Franco-Prussian War order of battle

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This is an order of battle of the French and German Armies at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.

Contents

France

Order of battle at the beginning of the war:

Army of the Rhine

Commander in Chief: Emperor Napoléon III
Chief of Staff: Marshal Edmond Le Bœuf

French Infantry divisions were square divisions, with two infantry brigades of two infantry regiments each. Generally, one brigade per division also had a light infantry (chasseur) battalion. French cavalry divisions were also generally square, with two brigades of two regiments each, but the cavalry divisions of the Imperial Guard Corps, the 1st Corps, and the 6th Corps had three brigades.

French Regimental Histories (source = French Wikipedia)

Germany

Order of battle on 1 August 1870:

Commander in Chief: Wilhelm I (King of Prussia)

Chief of the General Staff: General Helmuth von Moltke
Quarter-Master General: Generalleutnant Eugen Anton Theophil von Podbielski
Inspector-General of Artillery: General der Artillerie Gustav Eduard von Hindersin
Inspector-General of Engineers: Generalleutnant Franz von Kleist
Commissary-General: Generalleutnant Albrecht von Stosch
Staff Department Chiefs: Oberstleutnant Paul Bronsart von Schellendorff; Oberstleutnant Julius von Verdy du Vernois; Oberstleutnant Karl von Brandenstein

First Army

Commander: General Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz (later General von Manteuffel)

Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Oskar von Sperling

Second Army

Commander: General der Kavallerie Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia

Chief of Staff: Oberst Gustav von Stiehle

Third Army

Commander: Crown Prince of Prussia

Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Leonhard von Blumenthal

Reserve

Belgium

Though not a belligerent in the conflict, the Belgian army was mobilized and placed on readiness at the country's borders in fear of a preemptive attack by either party through the neutral territory during the Franco-Prussian War. (See Belgium and the Franco-Prussian War).

Commander-in-Chief: King Leopold II

Chief of Staff: Lieutenant General Bruno Renard

Minister of War: Major General Henri Guillaume

Army of Observation

The Army of Observation (Armée d'Observation) numbered approximately 55,000 men. Its role was to defend the country's borders.

Commander: Lieutenant-General Baron Félix Chazal

Chief of Staff: Colonel Monoyer

Army of Antwerp

The Army of Antwerp (Armée d'Anvers), based in the "National Redoubt" fortress in Antwerp, numbered approximately 15,000. It was a defensive force, designed to hold the city of Antwerp alone. Approximately 8,000 additional men served as guards at other fortresses around the country, including Liège.

Commander: Lieutenant-General Alexis-Michel Eenens

Chief of Staff: Colonel Henri Alexis Brialmont

Notes

  1. ↑ I Korps and 1st Cavalry Division were listed after the other formations of First Army because their deployment was delayed by shortage of railway transport.
  2. ↑ II Korps was listed after the other formations of Second Army because its deployment was delayed by shortage of railway transport.
  3. ↑ VI Korps and 2nd Cavalry Division were listed after the other formations of Third Army because their deployment was delayed by shortage of railway transport.

    Sources

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