The 25th Division officially the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division (Großherzoglich Hessische (25.) Division), was a unit of the Prussia

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 headquartered in Darmstadt

Darmstadt

Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...

, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse

Grand Duchy of Hesse

The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...

. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XVIII Army Corps

XVIII Corps (German Empire)

The XVIII Army Corps was a corps of the Imperial German Army. It was formed on April 1, 1899 and was headquartered in Frankfurt am Main...

 (XVIII. Armeekorps) when that corps was formed in 1899. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I

World 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...

.

As the formal name indicates, the division was raised and recruited in the Grand Duchy of Hesse.

Evolution of the Grand Ducal Hessian Division

The Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division was officially formed on December 20, 1842 as the Infantry Division Command (Infanterie-Divisions-Kommando), but the division-strength Hessian Army had been around before that date. During the Napoleonic Wars, Hesse fielded a division-strength troop corps (Truppenkorps). In 1820, as part of the Hessian troop contribution to the German Confederation

German Confederation

The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...

's Federal Army (Bundesheer), Hesse reorganized its army into two brigades of infantry, 1/2 company of horse artillery, two companies of foot artillery, one light horse regiment, one trains company and one sapper (later pioneer) company. This force was placed under the Infantry Division Command in 1842. On February 5, 1849, this force was redesignated the Grand Ducal Army Division (Großherzogliche Armee-Division). The organization of the Grand Ducal Army Division in 1858 was as follows:

• Army Division Staff
• Guard NCO Company
• General Quartermaster Staff with Pioneer Company
• Guard Light Horse Regiment
• Grand Ducal Artillery Corps
• Two infantry brigades of two regiments of two battalions each (8 total battalions, each with 5 companies).

In 1860, cavalry was expanded to brigade strength. In 1867, Hesse, on the losing side of the Austro-Prussian War, entered into a convention with Prussia on military matters and reorganized its division along Prussian lines. The division was redesignated the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division. It formally became a part of the Prussian Army in 1872 in accordance with the military convention of June 13, 1871.

The organization of the division at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 was as follows:

• 49. Infanterie-Brigade
  • Hessisches Leib-Garde-Regiment Nr. 1
  • Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
  • Hessisches Gardejäger-Bataillon Nr. 1
• 50. Infanterie-Brigade
  • Hessisches Leib-Regiment Nr. 3
  • Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 4
  • Hessisches Leibjäger-Bataillon Nr. 2
• Hessische 25. Kavallerie-Brigade
  • Hessisches 1. Reiter-Regiment
  • Hessisches 2. Reiter-Regiment

Combat chronicle

During 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...

, the Grand Ducal Hesse (25th) Division was subordinated to the Prussian IX Army Corps, along with the 18th Infantry Division

18th Division (German Empire)

The 18th Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed on October 11, 1866 and was headquartered in Flensburg. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IX Army Corps . The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I...

. The Hessians fought in the battles of Mars-la-Tour

Battle of Mars-La-Tour

The Battle of Mars-La-Tour was fought on 16 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War near the town of Mars-La-Tour in northeast France. Two Prussian corps encountered the entire French Army of the Rhine in a meeting engagement, and with the surprise entailed, successfully forced the Army of the...

 and 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:...

, and then participated in the 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:...

. It then fought in the 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...

 and the Second Battle of Orléans

Second Battle of Orléans (1870)

The Second Battle of Orléans was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. It took place on December 3 and 4, 1870 and was part of the Loire Campaign...

.

During World War I, the Grand Ducal Hesse (25th) Infantry Division served on 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...

. It fought in the opening campaigns, including the Allied Great Retreat

Great Retreat

The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...

 which culminated in the First Battle of the Marne

First Battle of the Marne

The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...

, and the subsequent Race to the Sea

Race to the Sea

The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through...

. After a period in the trenches, the division was heavily engaged in 1916 in 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...

 and the Battle of the Somme. In 1917, it fought in the battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres. In 1918 it participated in the German 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...

 and ended the war resisting the subsequent Allied counteroffensives. Allied intelligence rated the division as first class.

Pre-World War I organization

German divisions underwent various organizational changes after the Franco-Prussian War. The division was subordinated to the newly-created XVIII Army Corps in 1899 and in the same year the division's 25th Field Artillery Brigade was created. The organization of the 25th Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:

• 49. Infanterie-Brigade (1. Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115
  • Infanterie-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 116
• 50. Infanterie-Brigade (2. Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117
  • Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Carl (4. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 118
• 25. Kavallerie-Brigade (Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Garde-Dragoner-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 23
  • Leib-Dragoner-Regiment (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 24
• 25. Feldartillerie-Brigade (Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Großherzogliches Artilleriekorps, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25
  • 2. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 61
• Großherzoglich Hessische Train-Abteilung Nr. 18
• Großherzoglich Hessische Garde-Unteroffizier Kompanie

Order of battle on mobilization

On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War I, 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 25th Cavalry Brigade was sent to help form the 3rd Cavalry Division and the 25th Division received cavalry support from the cavalry brigade of the 21st Division, its sister division in the XVIII Army Corps. The 25th Division was renamed the 25th Infantry Division and its initial wartime organization was as follows:

• 49. Infanterie-Brigade (1. Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115
  • Infanterie-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 116
• 50. Infanterie-Brigade (2. Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117
  • Infanterie-Regiment Prinz Carl (4. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 118
• Magdeburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 6
• 25. Feldartillerie-Brigade (Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Großherzogliches Artilleriekorps, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25
  • 2. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 61
• 2.Kompanie/1. Nassauisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 21
• 3.Kompanie/1. Nassauisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 21

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 triangular

Triangular 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 25th Infantry Division's order of battle on February 19, 1918 was as follows:

• 49. Infanterie-Brigade (1. Großherzoglich Hessische)
  • Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115
  • Infanterie-Regiment Kaiser Wilhelm (2. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 116
  • Infanterie-Leibregiment Großherzogin (3. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 117
  • Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 49
• 1.Eskadron/Magdeburgisches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 6
• Artillerie-Kommandeur 25:
  • Großherzogliches Artilleriekorps, 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 25
  • I.Bataillon/Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 24
• Stab Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 129:
  • 3.Kompanie/1. Nassauisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 21
  • Reserve-Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 89
  • Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 25
• Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 25