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The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
, and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of the German Empire in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
(1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term ' identifies the
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
, the land component of the '.


Formation and name

The states that made up the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
contributed their armies; within the
German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...
, formed after the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
, each state was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of the Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as the Federal Army ('). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century, such as the First Schleswig War from 1848–50 but by the time of the
Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...
of 1864, tension had grown between the main powers of the confederation, the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central- Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
and the
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
and the German Confederation was dissolved after the
Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
of 1866. Prussia formed the North German Confederation and the treaty provided for the maintenance of a Federal Army and a Federal Navy (' or '). Further laws on military duty also used these terms. Conventions (some later amended) were entered into between the North German Confederation and its member states, subordinating their armies to the Prussian army in time of war, and giving the Prussian Army control over training, doctrine and equipment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the North German Confederation also entered into conventions on military matters with states that were not members of the confederation, namely
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
,
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...
, and
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
. Through these conventions and the 1871 Constitution of the German Empire, an Army of the Realm (') was created. The contingents of the Bavarian, Saxon and Württemberg kingdoms remained semi-autonomous, while the
Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
assumed almost total control over the armies of the other states of the Empire. The Constitution of the German Empire, dated April 16, 1871, changed references in the North German Constitution from Federal Army to either Army of the Realm (') or German Army ('). After 1871, the peacetime armies of the four kingdoms remained relatively distinct. The term "German Army" was used in various legal documents, such as the Military Penal Code, but otherwise, the Prussian, Bavarian,
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
and
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...
armies maintained distinct identities. Each kingdom had its own War Ministry, Bavaria and
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a ...
published their own rank and seniority lists for their officers and the Württemberg list was a separate chapter of the Prussian army rank lists. Württemberg and Saxon units were numbered according to the Prussian system but Bavarian units maintained their own numbers (the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment was Infantry Regiment No. 120 under the Prussian system).


Command

The commander of the Imperial German Army, less the Bavarian contingent, was the
Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...
. He was assisted by a Military Cabinet and exercised control through the
Prussian Ministry of War The Prussian War Ministry was gradually established between 1808 and 1809 as part of a series of reforms initiated by the Military Reorganization Commission created after the disastrous Treaties of Tilsit. The War Ministry was to help bring the ...
and the
Great General Staff The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff (german: Großer Generalstab), was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the German Army, responsible for the continuou ...
. The Chief of the General Staff became the Kaiser's main military advisor and the most powerful military figure in the Empire. Bavaria kept its own Ministry of War and
General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military ...
, but coordinated planning with the Prussian Great General Staff. Saxony also maintained its own Ministry of War and the Ministry of War of Württemberg also continued to exist. The command of the Prussian Army had been reformed in the wake of the defeats suffered by Prussia in the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
. Rather than rely primarily on the martial skills of the individual members of the German nobility, who dominated the military profession, the Prussian Army instituted changes to ensure excellence in leadership, organization and planning. The General Staff system, which sought to institutionalize military excellence, was the main result. It sought to identify military talent at the lower levels and develop it thoroughly through academic training and practical experience on division, corps and higher staffs, up to the Great General Staff, the senior planning body of the army. It provided planning and organizational work during peacetime and wartime. The Prussian General Staff, proven in battle in the Wars of Unification, became the German General Staff upon the formation of the German Empire, given Prussia's leading role in the German Army.


Military role in foreign policy decisions

In the German Empire, diplomatic relations were the responsibility of the Chancellor and his Foreign Minister. The German Army reported separately to the Emperor, and increasingly played a major role in shaping foreign policy when military alliances or warfare was at issue. In diplomatic terms, Germany used the Prussian system of military attaches attached to diplomatic locations, with highly talented young officers assigned to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and military capabilities of their assigned nations. They used close observation, conversations, and paid agents to produce very high-quality reports that gave a significant advantage to the military planners. The military staff grew increasingly powerful, reducing the role of the Minister of War, and increasingly asserted itself in foreign policy decisions.
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of ...
, the Imperial Chancellor 1871–1890, was annoyed by military interference in foreign policy affairs – in 1887, for example, they tried to convince the Emperor to declare war on Russia; they also encouraged Austria to attack Russia. Bismarck never controlled the army, but he did complain vehemently, and the military leaders drew back. In 1905, when the Morocco affair was roiling international politics, the chief of the General staff
Alfred von Schlieffen Graf Alfred von Schlieffen, generally called Count Schlieffen (; 28 February 1833 – 4 January 1913) was a German field marshal and strategist who served as chief of the Imperial German General Staff from 1891 to 1906. His name lived on in t ...
called for a preventive war against France. At a critical point in the
July crisis The July Crisis was a series of interrelated diplomatic and military escalations among the major powers of Europe in the summer of 1914, which led to the outbreak of World War I (1914–1918). The crisis began on 28 June 1914, when Gavrilo Pri ...
of 1914, Helmuth von Moltke, the chief of staff, without telling the Emperor or chancellor, advised his counterpart in Austria to mobilize against Russia at once. During the First World War, '' Generalfeldmarschall''
Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...
increasingly set foreign policy, working directly with the Emperor—and indeed shaped his decision-making—leaving the chancellor and civilian officials in the dark. Historian
Gordon A. Craig Gordon Alexander Craig (November 13, 1913 – October 30, 2005) was a Scottish-American liberal historian of German history and of diplomatic history. Early life Craig was born in Glasgow. In 1925 he emigrated with his family to Toronto, Ontar ...
says that the crucial decisions in 1914, "were made by the soldiers and that, in making them, they displayed an almost complete disregard for political considerations."


Chiefs of the German General Staff (1871–1919)

* Helmuth von Moltke the Elder 7 October 1857 – 10 August 1888 * Alfred von Waldersee 10 August 1888 – 7 February 1891 *
Alfred von Schlieffen Graf Alfred von Schlieffen, generally called Count Schlieffen (; 28 February 1833 – 4 January 1913) was a German field marshal and strategist who served as chief of the Imperial German General Staff from 1891 to 1906. His name lived on in t ...
7 February 1891 – 1 January 1906 * Helmuth von Moltke the Younger 1 January 1906 – 14 September 1914 *
Erich von Falkenhayn General Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was the second Chief of the German General Staff of the First World War from September 1914 until 29 August 1916. He was removed on 29 August 1916 after ...
14 September 1914 – 29 August 1916 *
Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...
29 August 1916 – 3 July 1919 * Wilhelm Groener 3 July 1919 – 7 July 1919 * Hans von Seeckt 7 July 1919 – 15 July 1919


Structure

The Kaiser had full control of the armed forces but used a highly complex organizational structure. The basic peacetime organizational structure of the Imperial German Army were the Army inspectorate ('), the army corps ('), the division and the regiment. During wartime, the staff of the Army inspectorates formed field army commands, which controlled the corps and subordinate units. During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, a higher command level, the army group ('), was created. Each army group controlled several field armies.


Army inspectorate

Germany was divided into army inspectorates, each of which oversaw three or four corps. There were five in 1871, with three more added between 1907 and 1913. * I Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in Danzig, became the 8th Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * II Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
, became the 3rd Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * III Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, became the 2nd Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * IV Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...
, became the 6th Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * V Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...
, became the 7th Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * VI Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the Sw ...
, became the 4th Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * VII Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
, became the 5th Army on mobilisation (2 August 1914) * VIII Army Inspectorate: Headquartered in Saarbrücken, became the
1st Army First Army may refer to: China * New 1st Army, Republic of China * First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War * 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China Germany * 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...
on mobilisation (2 August 1914)


Corps

The basic organizational formation was the army
corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
('). The corps consisted of two or more divisions and various support troops, covering a geographical area. The corps was also responsible for maintaining the reserves and ' in the corps area. By 1914, there were 21 corps areas under Prussian jurisdiction and three Bavarian army corps. Besides the regional corps, there was also a Guard Corps ('), which controlled the elite Prussian Guard units. A corps usually included a light infantry () battalion, a heavy artillery (') battalion, an engineer battalion, a telegraph battalion and a trains battalion. Some corps areas also disposed of fortress troops; each of the 25 corps had a Field Aviation Unit (') attached to it normally equipped with six unarmed "A" or "B" class unarmed two-seat observation aircraft apiece. In wartime, the army corps became a mobile tactical formation and four ' (Higher Cavalry Commands) were formed from the Cavalry Inspectorate, the equivalent of corps, being made up of two divisions of cavalry. The areas formerly covered by the corps each became the responsibility of a ' (Military District, sometimes translated as Corps Area). The Military Districts were to supervise the training and enlistment of reservists and new recruits. Originally each Military District was linked to an army corps; thus Wehrkreis I took over the area that I. ''Armeekorps'' had been responsible for and sent replacements to the same formation. The first sixteen Reserve Corps raised followed the same pattern; X. ''Reserve-Korps'' was made up of reservists from the same area as X. ''Armeekorps''. However, these links between rear areas and front line units were broken as the war went on and later corps were raised with troops from all over Germany.


Division

The basic tactical formation was the division. A standard Imperial German division was organized into: * Division HQ * two infantry brigades organized into a brigade HQ and two regiments each (either of the line or light infantry), * a cavalry brigade organized into a brigade HQ and two regiments * an artillery brigade organized into an HQ and two regiments * Combat service and support regiments under division HQ One of the divisions in a corps area usually also managed the corps ' region ('). In 1914, besides the Guard Corps (two Guard divisions and a Guard cavalry division), there were 42 regular divisions in the Prussian Army (including four Saxon divisions and two Württemberg divisions), and six divisions in the Bavarian Army. These divisions were all mobilized in August 1914. They were reorganized, receiving engineer companies and other support units from their corps, and giving up most of their cavalry to form cavalry divisions. Reserve divisions were also formed, ' brigades were aggregated into divisions, and other divisions were formed from replacement (') units. As World War I progressed, additional divisions were formed, and by wars' end, 251 divisions had been formed or reformed in the German Army's structure.


Regiment

The
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
was the basic combat unit as well as the recruiting base for soldiers. When inducted, a soldier entered a regiment, usually through its replacement or training battalion, and received his basic training. There were three basic types of regiment: infantry, cavalry and artillery. Other specialties, such as pioneers (combat engineers) and signal troops, were organized into smaller support units. Regiments also carried the traditions of the army, in many cases stretching back into the 17th and 18th centuries. After World War I, regimental traditions were carried forward in the ' and its successor, the ', but the chain of tradition was broken in 1945 as West German and East German units did not carry forward pre-1945 traditions. Each Imperial German regiment of infantry had headquarters units, three battalions and one training battalion assigned to the regimental depot. Cavalry, field and horse artillery regiments were also similarly organized.


National contingents

The German Empire was formed by 38 duchies and kingdoms each with their traditions of warfare. Although the new army of the united German Empire was nominally "German" and most state forces served integrated into the Prussian Army, the Bavarian Army, Saxon Army and
Württemberg Army Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württe ...
remained independent national contingents: Nevertheless, in times of war, all of these would pledge allegiance to the Kaiser and the German nation. They did, however, remain organizationally distinct, being able to raise units of their own without assistance from the dominating Prussians. In one instance, Freiherr von Sonden (from Württemberg) was able to "quite legitimately send a request directly to the Ministry of War in Stuttgart for the raising of a new artillery regiment". Regiments and units from separate constituents were also raised locally and often numbered independently from each other - for example, there was (among others) both a Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment and a Württemberger 1st Infantry Regiment. While the aforementioned contingents wore dinstinctive uniforms, with the differences becoming less over time, the origin of units would be denoted on the uniform in the colours of the rank insignia until the early 20th century. They also had different cockades on the headgear. The Imperial cockade was to be worn above the state cockade on hats and caps, while they were worn on the right (state on the left) of helmets and more specialised headgear.


Reserve system

When the British decided to reform their army in the 1860s, they surveyed the major European forces and decided that the Prussian system was the best one. That system was continued into the Imperial Army after 1871 and resulted in a modest cadre of professional officers and sergeants, and a large reserve force that could be quickly mobilised at the start of a war. The British could not use the system because they rejected conscription. The Japanese, however, were also observing the reserve system and, unlike the British, decided to copy the Prussian model. Barnett explains that every young man was drafted at age 18, with the upper-class becoming officers: : the Prussian system... was based on service of only three years with the colors... and four years in the reserve. The Prussian standing army had become simply a training cadre for the intake of conscripts. The Prussian army's organization for peace and war was virtually the same. Prussia was divided into army-corps districts for the purposes both of administration and of recruitment. On the outbreak of war the command organizations of the district became that of a corps in the field. Localization of the Army and its recruitment gave the districts pride and interest in their 'own' corps.


Industrial base

The German Empire accounted for 12% of global industrial output in 1914, making it the largest industrial base in Continental Europe, and behind only Great Britain (18%) and the United States (22%) worldwide. The Army closely cooperated with industry, especially in the ''Great War'', with particular focus on the very rapidly changing aircraft industry. The Army set prices and labor exemptions, regulated the supply of credit and raw materials, limited patent rights so as to allow cross-licensing among firms, and supervised management–labor relationships. The result was very rapid expansion and a high output of high-quality aircraft, as well as high wages that attracted the best machinists. Apart from aircraft, the Army's regulation of the rest of the war economy was largely inefficient.


Air Force

The ', known before October 1916 as ' (The Air Corps of the German Empire), was the over-land air arm of the German Army during World War I (1914–1918). Although its name actually means something very close to "The German Air Force", it remained an integral part of the German Army for the duration of the war. The '' Kaiserliche Marine'' naval forces of the German Empire had their own, separate ''Marine-Fliegerabteilung'' maritime aviation forces, apart from the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Army.


Ranks of the Imperial German Army

The German Army from 1871 to 1914 inherited the various traditions and military ranks of its constituent states, thus becoming a truly federal armed service.


Enlisted (') ranks

*
Musketeer A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pr ...
(',
Prussian army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
infantry regiments), Infantryman (', Bavarian army infantry regiments), Soldier (', Saxon army infantry regiments), Gunner (', foot artillery), Pioneer (', pioneer branch). Other unit-specific enlisted ranks were:
Fusilier Fusilier is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While fusilier is derived from the 17th-century French word ''fusil'' – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in con ...
('),
Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...
('), Huntsman otherwise Light-Infantryman ('),
Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
('),
Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...
('), Cuirassier ('), Uhlan ('), Fusilier Guard ('), Grenadier Guard ('), etc. * Lance Corporal ('); up until 1918 the only rank (with exception of ' in the foot artillery) to which an enlisted soldier could be promoted, the rank was a deputy rank to the Corporal (') Duden; Origin and meaning of "", in German

/ref> rank."Gefreiter" – Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, Erste Section, A-G, (Universal Encyclopaedia of the Sciences and Arts, First Section, A-G), Author: Johann Samuel Ersch and Johann Gottfried Gruber, Publisher: F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, 1852, Page 471-472, in German

/ref> * Senior Lance Corporal ('); established in the
Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
from 1846 to 1853, reestablished in 1859, then in field artillery, foot artillery only, replacing the artillery Bombardier rank that had been introduced in 1730. Additionally, the following ''voluntary'' enlistees were distinguished: * One-Year Volunteer Enlistee ('): despite the name, one-year volunteers were actually conscripts who served a short-term form of active military service, open for enlistees up to the age of 25. Such enlisted soldiers were usually
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
graduates (), who would opt to serve a one-year term rather than the regular two or three-year
conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...
term, with free selection of their chosen military service branch and unit, but throughout were obligated to equip and subsist themselves at entirely their own cost. In today's monetary value, this could at bare minimum cost some 10,000
euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
, which purposely reserved this path open to officer-material sons from mostly affluent social class families wishing to pursue the Reserve-Officer path; it was the specific intention of
Wilhelm II , house = Hohenzollern , father = Frederick III, German Emperor , mother = Victoria, Princess Royal , religion = Lutheranism (Prussian United) , signature = Wilhelm II, German Emperor Signature-.svg Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor ...
that such Reserve-Officer career path should only be open to members of so-called "officer-material" social classes. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 4th Edition, Volume 6, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1885–1892, Page 659. in German On absolving their primary recruit training and shorter military service term, those aspiring to become Reserve-Officers would have to qualify and achieve suitability for promotion to the ' rank and then would continue to receive further specialized instruction until the end of their one-year term, usually attaining and leaving as surplus Corporals (') ( Reservists), with the opportunity to advance further as reservists. Enlistees who did not aspire to officer grade would leave at the end of their one-year term as ' Duden; Definition of "Gemeine", in German

/ref> (Ordinary soldier)
enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United State ...
(for example ' or ') and a six-year reserve duty obligation. Eligibility for this specific one-year path of military service was a privilege approved upon examining the enlistee's suitability and academic qualifications. * Long-Term Volunteer Enlistee "Capitulant" ('): enlisted soldiers who had already absolved their regular two or three-year military conscription term and had now ''volunteered'' to continue serving for further terms, minimum was 4 years, generally up to 12 years. Duden; Definition of "Kapitulant", in German

/ref> Note: ' and ' were not ranks as such during this specific period of use, but ''voluntary'' military enlistee designations. They, however, wore a specific uniform distinction (twisted wool piping along their shoulder epaulette edging for ', the ' a narrow band across their lower shoulder epaulette) in the colours of their respective
nation state A nation state is a political unit where the state and nation are congruent. It is a more precise concept than "country", since a country does not need to have a predominant ethnic group. A nation, in the sense of a common ethnicity, may ...
. This distinction was never removed throughout their military service nor during any rank grade advancements.


Non-commissioned officers / '


Junior NCOs (NCOs without Sword Knot) / '

* Corporal/ Sub-Officer (') *
Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...


Senior NCOs (NCOs with Sword Knot) / '

* Sergeant Major 2nd class (Infantry: , Cavalry and Artillery: ''Vizewachtmeister''/''Vice-Wachtmeister'') – rank held by reserve officer candidates after they passed lieutenant's examination * Sergeant-Major (Infantry: '' Feldwebel'' (i.e. ': CSM officially listed on the regiment's payroll, i.e. '), Cavalry and Artillery: (') )


Warrant Officers and Officer Cadets

*
Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
(', ranking between Sergeant and ''Vizefeldwebel'') – served as cadets in the various military academies and schools. * Ensign (', ranking between ' and ') * Deputy Officer (', ranking above ') * Acting Lieutenant (', ranking as youngest 2nd Lieutenant, but without officer's commission and still member of the NCO's Mess until 1917)


Officer corps

Critics long believed that the Army's officer corps was heavily dominated by '' Junker'' aristocrats, so that commoners were shunted into low-prestige branches, such as the heavy artillery or supply. However, by the 1890s, the top ranks were opened to highly talented commoners.


Subalterns / '


Staff Officers / '


General Officers / '


Dissolution

The Imperial Army was abolished on 6 March 1919, and the provisional ' was created.


See also

* German General Staff * ' *
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
*
Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
* Bavarian Army * Schutztruppe * ' * ' *
German Army order of battle (1914) This is the German Army order of battle on the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. 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 Genera ...
* German Army order of battle, Western Front (1918) * ''
All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma ...
'' (novel set in World War I about German Army comrades)


Notes


References


Further reading

* Brose, Eric Dorn. ''The Kaiser's army: the politics of military technology in Germany during the machine age, 1870–1918'' (Oxford University Press, 2004
online
* Citino, Robert M. ''The German way of war: from the Thirty Years' War to the Third Reich'' (University Press of Kansas, 2005) * Clemente, Steven E. ''For King and Kaiser! The Making of the Prussian Army Officer, 1860–1914'' (1992
online
* Coetzee, Marilyn Shevin. ''The German Army League: Popular Nationalism in Wilhelmine Germany'' (Oxford University Press, 1990) * Craig, Gordon A. ''The Politics of the Prussian Army, 1640–1945'' (Oxford University Press, 1964) * Demeter, K. ''The German Officer Corps in Society and State 1650–1945'' (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1965) * Feldman, Gerald. ''Army, Industry and Labour in Germany, 1914–1918'' (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014) * Foley, Robert T. "Institutionalized innovation: The German army and the changing nature of war 1871–1914." ''RUSI Journal'' 147.2 (2002): 84–90
online
* Herrera, Geoffrey L. "Inventing the Railroad and Rifle Revolution: Information, Military Innovation and the Rise of Germany." ''
Journal of Strategic Studies The ''Journal of Strategic Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering military and diplomatic strategic studies. It was established in 1978 by Frank Cass & Co. with John Gooch ( University of Leeds) as founding editor-in-chief. The ...
'' (2004) 27#2 pp: 243–271
online
* Hull, Isabel V. ''Absolute destruction: Military culture and the practices of war in imperial Germany'' (Cornell University Press, 2004) * Jackman, Steven D. "Shoulder to Shoulder: Close Control and" Old Prussian Drill" in German Offensive Infantry Tactics, 1871–1914." ''Journal of Military History'' 68.1 (2004): 73–104
online
* Kitchen, Martin. ''A Military History of Germany: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day'' (Indiana University Press, 1975) * Kitchen, Martin. ''The German Officer Corps'' (Oxford UP, 1968) * Mitchell, Allan. ''The great train race: railways and the Franco-German rivalry, 1815–1914'' (
Berghahn Books Berghahn Books is a New York and Oxford-based publisher of scholarly books and academic journals in the humanities and social sciences, with a special focus on social & cultural anthropology, European history, politics, and film & media s ...
, 2000) * Murphy, Patrick. "The Effect of Industrialization and Technology on Warfare: 1854–1878." (2006
online
* Muth, Jörg. ''Command Culture: Officer Education in the US Army and the German Armed Forces, 1901–1940, and the Consequences for World War II'' (University of North Texas Press, 2011) * Showalter, Dennis. "From Deterrence to Doomsday Machine: The German Way of War, 1890–1914." ''Journal of Military History'' (2000) 64#3 pp: 679–710
in JSTOR
* Showalter, Dennis E. ''Railroads and rifles: soldiers, technology, and the unification of Germany'' (Archon Books, 1975) * Showalter, Dennis E. "Army and Society in Imperial Germany: The Pains of Modernization." ''Journal of Contemporary History'' (1983): 583–618
in JSTOR
* Stevenson, David. "Fortifications and the European Military Balance before 1914." ''Journal of Strategic Studies'' (2012) 35#6 pp: 829–859. * Stone, James. ''The war scare of 1875: Bismarck and Europe in the mid-1870s'' (Steiner, 2010) * Stone, James. "Spies and diplomats in Bismarck’s Germany: collaboration between military intelligence and the Foreign Office, 1871–1881." ''Journal of Intelligence History'' (2014) 13#1 pp: 22–40.


External links


WWI German Army Artillery & Infantry Attack Reenactment
– video on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
{{Coord, 50.6990, N, 7.0415, E, source:wikidata, display=title Disbanded armies Articles containing video clips Military of the German Empire Military of the German Empire by branch 1871 establishments in Germany 1918 disestablishments in Germany Military units and formations established in 1871 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918