German Army order of battle (1914)

This is the German Army order of battle on the outbreak of World War I in August 1914.

Commanders and locations of the German Army

The overall commander of the Imperial German Army was Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Chief of the General Staff was Generaloberst Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, with General Hermann von Stein as Deputy Chief. The Departmental chiefs were Oberst Tappen (Operations Branch), Oberstleutnant Hentsch (Intelligence Branch), Major Nicolai (Secret Service), Oberst von Dommes (Political Section), Generalleutnant Siger (Field munitions), Major Thomsen (Air Service), Oberst Groner (Field Railways), General von Lauter(Foot Artillery), General von Claer was General of Engineers, and General von Schjerning (Medical Services). Generalmajor von Schoeler was Intendant-General (responsible for logistical supplies).[1]

  • Helmuth von Moltke the Younger
    Helmuth von Moltke the Younger
  • Location of the German divisions 1914
    Location of the German divisions 1914
  • Location of the German brigades 1914
    Location of the German brigades 1914

Homeland corps deployments (1871-1914)

During times of war in Germany, all military forces came under the direct command of the German Emperor, via Article 60 of the Constitution of the German Reich (1871). From 1871 to 1918, the forces of the Emperor included those of the kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Württemberg, with all other states commanded by, or merged with his Prussian army.

  • Battle of the Frontiers - 2 August to 26 August 1914.
    Battle of the Frontiers - 2 August to 26 August 1914.
  • German corps areas 1914
    German corps areas 1914
  • March in the West
    March in the West
  • Situation in East
    Situation in East
  • March Württ. Troops 1914
    March Württ. Troops 1914
  • 7th German Army in August 1914
    7th German Army in August 1914
  • 6th Army August 1914
    6th Army August 1914
  • 5th Army August 1914
    5th Army August 1914
  • XIII. AK Longwy 1914
    XIII. AK Longwy 1914
  • XIII. AK Maas 1914
    XIII. AK Maas 1914
  • XIII. AK Argonne 1914
    XIII. AK Argonne 1914
  • 26th Kav.Brig 1914
    26th Kav.Brig 1914
  • 26th (Württ) and 28th Württ. Res Div. End September 1914
    26th (Württ) and 28th Württ. Res Div. End September 1914
  • Lw-Regt. 122 Lorraine 1914
    Lw-Regt. 122 Lorraine 1914
  • 51st Ers.Brig 1914
    51st Ers.Brig 1914
  • 26th Inf Div. and 26th Cavalry Brig. 1914
    26th Inf Div. and 26th Cavalry Brig. 1914
  • 26th Inf.-Div. and FArt-Regt. 13 Poland 1914
    26th Inf.-Div. and FArt-Regt. 13 Poland 1914
  • Württ. units at Western Front in late 1914
    Württ. units at Western Front in late 1914
  • Württ. units at Eastern Front in late 1914
    Württ. units at Eastern Front in late 1914

Western Front

Cavalry

Four independent cavalry corps served on the Western Front. These had the following order of battle:[2]

I Cavalry Corps (preceding 3rd Army)

Commander: General der Kavallerie Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen

Chief of Staff: Oberst von Raumer

II Cavalry Corps (preceding 1st and 2nd Armies)

Commander: General der Kavallerie Georg von der Marwitz

Chief of Staff: Major Hoffmann von Waldau

III Cavalry Corps (preceding 6th Army)

Commander: General der Kavallerie Rudolf Ritter von Frommel

Chief of Staff: Major von Meiß

IV Cavalry Corps (preceding 4th and 5th Armies)

Commander: General der Kavallerie Gustav Freiherr von Hollen

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Otto von Brandenstein

Each Cavalry Division consisted of 3 Brigades, each of 2 Cavalry Regiments (24 squadrons total), 3 horse artillery batteries (4 guns each) and an MG detachment (6 MGs).

First Army

1st Army had the following order of battle:[3]

Commander: Generaloberst Alexander von Kluck

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Hermann von Kuhl

Oberquartiermaster: Oberst Walter von Bergmann

HQ: Grevenbroich, Germany

Strength: 320,000

II Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Alexander von Linsingen

Chief of Staff: Oberst Hans von Hammerstein-Gesmold

III Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Ewald von Lochow

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans von Seeckt

IV Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Leo von Stocken

IX Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Ferdinand von Quast

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans Sydow

III Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Hans von Beseler

Chief of Staff: Oberst Paul Meister

IV Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Artillerie Hans von Gronau

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Friedrich von der Heyde

Other Forces
  • 10th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Werner von Lenthe)
  • 11th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Oberst Hans von Tippelskirch)
  • 27th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Viktor Dallmer)
  • Pionier Regiment[4]

Second Army

2nd Army had the following order of battle:[5]

Commander: Generaloberst Karl von Bülow

Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Otto von Lauenstein

Oberquartiermaster: Generalmajor Erich Ludendorff

HQ: Monschau, Germany

Strength: 260,000

Guards Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Karl von Plettenberg

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Friedrich Graf von der Schulenburg

  • 1st Guards Infantry Division (Generalleutnant Oskar von Hutier)
    • 1st Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Friedrich Leopold von Kleist)
    • 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Hans Karl Schach von Wittenau)
    • 1st Guards Field Artillery Brigade (Generalmajor Friedrich von Buddenbrock)
    • Leib-Garde-Husaren-Regiment (Oberst Georg von Brandenstein)
  • 2nd Guards Infantry Division (Generalleutnant Arnold von Winckler)
    • 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Viktor Albrecht)
    • 4th Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Friedrich von Gontard)
    • 2nd Guards Field Artillery Brigade (Generalmajor Joseph Trimborn)
    • 2. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment (Oberstleutnant Leopold von Maltzahn)

VII Corps

Commander: General der Kavallerie Karl von Einem

Chief of Staff: Oberst Hans von Wolff

X Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Otto von Emmich

Chief of Staff: Oberst Gustav von der Wenge Graf von Lambsdorff

Guards Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz

Chief of Staff: Oberst Paul von Barttenwerffer

  • 3rd Guards Infantry Division[6] (Generalleutnant Henning von Bonin)
    • 5th Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Nikolaus von Below)
    • 6th Guards Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Friedrich von Friedeburg)
    • 3rd Guards Reserve Field Artillery Brigade (Generalmajor Hans Willibald Graf von Schweinitz und Krain Frh von Kauder)
    • Guards-Reserve-Ulanen-Regiment (Major Johan Cesar Godefroy-Faerber)
  • 1st Guards Reserve Division (Generalmajor Viktor Albrecht)
    • 1st Guards Reserve Brigade (Generalmajor Hans Frh von Langermann und Erlenkamp)
      • Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 1 (Oberstleutnant Max Friedrich von Schlechtendal)
      • Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2 (Oberstleutnant Wigand von Cramer)
      • Garde-Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon (Major von Gluszewski)
    • 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade (Oberst Hans von Below)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 64 (Oberstleutnant Rudolf von Cramer)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93 (Oberst von Jena)
    • Guards Reserve Field Artillery Brigade (Generalmajor Louis Mertens)
      • Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment (Oberstleutnant von Bülow)
      • 3. Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment (Oberstleutnant Goling)
    • Garde-Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment (Major von Hofmann)

VII Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Hans von Zwehl

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans Hesse

  • 13th Reserve Division (Generalleutnant Alfred von Kühne)
    • 25th Reserve Infantry Brigade (Generalleutnant Andreas Wilhelm von Harbou)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 13 (Oberstleutnant Johann Edler und Ritter von Braun)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 56 (Oberstleutnant von Goetze)
    • 28th Reserve Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Karl Johann Neuhauß)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 29 (Oberstleutnant Eben)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 37 (Oberstleutnant von Flottwell)
      • Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 7 (Hauptmann von der Groeben)
    • Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 13 (Oberstleutenant Reinecke)
    • Reserve-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 5 (Major Hugo von Kayser)
  • 14th Reserve Division (Generalleutnant Wolfgang von Unger)
    • 28th Infantry Brigade (Oberst Hermann von Ziegesar)
      • Niederrheinisches Füsilier-Regiment Nr. 39 (Oberst Walter von Schönberg)
      • 8. Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 159 (Obserst Karl von Kraewel)
    • 27th Reserve Infantry Brigade (Generalleutnant Edwin Sunkel)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 16 (Oberstleutnant Siegener)
      • Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 53 (Oberstleutnant Bötterling)
    • Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 14 (Major Wendt)
    • Reserve-Husaren-Regiment Nr. 8 (Major Heyne)

X Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Günther Graf von Kirchbach

Chief of Staff: Oberst Gottfried Marquard

Other Forces
  • 25th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Georg Franz von Glasenapp)
  • 29th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Viktor von Rosenberg-Lipinski)
  • 4 Mortar Battalions[7]
  • 10-cm Gun Battalion[8]
  • 2 Heavy Coastal Mortar Batteries[9]
  • 2 Pionier Regiments[10]

Third Army

3rd Army had the following order of battle:[11]

Commander: Generaloberst Max von Hausen

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Ernst von Hoeppner

Oberquartiermaster: Generalmajor Max Leuthold

Commander of Pioniere: Generalmajor Franz Adams

HQ: Prüm, Germany

Strength: 180,000

XI Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Otto von Plüskow

Chief of Staff: Oberst Traugott von Sauberzweig

  • 22nd Infantry Division (Generalmajor Karl Dieffenbach)
    • 43rd Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Walter von Hülsen)
    • 44th Infantry Brigade (Generalmajor Theodor Nordbeck)
    • 22nd Field Artillery Brigade (Generalmajor Karl Max Gronau)
  • 38th Infantry Division (Generalleutnant Ernst Wagner)

XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Karl d'Elsa

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans von Eulitz

XIX (2nd Royal Saxon) Corps

Commander: General der Kavallerie Maximilian von Laffert

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Georg Frotscher

XII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Artillerie Hans von Kirchbach

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Konrad von Koppenfels

Other Forces
  • 47th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalleutnant ch. Carlotto Graf Vitzthum von Eckstaedt)
  • Mortar Battalion[12]
  • Pionier Regiment[13]

Fourth Army

4th Army had the following order of battle:[14]

Commander: Generaloberst Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg

Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Walther von Lüttwitz

Oberquartiermaster: Oberst Georg Weidner

HQ: Trier, Germany

Strength: 180,000

VI Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Kurt von Pritzelwitz

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Friedrich von Derschau

VIII Corps

Commander: Generalleutnant Erich Tülff von Tschepe und Weidenbach

Chief of Staff: Oberst August von Cramon

XVIII Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Dedo von Schenck

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Leberecht von Blücher

VIII Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Wilhelm Freiherr von Egloffstein

Chief of Staff: Oberst Carl Julius Georg Buchholtz

XVIII Reserve Corps

Commander: Generalleutnant Kuno von Steuben

Chief of Staff: Oberst Fritz von Studnitz

Other Forces
  • 49th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Hans von Blumenthal)
  • 2 Mortar Battalions[15]
  • Pionier Regiment[16]

Fifth Army

5th Army had following Order of Battle:[17]

Commander: Generalmajor Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Germany

Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf

Oberquartiermaster: Generalmajor Rogalla von Bieberstein

HQ: Saarbrücken, Germany

Strength: 200,000

V Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Hermann von Strantz

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans von Kessel

XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Max von Fabeck

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Friedrich Karl von Loßberg

XVI Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Bruno von Mudra

Chief of Staff: Oberst Rudolf von Borries

V Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Erich von Gündell

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Ernst von Stockhausen

VI Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Konrad von Goßler

Chief of Staff: Oberst Richard von Rath

Other Forces
  • Senior Landwehr Commander 2 (2nd Landwehr Division) (Generalleutnant Adolf Franke)
    • 43rd Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalleutnant Friedrich Wilhelm von der Lippe)
    • 45th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalmajor Ludolf von Bosse)
    • 53rd Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalmajor Hermann von Oßwald)
    • 9th Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalmajor Bernhard Kießling)
    • 13th Mixed Landwehr Brigade (Generalmajor Georg Saenger)
  • 4 Mortar Battalions[18]
  • 2 Pionier Regiments[19]

Sixth Army

6th Army had the following Order of Battle:[20]

Commander: Generaloberst Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen

Oberquartiermaster: Generalmajor Bernhard von Hartz

HQ: Saint-Avold, France

Strength: 220,000

XXI Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Fritz von Below

I Bavarian Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Oskar Ritter und Edler v. Xylander

II Bavarian Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Karl Ritter von Martini

III Bavarian Corps

Commander: General der Kavallerie Ludwig Freiherr von Gebsattel

I Bavarian Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Karl Ritter von Fasbender

Other Forces

Seventh Army

7th Army had the following Order of Battle:[25]

Commander: Generaloberst Josias von Heeringen

Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Karl von Hänisch

Oberquartiermeister: Generalmajor Ernst von Zieten

XIV Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Ernst Freiherr von Hoiningen gen. Huene

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Gottfried von Brauchitsch

XV Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Berthold von Deimling

Chief of Staff: Oberst Wilhelm Wild

XIV Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Artillerie Richard von Schubert

Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Bernhard Bronsart von Schellendorff

Other Forces
  • 19th Ersatz Division
  • Bavarian Ersatz Division
  • 60th Mixed Landwehr Brigade
  • Upper Rhine Fortifications
    • 55th Mixed Landwehr Brigade
    • 110th Reinforced Landwehr Infantry Regiment
    • 1st Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade
    • 2nd Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade

Eastern Front

Eighth Army

8th Army had the following order of battle:[26]

Commander: Generaloberst Maximilian von Prittwitz.

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Georg von Waldersee

Oberquartiermaster: Generalmajor Paul Grünert

HQ: Marienburg, Germany

Strength: 225,000

I Corps

Commander: Generalleutnant Hermann von François

XVII Corps

Commander: General der Kavallerie August von Mackensen

XX Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Friedrich von Scholtz

I Reserve Corps

Commander: Generalleutnant Otto von Below

Landwehr Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch

  • 2nd Mixed Landwehr Brigade
  • 6th Mixed Landwehr Brigade
  • 70th Mixed Landwehr Brigade

Other Forces

Army of the North
Order of battle graphic of North Army
Order of battle graphic of North Army

IX Reserve Corps is also known as the Army of the North was held back in Schleswig in case of British landings; moved up in late August as part of 1st Army.

The North Army had following order of battle:[27]

Commander: General der Infanterie Max von Boehn

Chief of Staff: Oberst Paulus von Stolzmann

Central Reserves and Border Fortresses

See also

Notes
  1. "OHL - Supreme Army Command". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  2. "Hoehere Kavallerie-Kommandeure". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  3. "Imperial German First Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  4. expansion of pre-war 18th Btn
  5. "Imperial German Second Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. Given by Edmonds as "3rd Guard Reserve Division".
  7. II & III Btns, 4th Foot Regt; I & II Btns, 9th Foot Regt
  8. II Btn, 9th Reserve Foot Regt
  9. 1st & 5th Btys
  10. expansion of pre-war 24th & 25th Btns
  11. "Imperial German Third Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  12. III Btn, 1st Foot Regt
  13. expansion of pre-war 23rd Btn
  14. "Imperial German Fourth Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  15. II & III Btns, 7th Foot Regt
  16. expansion of pre-war 30th Btn
  17. "Imperial German Fifth Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  18. I & II Btns, 6th Foot Regt; II & III Btns, 12th Foot Regt;
  19. expansion of pre-war 20th & 29th Btns
  20. "Imperial German Sixth Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  21. II Btn, 3rd Bavarian Foot Regt; II & III Btns, 18th Foot Regt
  22. 2nd Bty
  23. 1st Bty
  24. expansion of pre-war 19th & 4th Bavarian Btns
  25. "Imperial German Seventh Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
  26. "Eighth Field Army". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  27. "Nord-Armee". prussianmachine.com. Retrieved 2022-02-17.

Sources
  • Appendix 6: Order of battle of the German Armies. In: History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1914, by J. E. Edmonds. Macmillan & Co., London, 1922.
  • Appendix 1: The Field Army, 17 August 1914. In: Imperial German Army 1914-18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle, by Hermann Cron. Helion & Co., 2002.
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