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).

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.

Western Front

Cavalry

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

Second Army

2nd Army had the following order of battle: 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

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

VII Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Hans von Zwehl Chief of Staff: Oberstleutnant Hans Hesse

X Reserve Corps

Commander: General der Infanterie Günther Graf von Kirchbach Chief of Staff: Oberst Gottfried Marquard

Other Forces

Third Army

3rd Army had the following order of battle: 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

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

Fourth Army

4th Army had the following order of battle: 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

Fifth Army

5th Army had following Order of Battle: 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

Sixth Army

6th Army had the following Order of Battle: 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: 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

Eastern Front

Eighth Army

8th Army had the following order of battle: 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

Other Forces

Army of the North

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: Commander: General der Infanterie Max von Boehn Chief of Staff: Oberst Paulus von Stolzmann

Central Reserves and Border Fortresses

Sources