The Replacement Army () was part of the Imperial German Army during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and part of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

during

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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It was based within Germany proper and included command and administrative units as well as training and guard troops. Its primary role was to provide replacements for the combat divisions of the regular army.

Third Reich

It was formed in the various German military districts ('' Wehrkreise'') and was tasked with the conscription, recruitment, training and replacement of personnel, testing of new military equipment, and administration such as responsibility for soldiers on home leave. The ''Ersatzheer'' contingency plans for Operation Valkyrie were deliberately misused as part of the unsuccessful 20 July plot to assassinate

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

, arrest SS troops, and stage a military coup d'etat through the organization driven by the newly appointed Chief of Staff, Claus Von Stauffenburg in early 1944. Its commander, ''

Generaloberst A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German ''Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank was ...

Friedrich Fromm Friedrich Wilhelm Waldemar Fromm (8 October 1888 – 12 March 1945) was a German Army officer. In World War II, Fromm was Commander in Chief of the Replacement Army (''Ersatzheer''), in charge of training and personnel replacement for combat divi ...

, had enough power to control the German state because his position controlled the army's procurement and production and the command of all army troops in Germany. Fromm had refused to cooperate in an earlier coup, Operation Spark, but the planners in 1944 still planned to use the Reserve Army.

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

personally took over control of the Replacement Army because of its potential to be used in another assassination attempt.

Leadership

;Commanders ;Chief of Staff

References

* *

External links

*{{cite web , work=Combined Arms Research Library , title=The German Replacement Army , url=http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/utils/getfile/collection/p4013coll8/id/2020/filename/2009.pdf , language=German , accessdate=5 February 2015 Military units and formations of the Wehrmacht Military units and formations of Germany in World War I