Division (Reichswehr)

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A division of the Reichswehr (without any further addition in the name) was an infantry division . The second type of division in the Reichswehr was the cavalry division .

In the course of the expansion of the Reichswehr in 1934, the divisions were dissolved and their staffs were converted into staffs of army corps .

Association membership

The divisions were subordinate to the group commands , which in turn were directly subordinate to the Chief of Army Command .

Group command 1 Berlin
Group command 2 Kassel

Infantry Division

Flag for a division commander (here 2nd division) around 1925

The commander of one of the seven military districts was also the commander of the division with the same number.

structure

An ( infantry ) division of the Reichswehr was generally structured as follows

At the divisional level and below, the infantry of the Reichswehr was divided into three parts.

For the management of the subordinate units, the division commanders were each subordinate to an infantry and an artillery leader, both with their own staff. These staffs were attached to the division staffs in accordance with the earlier brigade staffs and corresponded to an earlier division staff from 1914, but without medical officers and civil servants. When the army increased in 1934, these staffs were able to immediately take over the leadership of the newly established infantry divisions - initially under camouflage names. It had already been planned by the head of the troop office at the time, Hans von Seeckt , when the 100,000-man army of the Reichswehr was set up.

Cavalry Division

A squadron of the Reichswehr (saying goodbye to the lance)

The Versailles Peace Treaty required a relatively strong cavalry. This was intended to further weaken the Reichswehr, since cavalry was out of date, but very expensive. Like the infantry, it was armed with carbines and machine guns and was dismounted for rifle combat. In 1928 the lance was abolished; from then on the cavalrymen had only the saber as a weapon on horseback.

In 1930/1931 the cavalry divisions were directly subordinate to the army command for a short time.

structure

A cavalry division consisted of six cavalry regiments without any other formations or units of other branches of service . The three mounted batteries intended for the cavalry divisions were integrated into the existing artillery regiments.

See also

literature

  • Georg Tessin : German associations and troops 1918–1938 . Biblio Verlag Osnabrück, 1974, ISBN 3-7648-1000-9
  • Edgar Graf von Matuschka: Organization of the Reichswehr . In: Military History Research Office (ed.): Handbook on German Military History 1648–1939 , Volume 2, VI The Reichswehr 1918–1935. Bernard & Graefe Verlag für Wehrwesen, Munich 1975
  • Bodo Zimmermann: The Soldier's Primer . Verlag "Offene Wort", Berlin, no year [probably 1933]
  • Klaus Christian Richter: The field gray riders, the mounted and drawn troops in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-613-01100-X
The history of the German cavalry 1919–1945 . 1st edition Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN 3-87943-603-7

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Zimmermann: The Soldier's Primer . P. 44: "According to the principle of using only parts of the combat force (mostly ⅔) for combat and keeping parts (mostly ⅓) in reserve, the division into three prevails with regard to the structure."
  2. ^ Edgar Graf von Matuschka: Organization of the Reichswehr , p. 317

Remarks

  1. ↑ According to Article 160 § 1 of the Peace Treaty of Versailles a maximum of two group commands.
  2. ↑ earlier Train
  3. ↑ The number of cavalry personnel in the Imperial Army was higher than that of the artillery.