The goose step is a special marching step which is performed during formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg rigidly straight.
The step originated in Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century and was called the (literally, "piercing step") or . German military advisors spread the tradition to Russia in the 19th century, and the Soviets spread it around the world in the 20th century.
The term "goose step" originally referred to balance stepping, an obsolete formalized slow march. The term is nowadays heavily associated with Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in many English-speaking countries. As a result, the term has acquired a pejorative meaning in English-speaking countries.
History Origin
The originated in the 18th century, like other march steps, as a method of keeping troops lined up properly as they advanced towards enemy lines. It was introduced into German military tradition by Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, a Field Marshal whose close attention to training transformed the Prussian infantry into one of the most formidable armed forces in Europe. Other armies adopted different march steps that served the same purpose. The Russian Empire adopted the goose step during the 1796–1801 reign of Paul I.
By the mid-19th century, the replacement of muskets with rifles greatly increased the accuracy of defensive fire. It was too hazardous to march forward into battle in precise formation, and the practice of marching towards enemy lines became obsolete. However, armed forces continued to drill recruits in marching techniques for the purposes of team building, military uniformity, and ceremonial functions. This was true in Prussia and the later German Empire, where the goose step became emblematic of military discipline and efficiency.
Adoption outside Europe The goose step became widespread in militaries around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Military modernization and political influence carried the practice to Asia, Africa, and Latin America from its origins in Prussia and Russia.
The first wave of adoption took place in the late 19th century, as the Prussian army became greatly admired for its decisive victory in the Franco-Prussian War. This led many countries to modernize their military forces along the Prussian model. Goose stepping continued to gain ground even after Germany's defeat in World War I, as many nations still looked to the German model for military organization and training.
The Chilean Army was the first non-European country to adopt the goose step, importing many Prussian military traditions after the War of the Pacific. The practice of goose stepping then spread widely throughout Latin America from Chilean influence.
Meanwhile, in Asia, the Beiyang New Army of Imperial China also adopted goose stepping together with the Prussian military model. After its dissolution, the National Revolutionary Army of the successive Republic of China continued the practice, also because that they were being trained by German advisers in the 1920s; after the Communists won the Chinese Civil War, the People's Liberation Army of People's Republic of China would follow suit and bring the practice into present day, owing to both tradition and its own Soviet influence. They account for the largest single goose-stepping military today.
Cold War
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union trained the military forces of many of its client states with Soviet military drill and ceremonial practices. This led to the second great wave of goose step adoption, as it was introduced into many Third World countries in Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, the United States, United Kingdom, and France were, through efforts in their client republics and allies, preventing the use of the goose step in their armed services. A divided Germany was also divided in their armies' foot drill; the East German kept the goose step (although it incoorperated some Soviet-style goose step elements), while the West German only kept the (quick march). The centuries-long German practice of goose-stepping finally ended in 1990, when the former was absorbed into the latter due to German reunification.
Usage
Ceremonial usage
The goose step is a difficult marching style that takes much practice and choreography in order to coordinate the timing of each person's step with one another. It is therefore reserved for ceremonial occasions such as military parades. Because it is difficult to maintain for long periods of time, troops typically only begin to goose-step when they approach the reviewing stand and return to a normal march step once they have marched past. Large military parades require several days of practice to ensure that troops can perform the goose step without injuring themselves. Preparatory training includes having soldiers march in small groups, with arms linked to maintain balance.
Guards of honour also use the goose step during solemn ceremonies such as at war memorials or military cemeteries. The goose step has been featured in several Olympic opening ceremonies, as the host nation pays the same respect to the Olympic flag as to its own flag.
In the most rigorous form of the goose step, often found in guard mounting ceremonies, the pace is done at a slow march, and the leg is nearly horizontal, and sometimes well beyond. Article has a photograph of soldiers goose-stepping with legs 45° above the horizontal. In a standard goose step, found in large military parades, the pace is done at a quick march and the leg is raised only to knee-height, or even to calf height. The lower goose step improves balance and unit cohesion at the tempo of a quick march. Flagbearers and honour guards will frequently march with a higher goose step than the mass of troops following.
Adopted countries
The goose step is a feature of military ceremonies in dozens of countries, to varying extents. Some countries use the goose step as a general parade step performed by all troops, while others reserve it for honour guards and ceremonial units.
Americas The goose step is very popular in Latin America, where it has been adopted by most Spanish-speaking countries. It is not found in countries where English or Portuguese is an official language. Argentina: The Infantry Company of the Colegio Militar de la Nación uses a sort of goose half step (with the leg at approximately 45 degrees) as their parade step while passing in front of the authorities. The same step is used by the Guards Company of the National Gendarmerie Academy and its colour guard. Other units perform the high step instead. Bolivia: Some troops marching with this step similar to the Paraguayan forces step marching but in slower pace. Chile: Uses the Prussian form of the goose step essentially unaltered. Colombia Cuba: Uses the goose step styling inherited from the Soviet Union. Ecuador: Uses a waist-high goose step in military parades. El Salvador Guatemala: Only the marker squad of the Military Academy goose-steps. Haiti: The Haitian military was dissolved in 1996. However, demobilized soldiers have formed militias that continue to drill with the goose step. The government began reforming its armed forces in 2016, sending them to be trained by Latin American countries that use the goose step like Ecuador. Thus, the revived Haiti Armed Forces marches in like manner as in many South and Central American armed services which use the practice, combined with the French and American precedence. Honduras Mexico: adopted the goose step marching in early 1980s. Nicaragua Panama Paraguay: In military parades, cadets march with a waist-high goose step at the quick step. Other units do not goose-step. Peru Suriname: Suriname National Army uses the goose step for military parade purpose since the late 1990s. Venezuela: Only military officer cadets use the goose step for parade purposes; other units of the armed forces (save for special forces, which march on parade on the double) used the goose step until 1960 and from 2010 to 2017.
Europe
Goose-stepping is found primarily in Central and Eastern Europe. Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bulgaria Czech Republic: A moderate form of the goose step is performed by honour guards, with the foot raised only a few centimetres off the ground; these are the only units that use all the time. Other units of the military use it only during specific part of the ceremonial march when the command "eyes right" is given (generally in front of the platform when a most senior commander or dignitary is present). Estonia: Moderate goose step is the general parade step, which replaced the Soviet style in 2005. Georgia: While no longer in use, only two breakaway states in Abkhazia and South Ossetia use the goose step, as it is aligned with Russia. Hungary: Only color guards goose-step in slow time during military ceremonies. Latvia: Only selected guards goose-step in ceremonial purposes. Moldova: Only honour guards and color guards. The goose step continues to be used in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Norway Poland: Performed at 112–116 steps per minute, raising the feet off the ground. Russia Slovakia: Uses the goose step as a general parade step only by honor guards. Spain: Uses the goose step as a slow march for the most important ceremonies, such as royal funerals and the presentation of the colours. The goose step is not used for military parades or guard mounting ceremonies. Sweden Ukraine
Africa Most African militaries trace their adoption of the goose step to the Cold War, when the Communist countries supplied them with military aid and training. The German colonies used the goose step until World War I, when they were absorbed by the victorious Allies, but all of them restored the goose step after independence. Algeria Angola: Uses the goose step as a general parade step. Benin Botswana: Although Botswana has British military traditions, it uses a goose step on a slow march and high step in quick march. Burkina Faso: Uses the goose step as a special march step for military bands and commando units. Other units do not goose-step. Burundi: Uses the goose step as a general parade step. Cameroon Central African Republic Chad: Does the goose step in slow time. Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti: At military parades, a horizontal goose step is performed at a slow march. Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Ghana: Only the Ghanaian Special Forces use the goose step in military parades. Ivory Coast Madagascar Mauritania Mozambique Namibia: When the country became independent from apartheid South Africa in 1990, it kept the British-style march step. Niger: uses goose step in slow marching time. Nigeria Rwanda: Uses a horizontal goose step for military parades. Rwanda received their military training in the goose-stepping country of Uganda. The new type of goose step was performed during the 25th anniversary of the end of the Rwandan genocide as the troops were trained by the Chinese PLA. Senegal Seychelles Tanzania Togo: Uses the goose step as a general parade step, performed at a slow march. Uganda
Middle East and Central Asia Afghanistan: Has used the goose step since the 1950s during the royal period of the country, thanks to advisers from the Soviet Armed Forces and from Iran. The tradition was carried on into the communist era, the U.S.-backed Islamic Republic and the second Taliban government. Iran: Has used the goose step since the Imperial era, as the country was influenced first by the Russian Empire. In the 1920s, there was an increase of foreign trade and technical collaboration with Germany, with Reichswehr advisers present in the army. The Islamic Republic's armed forces have continued the practice.