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. in Moscow
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. 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 ,
Santiago de Cuba 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 in the
Bastille Day Military Parade 2007 in
Paris 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 "Look to the 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 10 centimetres 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. •
Kazakhstan: Use of the goose step is a direct result of Soviet military influence on the country when it was a
republic of the Soviet Union. On February 3, 2016, President
Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered that personnel of the
Kazakh Armed Forces march at 95–105 steps per minute raising the forward leg 10–15 centimeters above the ground. This differs from their Russian counterparts who goose step at a rate of 120 steps per minute. •
Kyrgyzstan •
Lebanon: The
Lebanese military does not perform the goose step. However, the
Hezbollah paramilitary forces uses the goose step, as they are trained and supplied by Iran and North Korea. •
Qatar: Adopted the goose step in 2017, after receiving training from Chinese drill instructors. •
Syria: Adopted the goose step during the Cold War when it was aligned with the Soviet Union. Personnel of the
Syrian Armed Forces continue to goose-step, while Kurdish forces have adopted the
high step. •
Tajikistan •
Turkmenistan •
Uzbekistan •
Yemen East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia honor guard company goose-steps honor guard company goose-stepping at ASEAN defense ministers meeting, 2010 •
Bangladesh •
Bhutan: Practices the goose step due to receiving training from Indian army instructors. •
Cambodia •
China: The Chinese term 正步 (
zhèng bù) literally translates as "straight march" or "upright march". China adopted the goose step during the last days of the Qing dynasty, since the
Beiyang New Army was modelled after the Prussian Army. After the
1911 revolution, the
National Revolution Army of the
Republic of China continued the practice due to tradition and also influence from German military advisors in the 1920s. After the
Chinese Civil War, the
People's Liberation Army of China again continued the practice due to both tradition and Soviet influences; it was seen publicly for the first time in 1951, when the second anniversary of the People's Republic of China was celebrated with a military parade in
Beijing. The practice continued on both sides of the
Taiwan Strait until 2003, when it was abandoned by the
Republic of China Armed Forces. The People's Liberation Army continues to use the goose step as its ceremonial march step. In 2021, the ROC defense ministry has once again resumed goose step training, in time for the 2024 centennial celebration of the
Republic of China Military Academy. •
Hong Kong: Since
the 1997 handover of sovereignty, some of Hong Kong's institutions who traditionally conduct the British-style drill, (Customs and Excise Department, etc.) have adopted the goose step. With the enaction of the
Hong Kong National Security Law, the other disciplined services have also adopted the practice for relevant ceremonial purposes, such as the National Security Education Day. The Chinese central government has also requested uniformed youth groups in Hong Kong to adopt the goose step practice of the PLA in the mainland. As of January 2022, the Hong Kong Police Force has adopted the goose step method as a means of showing patriotism. •
India: The goose step is performed by colour guards, as well as border guards at the
Wagah border ceremony. Some units, such as the Gurkha and Assam regiments, use the goose step as a general parade step, although the foot does not generally leave the ground for more than a couple of inches. marching on a
parade. Difference of position can be seen between rifle-bearing soldiers and sword-bearing officers •
Indonesia: The goose step, known as
langkah tegap or firm step, is performed during ceremonial occasions by the
military,
police (although the foot does not generally leave the ground for more than a couple of inches unlike the military),
scouts, and the
flag troop. Appearing to be a kind of fusion with the British-style marching, the step is performed by swinging hands (at 90 degrees, or as high as the shoulder), either unarmed or at slope/shoulder arms position. If at port arms, both arms hold the weapon while performing it. •
North Korea: For many years, they practiced a form of bouncing goose step, which leaves a visual impression of a clear bounce in each step. This is unique among all militaries that practice the goose step. North Korea switched from a standard Soviet goose step to the bouncing goose step between 1993 and 1998, but a modified form resembling Soviet practice was reinstated in 2020 characteristic of a less vigorous bounce and a slower pace. •
Laos : The only known origin of the goose step in Laos dates back to after the country gained independence from France, when it adopted the goose step (its exact origin is unknown). After the Laotian Civil War and the communist victory, Laos adopted a Chinese marching style. The differences from the Soviet style can be seen in the Lao military’s 70th anniversary parade in 2019, particularly in the hand posture, leg movement, and troop formations. •
Mongolia •
Nepal: Uses the goose step as a general parade step, but lifting the feet only a couple of inches above the ground; only honor guards have been observed to march with a "full" goose step. The practice has also been adopted by
Gurkha regiments in the
Indian Army, but not by Gurkha regiments in the British Army. •
Pakistan: Uses the goose step as a military march step in slow time only. The marching pace while goose stepping is 60 bpm. •
Taiwan: Similar to mainland China, the Republic of China Armed Forces in Taiwan performed the goose step because the
Beiyang New Army was modelled after the Prussian Army. This was abandoned by the Republic of China Armed Forces During the later stages of World War II, the goose step nearly disappeared because of manpower shortages, accelerated courses in basic training, and a paucity of appropriate occasions. After the Second World War,
West Germany abandoned the goose step in favor of "marching step" (
Gleichschritt), due to their status as
light infantry.
East Germany preserved the goose step and renamed it the "drilling step" (
Exerzierschritt) to avoid references to old Prussian and Wehrmacht military traditions. The 200-year-old German tradition of goose stepping finally ended with
German reunification in 1990, as
East German forces were absorbed into the
Bundeswehr and conformed to West German military customs. Although goose-stepping is not officially approved, the practice is not illegal in Germany. Some civilian marching bands and riflemen's associations continue to goose-step while others dropped it altogether.
Estonia,
Latvia,
Lithuania and Georgia abandoned the Russian-style goose step after the fall of the
Soviet Union. By 2015, Estonia revived the practice, but only color guards do so on parades. Latvia retained the goose step for ceremonial purposes. The other 11 former Soviet Republics have kept the goose step (only Moldova's
military honor guard unit retains the practice). The breakaway Russian-occupied regions in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine continue to use the goose step. Ethiopia adopted the goose step during the
Derg military junta, which espoused socialist ideals and sought Soviet military aid. The practice was dropped after the Derg were overthrown but was restored – with a modified British arms and parade drill – in 2023. Hungary used the high step during the
regency of Miklós Horthy, and switched to the goose step early in the Cold War. Neither march step was retained after the end of the Cold War, as the parade of 1961 formally ended its use in favor of the normal quick march. (It was only retained as a slow march for the entrance of historical colors, until 1990 a modified high step was used by guards of honour.) Italy introduced the goose step in 1938 under
Benito Mussolini as the
Passo Romano ("Roman Step"). The custom was never popular in Italy's armed forces except amongst the
Blackshirts. The goose step was dropped after World War II.
Romania used the goose step from the 1910s up until 2004, when the
Romanian Armed Forces ended using it for formal parades. Today, only historical units dressed in uniforms from the First World War perform the goose step, but in shoulder arms position on the march instead of the usual slope arms done until the 2000s, by then only by guards of honor.
Switzerland is a majority German-speaking country that absorbed many German (and certain Austrian) military traditions alongside those of France and Italy as a reflection of the country's diversity. The
Swiss Armed Forces abandoned the goose step in 1946, after the German defeat in World War II. The goose step was also being practiced in the neighbor countries of Germany like Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Luxembourg in tandem with other influences (particularly British, French and Germans), but following the Second World War, these countries dropped it altogether. The
Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), in 2018, once practiced the goose step as their new type of marching step combined with British style marching for ceremonial purpose, but was abandoned later after receiving several criticism from Malaysian citizens. The Republic of China (Taiwan) Armed Forces continued to use the goose step after the end of the Chinese Civil War. The 80-year tradition of goose-stepping was finally ended in 2003, during an independence-minded
Democratic Progressive Party administration. In 2016, veterans organizations criticized the sloppy marching of military cadets and began holding their own goose-stepping parades, reviewed by
Kuomintang politicians on two occasions. In 2021, the Taiwanese department of defense resumed goose step training, in time for the 2024 centennial celebration of the Republic of China Military Academy. Meanwhile,
ZANLA was supplied and trained by China in
Maoist guerilla tactics. However, Zimbabwe ultimately attained Black majority rule thanks to
British influence. As a result, the unified
Zimbabwean Army maintained a British march step. ==High step==