The 12th Army (german: 12. Armee / Armeeoberkommando 12 / A.O.K. 12) was an
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
level command of 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 ...
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, ...
formed in August 1915 by the redesignation of Gallwitz. It served exclusively on the
Eastern Front and was dissolved on 9 October 1916 when its commander,
General der Infanterie General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to:
* General of the Infantry (Austria)
* General of the Infantry (Bulgaria)
* General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Imp ...
Max von Fabeck, was transferred to
8th Army.
History
On 9 February 1915
Guards Reserve Corps was redesignated ''Armee-Gruppe'' Gallwitz. Its commander was raised to the status of an Army Commander on 18 March 1915 and his ''Armee-Gruppe'' was redesignated as 12th Army on 7 August 1915.
On 22 July, the armies of Central Powers crossed the
Vistula river
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
. In August, the Russian Fourth Army left the
Ivangorod
Ivangorod ( rus, Иванго́род, p=ɪvɐnˈɡorət; et, Jaanilinn; vot, Jaanilidna) is a town in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the east bank of the Narva river which flows along the Estonia–Russia int ...
fortress. With the continuing Russian retreat, Warsaw became isolated, and the 12th Army seized the opportunity and conquered it on 4–5 August.
Commanders
''Armee-Gruppe'' Gallwitz was redesignated as 12th Army on 7 August 1915 with von Gallwitz remaining in command. The 12th Army was dissolved on 9 October 1916 when its commander was transferred to
8th Army.
Glossary
*''Armee-Abteilung'' or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.
*''Armee-Gruppe'' or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
*''Heeresgruppe'' or
Army Group
An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization handled ...
in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.
See also
*
12th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 12th Army (German: ''12. Armee'') was a World War II field army of the Wehrmacht.
History
The 12th Army was activated on October 13, 1939, with General Wilhelm List in command. First seeing defensive action along the Siegfried Line, the arm ...
for the equivalent formation in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
*
Great Retreat (Russian)
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{German Empire Armies
12
Military units and formations established in 1915
Military units and formations disestablished in 1916