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 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), and General von Schjerning (Medical Services). Generalmajor von Schoeler was Intendant-General (responsible for logistical supplies), and General von Claer was General of Engineers.
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 Wurttemberg, with all other states commanded by, or merged with his Prussian army.
Four independent cavalry corps served on the Western Front:
I Cavalry Corps - preceding 3rd Army (General der Kavallerie Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen)Guards Cavalry Division5th Cavalry DivisionII Cavalry Corps - preceding 1st and 2nd Armies (General der Kavallerie Georg von der Marwitz)2nd Cavalry Division4th Cavalry Division9th Cavalry DivisionIII Cavalry Corps - preceding 6th Army (General der Kavallerie Rudolf Ritter von Frommel)7th Cavalry Division8th Cavalry DivisionBavarian Cavalry DivisionIV Cavalry Corps - preceding 4th and 5th Armies (General der Kavallerie Gustav Freiherr von Hollen)3rd Cavalry Division6th Cavalry DivisionEach 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 was commanded by Generaloberst Alexander von Kluck.
II Corps (General der Infanterie Alexander von Linsingen)3rd Infantry Division4th Infantry DivisionIII Corps (General der Infanterie Ewald von Lochow)5th Infantry Division6th Infantry DivisionIV Corps (General der Infanterie Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin)7th Infantry Division8th Infantry DivisionIX Corps (General der Infanterie Ferdinand von Quast)17th Infantry Division18th Infantry DivisionIII Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Hans von Beseler)5th Reserve Division6th Reserve DivisionIV Reserve Corps (General der Artillerie Hans von Gronau)7th Reserve Division22nd Reserve DivisionIX Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Max von Boehn)17th Reserve Division18th Reserve Division10th Mixed Landwehr Brigade11th Mixed Landwehr Brigade27th Mixed Landwehr BrigadePionier Regiment2nd Army was commanded by Generaloberst Karl von Bülow.
Guards Corps (General der Infanterie Karl von Plettenberg)1st Guards Infantry Division2nd Guards Infantry DivisionVII Corps (General der Kavallerie Karl von Einem)13th Infantry Division14th Infantry DivisionX Corps (General der Infanterie Otto von Emmich)19th Infantry Division20th Infantry DivisionGuards Reserve Corps (General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz)3rd Guards Infantry Division1st Guards Reserve DivisionVII Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Hans von Zwehl)13th Reserve Division14th Reserve DivisionX Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Günther Graf von Kirchbach)2nd Guards Reserve Division19th Reserve Division25th Mixed Landwehr Brigade29th Mixed Landwehr Brigade4 Mortar Battalions10-cm Gun Battalion2 Heavy Coastal Mortar Batteries2 Pionier Regiments3rd Army was commanded by Generaloberst Max von Hausen.
XI Corps (General der Infanterie Otto von Plüskow)22nd Infantry Division38th Infantry DivisionXII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps (General der Infanterie Karl d'Elsa)23rd Infantry Division32nd Infantry DivisionXIX (2nd Royal Saxon) Corps (General der Kavallerie Maximilian von Laffert)24th Infantry Division40th Infantry DivisionXII (Royal Saxon) Reserve Corps (General der Artillerie Hans von Kirchbach)23rd Reserve Division24th Reserve Division47th Mixed Landwehr BrigadeMortar BattalionPionier Regiment4th Army was commanded by Generaloberst Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg.
VI Corps (General der Infanterie Kurt von Pritzelwitz)11th Infantry Division12th Infantry DivisionVIII Corps (Generalleutnant Erich Tülff von Tschepe und Weidenbach)15th Infantry Division16th Infantry DivisionXVIII Corps (General der Infanterie Dedo von Schenck)21st Infantry Division25th Infantry DivisionVIII Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Wilhelm Freiherr von Egloffstein)15th Reserve Division16th Reserve DivisionXVIII Reserve Corps (Generalleutnant Kuno von Steuben)21st Reserve Division25th Reserve Division49th Mixed Landwehr Brigade2 Mortar BattalionsPionier Regiment5th Army was commanded by Generalmajor Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Germany.
V Corps (General der Infanterie Hermann von Strantz)9th Infantry Division10th Infantry DivisionXIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps (General der Infanterie Max von Fabeck)26th Infantry Division27th Infantry DivisionXVI Corps (General der Infanterie Bruno von Mudra)33rd Infantry Division34th Infantry DivisionV Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Erich von Gündell)9th Reserve Division10th Reserve DivisionVI Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Konrad von Goßler)11th Reserve Division12th Reserve Division13th Mixed Landwehr BrigadeSenior Landwehr Commander 2 (2nd Landwehr Division)43rd Mixed Landwehr Brigade45th Mixed Landwehr Brigade53rd Mixed Landwehr Brigade9th Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade4 Mortar Battalions2 Pionier Regiments6th Army was commanded by Generaloberst Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria.
XXI Corps (General der Infanterie Fritz von Below)31st Infantry Division42nd Infantry DivisionI Bavarian Corps (General der Infanterie Oskar Ritter und Edler v. Xylander)1st Bavarian Infantry Division2nd Bavarian Infantry DivisionII Bavarian Corps (General der Infanterie Karl Ritter von Martini)3rd Bavarian Infantry Division4th Bavarian Infantry DivisionIII Bavarian Corps (General der Kavallerie Ludwig Freiherr von Gebsattel)5th Bavarian Infantry Division6th Bavarian Infantry DivisionI Bavarian Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Karl Ritter von Fasbender)1st Bavarian Reserve Division5th Bavarian Reserve DivisionGuards Ersatz Division4th Ersatz Division8th Ersatz Division10th Ersatz Division5th Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade3 Mortar BattalionsHeavy Coastal Mortar BatteryHeavy Coastal Gun Battery2 Pionier Regiments7th Army was commanded by Generaloberst Josias von Heeringen.
XIV Corps (General der Infanterie Ernst Freiherr von Hoiningen gen. Huene)28th Infantry Division29th Infantry DivisionXV Corps (General der Infanterie Berthold von Deimling)30th Infantry Division39th Infantry DivisionXIV Reserve Corps (General der Artillerie Richard von Schubert)26th Reserve Division28th Reserve Division19th Ersatz DivisionBavarian Ersatz Division60th Mixed Landwehr BrigadeUpper Rhine Fortifications55th Mixed Landwehr Brigade110th Reinforced Landwehr Infantry Regiment1st Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade2nd Bavarian Mixed Landwehr Brigade8th Army was commanded by Generaloberst Maximilian von Prittwitz.
I Corps (Generalleutnant Hermann von François)1st Infantry Division2nd Infantry DivisionXVII Corps (General der Kavallerie August von Mackensen)35th Infantry Division36th Infantry DivisionXX Corps (General der Infanterie Friedrich von Scholtz)37th Infantry Division41st Infantry DivisionI Reserve Corps (Generalleutnant Otto von Below)1st Reserve Division36th Reserve Division3rd Reserve Division1st Cavalry DivisionLandwehr Corps (General der Infanterie Remus von Woyrsch)Senior Landwehr Commander 3 (3rd Landwehr Division)17th Landwehr Infantry Brigade18th Landwehr Infantry BrigadeSenior Landwehr Commander 4 (4th Landwehr Division)22nd Landwehr Infantry Brigade23rd Landwehr Infantry Brigade2nd Mixed Landwehr Brigade6th Mixed Landwehr Brigade70th Mixed Landwehr BrigadeNorth Army
IX Reserve Corps (General der Infanterie Max von Boehn)17th Reserve Division18th Reserve DivisionSenior Landwehr Commander 1 (1st Landwehr Division)33rd Mixed Landwehr Brigade34th Mixed Landwehr Brigade37th Mixed Landwehr Brigade38th Mixed Landwehr BrigadeNorth Sea IslandsCentral Reserves and Border Fortresses
Strassburg30th Reserve Division60th Reserve Infantry Brigade3rd Bavarian Reserve Infantry Brigade10th Bavarian Reserve Infantry BrigadeMetz33rd Reserve Division8th Bavarian Infantry Brigade66th Reserve Infantry BrigadeReserve Infantry Regiment MetzThorn35th Reserve Division5th Landwehr Infantry Brigade20th Landwehr Infantry BrigadeKönigsberg9th Landwehr Infantry BrigadeErsatz Infantry Brigade KönigsbergPosen19th Landwehr Infantry BrigadeGraudenzProvisional 69th Infantry Brigade
