The 7th Division was a unit of the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

Creation

In the Order of 31 July 1920 for the Reduction of the Army (to comply with the upper limits on the size of the military contained in the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...

), it was determined that in every ''Wehrkreis'' (

military district Military districts (also called military regions) are formations of a state's armed forces (often of the Army) which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and ...

) a division would be established by 1 October 1920. The 7th Division was formed in January 1921 out of the Reichswehr-Brigaden 21, 23 and 24, all part of the former ''Übergangsheer'' (Transition Army). It consisted of 3 infantry regiments, the 19th, 20th, and 21st (Bavarian). It also consisted of the 7th artillery regiment, an engineering battalion, a signals battalion, a transportation battalion and a medical battalion. The commander of the Wehrkreis VII was simultaneously the commander of the 7th Division.
For the leadership of the troops, an ''Infanterieführer'' and an ''Artillerieführer'' were appointed, both subordinated to the commander of the Division. The unit ceased to exist as such after October 1934, and its subordinate units were transferred to the 21 Divisions newly created in that year.

Garrisons

The divisional headquarters was in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

Commanding officers

*General der Infanterie Arnold Ritter von Möhl, 1 October 1920 – 1 January 1923 *Generalleutnant

Otto von Lossow Otto Hermann von Lossow (15 January 1868 – 25 November 1938) was a Bavarian Army and then German Army officer who played a prominent role in the events surrounding the attempted Beer Hall Putsch by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in November 19 ...

, 1 January 1923 – 20 March 1924 *General der Artillerie

Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Friedrich Siegmund Georg Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein (also ; 24 April 1870 – 16 October 1948) was a German general from Nuremberg. He was a member of the group of German officers who assisted in the direction of the Ottoman Army duri ...

, 20 March 1924 – 1 January 1928 *General der Infanterie Adolf Ritter von Ruith, 1 January 1928 – 1 February 1930 *Generalleutnant

Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb (5 September 1876 – 29 April 1956) was a German field marshal and war criminal in World War II. Leeb was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Military Order of Max Joseph which gra ...

, 1 February 1930 – 1 October 1933 *General der Infanterie

Wilhelm Adam Wilhelm Adam (28 March 1893 – 24 November 1978) was an officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. Following the German surrender after the Battle of Stalingrad, he became a member of the National Committee for a Free German ...

, 1 October 1933 - 30 September 1935

Notable Infantrieführer

* Generalmajor

Franz von Epp Franz Ritter von Epp (born Franz Epp; from 1918 as Ritter von Epp; 16 October 1868 – 31 January 1947)Lilla, Joachim: Epp, Franz Ritter v.'. In: Staatsminister, leitende Verwaltungsbeamte und (NS-)Funktionsträger in Bayern 1918 bis 19 ...

(1 October 1920 - 31 October 1923) * Generalmajor Eugen von Schobert (1 August 1934 - 14 October 1935).Axis History
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Notable Artillerieführer

* Generalmajor

Friedrich Dollmann Friedrich Karl Albert Dollmann (2 February 188228 June 1944Reynolds, M: ''Steel Inferno'', p. 163. Dell Publishing, 1997.D'Este, C: ''Decision in Normandy'', pp. 241–242. Penguin Books, 2004.) was a German general during World War II who comma ...

(1 October 1932 - 31 January 1933)

References

Feldgrau.com
{{Divisions of the Reichswehr Infantry divisions of Germany Military units and formations established in 1920 Military units and formations disestablished in 1934