1st Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 1st Division was a unit of the Prussia
n/German
Army
. It was formed in Königsberg
in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 1st Division on September 5, 1818. From the corps' formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the I Army Corps
(I. Armeekorps). The 1st Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 1st Division and its regiments fought in the Austro-Prussian War
against Austria
in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz
. The division then fought in the Franco-Prussian War
against France
in 1870–1871. Its regiments saw action in the Battle of Noiseville
, the Battle of Gravelotte
, the Siege of Metz
, the Battle of Amiens
, the Battle of Hallue
, and the Battle of St. Quentin
, among other actions.
In World War I, the division served initially on the Eastern Front
, seeing action at the battles of Stalluponen
, Gumbinnen
, and Tannenberg
, and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. The division then fought in the Battle of Łódź and in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
of 1915. In March 1916, the 1st Infantry Division was transferred to the Western Front
. One month later, it entered the Battle of Verdun
. After several months' hard fighting around Fort Vaux
, the division was withdrawn from the line and returned to the Eastern Front, where it arrived in August 1916. It then participated in the invasion of Romania
, which had entered the war in 1916 on the Allied side. The division returned to Verdun at the end of 1917. In 1918, it took part in the Spring Offensive
, which the Germans referred to as the Kaiserschlacht, the Second Battle of the Marne
, and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line
.
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 1st Division was again renamed the 1st Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 1st Infantry Division's order of battle on February 19, 1918 was as follows:
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n/German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
. It was formed in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in March 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 1st Division on September 5, 1818. From the corps' formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the I Army Corps
I Corps (German Empire)
The I Corps was a formation of the Imperial German Army. The headquarters of the corps were located in Königsberg. At the beginning of World War I, the corps was attached to the 8th Army and transferred to the Eastern Front....
(I. Armeekorps). The 1st Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 1st Division and its regiments fought in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
against Austria
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
. The division then fought in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1870–1871. Its regiments saw action in the Battle of Noiseville
Battle of Noiseville
The Battle of Noisseville on August 31, 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a Prussian victory.Traveling from Metz, the French forces under Marshal François Achille Bazaine attempted to break through the investing line of the Prussian forces under Prince Frederick Charles...
, the Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
, the Siege of Metz
Siege of Metz
The Siege of Metz lasting from 19 August – 27 October 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a decisive Prussian victory.-History:...
, the Battle of Amiens
Battle of Amiens (1870)
Battle of Amiens on November 27, 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War, ending in a Prussian victory.The French under General Faure fought the Prussians under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel in Amiens, France. Having already capitulated at Metz, the French were compelled to leave the city of...
, the Battle of Hallue
Battle of Hallue
The Battle of Hallue was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War on December 23 and 24, 1870.The battle was fought between 40,000 French under General Louis Faidherbe and 22,500 Prussian troops under Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel. The French lost heavily in the village lying in front of their position....
, and the Battle of St. Quentin
Battle of St. Quentin (1871)
The Battle of St. Quentin was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War in which Prussian forces defeated French attempts to relieve the besieged city of Paris....
, among other actions.
In World War I, the division served initially on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
, seeing action at the battles of Stalluponen
Battle of Stalluponen
The Battle of Stallupönen, fought between Russian and German armies on August 17, 1914, was the opening battle of World War I on the Eastern Front...
, Gumbinnen
Battle of Gumbinnen
The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by forces of the German Empire on August 20, 1914, was the first major German offensive on the Eastern Front during the First World War...
, and Tannenberg
Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
The Battle of Tannenberg was an engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I. It was fought by the Russian First and Second Armies against the German Eighth Army between 23 August and 30 August 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete...
, and the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes. The division then fought in the Battle of Łódź and in the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive
The Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I started as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia...
of 1915. In March 1916, the 1st Infantry Division was transferred to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. One month later, it entered the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
. After several months' hard fighting around Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916 . Fort de Vaux , on the other hand ,...
, the division was withdrawn from the line and returned to the Eastern Front, where it arrived in August 1916. It then participated in the invasion of Romania
Romanian Campaign (World War I)
The Romanian Campaign was part of the Balkan theatre of World War I, with Romania and Russia allied against the armies of the Central Powers. Fighting took place from August 1916 to December 1917, across most of present-day Romania, including Transylvania, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian...
, which had entered the war in 1916 on the Allied side. The division returned to Verdun at the end of 1917. In 1918, it took part in the Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
, which the Germans referred to as the Kaiserschlacht, the Second Battle of the Marne
Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne , or Battle of Reims was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by France overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties...
, and the Battle of the Hindenburg Line
Battle of the Hindenburg Line
The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces in the spearhead attack and as a single combined force against the German Siegfried Stellung of the Hindenburg Line...
.
1870 organization
During wartime, the 1st Division, like other German divisions, was redesignated an infantry division. The organization of the 1st Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:- 1st Infantry Brigade (1. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 1st Grenadier Regiment "Crown Prince" (1st East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 1)
- 5th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 41 (5. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 41)
- 2nd Infantry Brigade (2. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 2nd East Prussian Grenadier Regiment No. 3 (2. Ostpreußisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 3)
- 6th East Prussian Infantry Regiment No. 43 (6. Ostpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 43)
- 1st Dragoon Regiment (Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 1)
- 1st JägerJäger (military)Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
Battalion (Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 1)
Pre-World War I organization
Many regiments were renamed and assigned to different divisions during the period from 1871 to 1914. In 1914, the peacetime organization of the 1st Division was as follows:- 1st Infantry Brigade (1. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 1st Grenadier Regiment "Crown Prince" (1st East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 1)
- 41st Infantry Regiment "von Boyen" (5th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment von Boyen (5. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 41)
- 2nd Infantry Brigade (2. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 3rd Grenadier Regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm I" (2nd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm I (2. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 3)
- 43rd Infantry Regiment "Duke Karl of Mecklenburg" (6th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Herzog Karl von Mecklenburg (6. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 43)
- 1st Cavalry Brigade (1. Kavallerie-Brigade)
- 3rd Curassier Regiment "Count Wrangel" (East Prussian) (3. Kürassier-Regiment Graf Wrangel (Ostpreuß.)
- 1st Lithuanian Dragoon Regiment "Prince Albrecht of Prussia" (Dragoner-Regiment Prinz Albrecht von Preußen (Litthau.) Nr. 1)
- 1st Field Artillery Brigade (1. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
- 16th Field Artillery Regiment (1st East Prussian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment (1. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 16)
- 52nd Field Artillery Regiment (2nd East Prussian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment (2. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 52)
August 1914 organization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 1st Division was again renamed the 1st Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
- 1st Infantry Brigade (1. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 1st Grenadier Regiment "Crown Prince" (1st East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 1)
- 41st Infantry Regiment "von Boyen" (5th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment von Boyen (5. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 41)
- 2nd Infantry Brigade (2. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 3rd Grenadier Regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm I" (2nd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm I (2. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 3)
- 43rd Infantry Regiment "Duke Karl of Mecklenburg" (6th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Herzog Karl von Mecklenburg (6. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 43)
- 8th Uhlan Regiment "Count zu Dohna" (East Prussian) (Ulanen-Regiment Graf zu Dohna (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 8)
- 1st Field Artillery Brigade (1. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
- 16th Field Artillery Regiment (1st East Prussian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment (1. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 16)
- 52nd Field Artillery Regiment (2nd East Prussian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment (2. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 52)
- 1st Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (1./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangularTriangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 1st Infantry Division's order of battle on February 19, 1918 was as follows:
- 1st Infantry Brigade (1. Infanterie-Brigade)
- 1st Grenadier Regiment "Crown Prince" (1st East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment Kronprinz (1. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 1)
- 3rd Grenadier Regiment "King Friedrich Wilhelm I" (2nd East Prussian) (Grenadier-Regiment König Friedrich Wilhelm I (2. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 3)
- 43rd Infantry Regiment "Duke Karl of Mecklenburg" (6th East Prussian) (Infanterie-Regiment Herzog Karl von Mecklenburg (6. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 43)
- 31st Machine Gun Sharpshooter Detachment (MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 31)
- 3rd Squadron, 8th Uhlan Regiment "Count zu Dohna" (East Prussian) (3.Esk./Ulanen-Regiment Graf zu Dohna (Ostpreußisches) Nr. 8)
- Artillery Commander No. 1 (Artillerie-Kommandeur 1)
- 16th Field Artillery Regiment (1st East Prussian) (Feldartillerie-Regiment (1. Ostpreuß.) Nr. 16)
- 1st Battalion, 10th Lower Saxon Foot Artillery Regiment (I.Bataillon/Niedersächsiches Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 10)
- Staff, 110th Engineer Battalion (Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 110)
- 3rd Company, 1st Engineer Battalion "Prince Radziwill" (East Prussian) (2./Pionier-Bataillon Prinz Radziwill (Ostpreuß.) Nr. 1)
- 271st Engineer Company (Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 271)
- 1st Mortar Company (Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 1)
- Divisional Signals Commander No. 1 (Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 1)
Notable commanders
- August Wilhelm Graf von KanitzAugust Wilhelm Graf von KanitzGraf August Karl Wilhelm von Kanitz was a Prussian Lieutenant General and was also the Minister of War from 26 April to 16 June 1848 in the Camphausen-Hansemann government....
(1839–1842) - later Prussian Minister of War (1848) - August von StockhausenAugust von StockhausenAugust Wilhelm Ernst von Stockhausen was a Prussian officer and minister of war 1850-51....
(1848) - later Prussian Minister of War (1850–1851) - Karl Friedrich von SteinmetzKarl Friedrich von SteinmetzKarl Friedrich von Steinmetz was a German Generalfeldmarschall, born at Eisenach.-Early life and Napoleonic Wars:...
(1857–1863) - later a GeneralfeldmarschallGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used... - Julius von Verdy du VernoisJulius von Verdy du VernoisJulius von Verdy du Vernois was a German general and staff officer, chiefly noted both for his military writings and his service on Graf Moltke's staff during the Franco-Prussian War.- Biography :...
(1883–1887) - military theorist, Prussian Minister of War (1889–1890)