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3rd Army (German Empire)

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Country
  
German Empire

Type
  
Army

3rd Army (German Empire)

Active
  
2 August 1914 – 30 January 1919

Engagements
  
World War I Western Front Battle of the Frontiers Battle of Charleroi First Battle of the Marne First Battle of the Aisne Second Battle of the Aisne Nivelle Offensive Meuse-Argonne Offensive

The 3rd Army (German: 3. Armee / Armeeoberkommando 3 / A.O.K. 3) was an army level command of the German Army in World War I. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 seemingly from the II Army Inspectorate. The army was disbanded in 1919 during demobilization after the war.

Contents

History

Upon the mobilization Max von Hausen (Saxon War Minister) was given command of the 3rd Army which mainly consisted of Saxons. The army participated in the Battle of the Frontiers, mainly in the battles of Dinant and Charleroi and the army were responsible for the destruction of Reims in September 1914. After the Second Army's retreat after the First Battle of the Marne, Von Hausen saw his own flank exposed and ordered a retreat. Upon the stabilization of the front on the river Aisne, Von Hausen was relieved of his command and replaced by General Karl von Einem.

Successfully repulsing the French Champagne-Marne offensive from February–March and September–November 1915 respectively, the army would take part in all three Battles of the Aisne and would hold General Anthoine's 4th Army (under General Philippe Petain's Center Army Group) during the Second Battle of the Aisne as part of the Nivelle Offensive from 16 April – 15 May 1917.

Einem's right wing units would also participate in Erich Ludendorff's Champagne-Marne offensive on 15–17 July 1918 supporting the east flank of the German 1st Army. After suffering severe casualties in battle with John J. Pershing's Allied Expeditionary Force from 26 September – 11 November in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, the army was forced to retreat northward shortly before the war's end. At the end of the war it was serving as part of Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz.

Order of Battle, 30 October 1918

By the end of the war, the 3rd Army was organised as:

Commanders

The 3rd Army had the following commanders during its existence:

Glossary

  • Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.
  • Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
  • Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.

    • References

    3rd Army (German Empire) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA