THE Freikorps or “free corps,” were paramilitary groups that arose in Germany in the turbulent years immediately following World War I. Comprised mainly of former soldiers, the units played a key role in shaping post-war Germany and had a lasting impact on the country’s political landscape.
The Freikorps attracted many nationally disposed citizens and students. Freikorps commanders such as Ferdinand von Schill, Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow, or Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, known as the "Black Duke", led their own attacks on Napoleonic occupation forces in Germany.
The Freikorps were nothing if not the shock troops, the advance guard, of the Third Reich.
Freikorps, any of several private paramilitary groups that first appeared in December 1918 in the wake of Germany’s defeat in World War I. Composed of ex-soldiers, unemployed youth, and other discontents and led by ex-officers and other former military personnel, they proliferated all over Germany
Freikorps — How Germany’s Post-WWI Paramilitaries Paved the Way for the ...
Some Freikorps joined forces with the White armies against the Bolsheviks, others provided cover for the retreating German armies from the east, others again served as border police, or fought against Communist paramilitary units inside Germany.
Freikorps units were paramilitary formations which generally supported rightwing political causes, although they existed within a broader paramilitary environment. Many First World War veterans joined the Freikorps when they were first created in late November 1918. Freikorps units were involved in combat operations during political unrest in the early years of the Weimar Republic before ...
The Freikorps were formed in response to the perceived threat of socialist and communist revolutions in Germany. The Freikorps were also supported by right-wing politicians and military leaders, who saw them as a way to maintain order and defend the country against perceived threats.