Josef Šnejdárek
Early life and French Foreign Legion
Early life and French Foreign Legion
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Šnejdárek was born into a [miller](/wiki/Miller "Miller")'s family in [Napajedla](/wiki/Napajedla "Napajedla"). After graduating from cadet school on 18 August 1895 he entered the [Austro\-Hungarian Army](/wiki/Austro-Hungarian_Army "Austro-Hungarian Army") as a cadet, and sent to the 2nd Rear Regiment in [Budapest](/wiki/Budapest "Budapest"). On 1 November 1895 he was promoted to [lieutenant](/wiki/Lieutenant "Lieutenant") and transferred to the 14th Rear Battalion in [Innsbruck](/wiki/Innsbruck "Innsbruck"). During this period, while on leave, he volunteered to fight with the [Turkish Army](/wiki/Turkish_Army "Turkish Army"), which was defending [Preveza](/wiki/Preveza "Preveza") against the Greeks. He spent 30 days in an Austrian Army prison as a result, and an injury from the engagement left a scar on his head. He left the Austro\-Hungarian Army by request on 1 October 1896, and travelled around the [Mediterranean Basin](/wiki/Mediterranean_Basin "Mediterranean Basin"), [North Africa](/wiki/North_Africa "North Africa") and [Central Africa](/wiki/Central_Africa "Central Africa") for about two years.

Šnejdárek joined the [French Foreign Legion](/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion "French Foreign Legion") on 24 January 1899, as a [private](/wiki/Private_%28rank%29 "Private (rank)"), 2nd Class. His first military campaign began in the [Sahara](/wiki/Sahara "Sahara") on 10 May 1900, and he was promoted to [corporal](/wiki/Corporal "Corporal") on 26 September of that year, [sergeant](/wiki/Sergeant "Sergeant") on 1 March the following year, and [sergeant major](/wiki/Sergeant_major "Sergeant major") on 1 April 1906, at which point he was awarded French citizenship and began studying. He graduated from [military school](/wiki/National_Active_Non-Commissioned_Officers_School_%28France%29 "National Active Non-Commissioned Officers School (France)") in [Saint\-Maixent\-l'École](/wiki/Saint-Maixent-l%27%C3%89cole "Saint-Maixent-l'École") one year later, and was promoted to [second lieutenant](/wiki/Second_lieutenant "Second lieutenant") and transferred to the 1st Regiment of Algerian Gunners. On 1 April 1909 he was promoted to [lieutenant](/wiki/Lieutenant "Lieutenant"). On 25 September 1911 he transferred to the 4th Regiment of Algerian Gunners, and began a military expedition in [Morocco](/wiki/Morocco "Morocco") the following June, a couple of weeks after he was married. He transferred to 4th Regiment of the Colonial Infantry on 15 April 1913, and was sent for recuperative leave to [Tunisia](/wiki/Tunisia "Tunisia") in July of that year.


When did Šnejdárek graduate from military school in Saint-Maixent-l'École?