"A one-year volunteer, short EF (de: Einjährig-Freiwilliger), was, in a number of national armed forces, a conscript who agreed to pay his own costs for the ...
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procurement of equipment, food and clothing, in return for spending a shorter-than-usual term on active military service and the opportunity for promotion to Reserve Officers.
The "one-year volunteer service" (de: Einjährig-Freiwilligen-Dienst) was first introduced 1814 in Prussia and was inherited by the German Empire from 1871 until 1918. It was also used by the Austro-Hungarian Army, from 1868 until 1918, and the Austro-Hungarian Navy. One-year volunteers also existed in the national armies of Bavaria, France and Russia." - (en.wikipedia.org 15.12.2023)
