1st Division (Reichswehr)

1st division
active	1921 to 1934
Country	German Empire
Armed forces	Reichswehr
Armed forces	Imperial Army
Branch of service	infantry
Type	Infantry Division
structure	See organization
Location	See garrisons
management
Commanders	See commanders

The 1st Division was a large unit of the Reichswehr , whose staff was stationed in Königsberg .

history

Lineup

The division was formed by order of July 31, 1920 to reduce the army by October 1, 1920 from Reichswehr Brigades 1 and 20 of the transitional army .

In the course of the army increase, the staff formed the General Command of the 1st Army Corps on October 1, 1934 , but initially retained the code designation Artillery Leader I.

The 1st Infantry Division as a major association of the Wehrmacht was then the direct successor to the 1st Division of the Reichswehr.

Garrisons

The divisional headquarters were in Konigsberg , the infantry leader I in Allenstein and the artillery leader I in Konigsberg.

Commanders

The respective commander was simultaneously commander in the military district I . As military district commanders , the division commanders were the legal successors of the previous commanding generals . For the leadership of the units they were subordinate to an infantry and an artillery leader, both with staffs.

Rank	Surname	date
Lieutenant General	Johannes von Dassel	0October 1, 1920 to October 31, 1923
Lieutenant General	Wilhelm Heye	November 1, 1923 to October 31, 1926
Lieutenant General	Friedrich Freiherr von Esebeck	0November 1, 1926 to September 30, 1929
Lieutenant General	Werner von Blomberg	0October 1, 1929 to January 30, 1933
Lieutenant General	Walther von Brauchitsch	0February 1, 1933 to October 1, 1934

organization

Association membership

The division was under group command 1 in Berlin .

structure

The major association was structured as follows:

Infantry leader I in Allenstein with

1st (Prussian) Infantry Regiment

2nd (Prussian) Infantry Regiment

3rd (Prussian) Infantry Regiment

1st (Prussian) Pioneer Battalion (directly subordinate to the division from 1930)

Artillery Leader I in Königsberg with

1st (Prussian) Artillery Regiment

1. (Prussian) driving department

The division was also responsible for:

1. (Prussian) news department
1. (Prussian) motor vehicle department
1. (Prussian) medical department

literature

Georg Tessin : German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9 , p. 189 ff.

Individual evidence

↑ HVBl 1920, No. 942
^ Georg Tessin: German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9 , p. 152.
^ Georg Tessin: German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9 , p. 229.
^ Edgar Graf von Matuschka: Organization of the Imperial Army. in: Handbook on German Military History 1648–1939. Military History Research Office (ed.). Freiburg (Breisgau). Part VI: Reichswehr and Republic (1918–1933). Bernard & Graefe Verlag für Defense, Frankfurt am Main 1970, p. 317.
↑ Dermot Bradley (ed.), Günter Wegner: Occupation of the German Army 1815-1939. Volume 1: The higher command posts 1815–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-7648-1780-1 , p. 785 ff.

[1] HVBl 1920, No. 942

[2] Georg Tessin: German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9 , p. 152.

[3] Georg Tessin: German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9 , p. 229.

[4] Edgar Graf von Matuschka: Organization of the Imperial Army. in: Handbook on German Military History 1648–1939. Military History Research Office (ed.). Freiburg (Breisgau). Part VI: Reichswehr and Republic (1918–1933). Bernard & Graefe Verlag für Defense, Frankfurt am Main 1970, p. 317.

[Wegner-5] Dermot Bradley (ed.), Günter Wegner: Occupation of the German Army 1815-1939. Volume 1: The higher command posts 1815–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-7648-1780-1 , p. 785 ff.