Historically the military rank of Gefreiter (female and plural form: Gefreite)[3] emerged in 16th-century Europe for the German Landsknechte foot soldiers,[4] predominantly made up of German and Swiss mercenary pikemen and supporting infantry foot soldiers.

[5][6][7][8] Those soldiers who proved especially reliable and experienced were appointed to gefreyten Knechten (exempted/freed servants/soldiers; a cognate to 'knight') and were installed in critical battlefield positions; along with their extra rank privileges they were exempted in general from sentry duties.

[5][6] Gefreiter was the only enlisted rank until 1918 within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of the Hauptmann (Captain) or Rittmeister (Cavalry-Master otherwise Captain) and ultimately endorsed by the Regiments-Commandeur (Regimental Colonel), with exception of the rank Obergefreiter (since 1859) in the foot artillery which later replaced the artillery Bombardier (Corporal) rank.

[5] In the Royal Prussian Army until its reorganization after 1806, there existed along with Gefreiter the rank of Gefreite-Korporale[5] who wore a silver Portepee (sword lanyard).

Then rank insignia was a single white celluloid-star on the stand-up collar of the so-called Waffenrock (tunic) on gorget patch (German: Paroli).

or G.) is the second enlisted rank grade within the modern-day Army (Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe) and Navy (Marine) of the Bundeswehr.

"Bohemian corporal" was a derogatory term used (privately) in World War II for Adolf Hitler by German generals (many of whom were Prussian aristocrats) dissatisfied with Hitler's military leadership and detailed control such as Gerd von Rundstedt, Erich von Manstein and Friedrich Paulus.

Rundstedt said often during and after the war, "Without Hitler's consent, I can't even move my own sentry from my front door around to the back!"

Wilhelm Keitel once asked Hitler, "Do you realise that Rundstedt called you a Bohemian corporal?"

In the armed forces of the Soviet Union (and later the Russian Federation) yefreytor is the highest rank of enlisted personnel.