; usually commands regiment or battalion. |
| Mantel: greatcoat, overcoat |
| Marine: navy |
| Maschinengewehr Kompanie (MGK): machine-gun company; usually comprised three platoons with two guns per platoon |
| Materialwagen: material wagon |
| Medizal-Abteilung: Medical Department; department MA in War Ministry, headed by Dr von Schjerning |
| MG 08: Maxim heavy machine gun; model 1908 |
| MG 08/15: light machine gun developed from the MG 08 |
| MGK: Maschinengewehr Kompanie |
| Minenwerfer: trench mortar |
| Minister des königliches Hauses: Minister of the Royal House; managed Kaiser's personal affairs; August Graf zu Eulenburg 1907-18 |
| Ministerial-Abteilung (Z1): Ministerial Section; in War Ministry's Central Department (ZD) |
| Mobilmachung: mobilization; also known as M-Tag |
| Mörser: large caliber howitzer; generically translated as mortar |
| M-Tag: mobilization day |
| Munitionskolonne: munitions column (convoy) |
| Musketier: musketeer, rifleman; serving in Prussian infantry regiments |
| Nachrichten-Abteilung: signal troops detachment |
| Nachrichtendienst: German Intelligence Service (see Geheimer Nachrichtendienst) |
| ND: Nachrichtendienst |
| Oberbefehlshaber: commander-in-chief, supreme commander; usually refers to the commander of a numbered army or an army group |
| Obergefreiter: senior private; serving in foot artillery unit |
| Oberjäger: senior chasseur; same rank as Unteroffizier but serving with Jäger or Schützen battalion |
| Oberkommando in den Marken: High Commander in the Mark; wartime military leader in Berlin (Gen. Gustav von Kessel); with name taken from the historical reference to the March (Margraviate) of Brandenburg |
| Oberleutnant: first lieutenant, senior lieutenant; usually commands company or platoon |
| Ober-Militär-Prüfungs-Kommission: Military Examination Authority; board of senior military personnel overseeing the qualification process for commissioning as a Prussian officer |
| Ober-Quartiermeister: senior quartermaster; third in command of a numbered field army, responsible for supplies and communications lines |
| Oberhof- und Hausmarschall: Senior Marshal of the Court and the Household; responsible for court expenditures, festivities, ceremonial issues, audiences, trips, 76 royal palaces, and about 500 servants; Hugo von Reischach 1914-18 |
| Oberkommando in den Marken: Supreme Command of Mark Brandenburg; highest regional military authority in Berlin |
| Oberst: colonel; usually commands brigade or regiment |
| Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL): Supreme Army Command |
| Oberstkämmerer: High Chamberlain; highest ranking court official in His Majesty's service; Friedrich Furst zu Solms-Baruth 1899-18 |
| Oberstleutnant: lieutenant colonel; usually commands regiment or battalion |
| Oberst-Lieutenant: lieutenant colonel; modified to Oberstleutnant after 1 Jan 1899 |
| Offizier von der Armee: |
| Offizierstellvertreter: senior NCO in officer's appointment, deputy officer |
| OHL: Oberste Heeresleitung |
| OKM: Oberkommando in den Marken |
| Ordens-Verleihungen: Awards Presentations |
| Ordonnananzug: orderly dress; one of the four main orders of formal dress - 1914 |
| Packwagen: baggage wagon |
| Paletot: overcoat |
| Paradeanzug: parade dress, review dress; one of the four main orders of formal dress - 1914 |
| Pelzmütze: busby; fur cap worn by Hussars |
| Pensions-Abteilung (C2): Army Pensions Section; in War Ministry's Supply & Legal Department (CD) |
| Pferde-Depot: horse depot |
| Pickelhaube: spiked helmet |
| Pioniere: combat engineers, sappers, pioneers; sometimes left untranslated |
| Portepee: sword knot; worn by NCOs and officers |
| Portepee-Fähnrich: officer cadet; modified to Fähnrich after 1 Jan 1899 |
| Pour-le-Merite: Blue Max (Blauer Max); highest Prussian award for bravery |
| Premier-Lieutenant: first lieutenant; modified to Oberleutnant after 1 Jan 1899 |
| Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt: Prussian Military Academy; located in Groß-Lichterfelde and in operation from 1822 to 1918 |
| Preußische Kriegsakademie: Imperial Prussian War Academy; staff college located in Berlin, 74 Unter den Linden. Founded by Scharnhorst in 1810, prerequisite for appointment to German General Staff. |
| Proviant-Kolonne: provisions column |
| Providentiae Memor: Remember Providence; Saxon military motto |
| Provisorische Bau-Abteilung (U5): Construction Section; in War Ministry's Billeting Department (UD) |
| Radfahrer: cyclist |
| RAK: Reserve-Armeekorps |
| Rang: rank |
| Regiment: regiment; usually comprised of three battalions and (until 1915) one machine-gun company; a cavalry regiment was comprised of four squadrons. Normally commanded by an Oberst or Oberstleutnant. |
| Reichs-Militär-Gericht: |
| Reitendes Feldjäger-Korps: Mounted Feldjäger Corps; Prussian military police type unit subordinate to the General Staff |
| Reiter: mounted troop; serving with Bavarian heavy cav (Schwere Reiter) units |
| Reitpferd: saddle horse |
| Remonte-Inspektion: Remount Inspectorate; War Ministry Department RI |
| Reservekorps: reserve corps |
| Reservist: reserve troop |
| RID: Reserve Infanteriedivision |
| RIR: Reserve Infanterieregiment |
| Ritter: count, knight, sir; General Karl Ritter von Fasbender |
| Rittmeister: captain; serving in cavalry, supply or airborne units (see Hauptmann) |
| Sani: medic |
| Sanitäts-Kompanie: medic company |
| Schako: shako; visored helmet worn by Jäger. Schützen, Landsturm and MGK troops |
| Scheinwerferzug: searchlight section |
| Schirmmütze: service cap; visored cap in dress or crusher style; see Dienstmütze |
| Schlacht: battle |
| Schlanke Emma: "Slim Emma"; the Skoda 305mm howitzer |
| Schlossgarde-Kompanie: Palace Guards; headed by Max von Mutius and charged with guarding royal palaces and parks |
| Schmiedewagen: farrier's wagon (blacksmith) |
| Schütze: rifleman; serving in Schützen or machine gun units |
| Schützenbataillon: rifle battalion |
| SCHWELFA: Schwereste Flachfeuerartillerie |
| schwer: heavy |
| Schwere Reiter: Bavarian heavy cavalry; originally cuirassier and guard units, there were two regiments at mobilization |
| Schwereste Flachfeuerartillerie (SCHWELFA): heavy flat trajectory artillery; heaviest guns which targeted bridges and reinforced command posts; included own air observation and survey units |
| Sekonde-Lieutenant: second lieutenant; modified to Leutnant after 1 Jan 1899 |
| Sektion: section; usually comprised of two or three squads. Normally commanded by an Unteroffizier or Sergeant. |
| Sektion IIIb: Section IIIb; Imperial Germany's Military Intelligence Service, later named Abteilung IIIb; see Nachrichtendienst |
| Sergeant: sergeant |
| Soldat: soldier, private |
| Spieß: first sergeant |
| Stab: staff |
| Stabsoffiziere: field grade officers; major, lt. colonel, colonel |
| Stahlhelm: steel helmet, trench helmet, coal scuttle; styles = M1916, M1917, M1918 |
| Stellenbesetzung: command and staff positions; appointment, posting |
| Stollen: tunnel; deeply dug underground barracks holding up to 1,000 troops, a fixture at Verdun |
| Sturmtruppen: stormtroops; assault troops of 14-18 men, variously armed with light machine guns, automatic rifles or light mortars. |
| Subalternoffiziere: subalterns; lieutenant |
| Suchscheinwerfer: search light |
| Tank-KFZ: fuel truck |
| Telegraphen~ : telegraph |
| Train: supply train |
| Traingemeiner: supply train soldier; two yrs service (Prussian/Bavarian) |
| Trainkolonne: supply column |
| Trainsoldat: supply train soldier; one yr of service (Prussian/Bavaria) or two yrs service (Saxon) |
| Trupp: squad, group; an ad hoc sub-unit of a "Gruppe" |
| Tschapka: lance helmet; square-topped headgear worn by uhlan troops |
| Überrock: frock coat, "uberrock"; knee-length great coat |
| Überweisung: transfer |
| Übungs-Abteilung (U3): Maneuvers Section; in War Ministry's Billeting Department (UD) |
| Ulan: uhlan, lancer; member of the elite of an Prussian cavalry unit modeled after the Tatar lancers. Equivalent to a British lancer. There were 21 regiments at mobilization, but they were rendered almost powerless during the War by the machine gun. |
| Ulanka: double-breasted tunic worn by uhlan troops, two rows of seven buttons |
| unter Belassung zur Dienstleistung bei...: while still temporarily attached to... |
| Unterkunfts-Abteilung (B4): billeting section; in War Ministry's Army Administration Department (BD) |
| Unterkunfts-Departement (UD): Billeting Department ; War Ministry's Department UD, aka Accomodation Deptarment |
| Unteroffizier: corporal |
| verabschiedet: retired |
| Verband: unit |
| Verkehrs-Abteilung (A7V): Transportation Section; in War Ministry's General War Department (AD) |
| Verkehrstruppen: transport troops |
| Verleihung: presentation; see Ordens-Verleihungen |
| verliehen: awarded, bestowed, granted |
| Verpflegungs-Abteilung (B2): Peacetime Rationing Section; in War Ministry's Army Administration Department (BD) |
| versetzt: transferred; moving to a follow-on assignment, with a billet |
| Versetzung: transfer |
| Versorgungs-Abteilung (C3): Supply Section; in War Ministry's Supply & Legal Department (CD) |
| Versorgungs & Justiz-Departement: Supply and Justice Department, in the War Ministry |
| Vize-Feldwebel: vice sergeant-major (U.S. = staff sergeant) |
| Vize-Wachtmeister: vice sergeant-major (U.S. = staff sergeant); mounted or artillery units |
| Vorratswagen: supply wagon |
| vortragender Generaladjutant: Chief of the Military Cabinet, Kaiser's closest military advisor (see diensttuender Generaladjutant) |
| Wachtanzug: guard dress; one of the four main orders of formal dress - 1914 |
| Wachtmeister: sergeant-major; administrative posting for company HQ - mounted or artillery units |
| Waffenrock: dress tunic, uniform jacket; same as Feldrock |
| Wehrmann: territorial soldier; serving in Landwehr regiments |
| Werkstatt-KFZ: repair truck |
| Wetterwarte: meteorological service |
| wirklicher Geheimer Kriegsrat: High Privy Councillor |
| ZD: designator for the Zentral-Departement |
| z.D.: zur Disposition |
| Zentral-Departement: Central Department; War Ministry department ZD |
| Zug: platoon; usually comprised of four sections. Normally commanded by an Oberleutnant, Leutnant, Feldwebel-Leutnant, or Offizierstellvertreter. |
| Zugpferd: draft horse |
| zur Disposition gestellt: placed on active reserve statue; retired officer available for further service, ie Generalmajor z.D. |
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