| Guards Cavalry Division (Garde-Kavallerie-Division) | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Staff of a Division (1871–1918) | |
| Active | pre-1914–19 |
| Disbanded | 1919 |
| Country |  German Empire |
| Branch |  Imperial German Army |
| Type | Cavalry |
| Size | Division; Approx. 5,000 (on mobilisation) |
| Part of | Guards Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Berlin |
| Engagements | World War I |
The Guards Cavalry Division (Garde-Kavallerie-Division) was a unit of the Prussian Army that was stationed in Berlin. The division was a part of the Guards Corps (Gardekorps).
Before the outbreak of World War I, the component units of the division were:
The division was initially assigned to I Cavalry Corps, which preceded the 3rd Army on the Western Front. It served on the Western Front until December 1914, then undertook frontier guard duties against Holland until 30 June 1915, when it relocated to Russia. From 16 March 1918 to 9 April 1918, it was dismounted, re-formed and trained on the Zossen troop training ground. Thereafter, it served as the Guard Cavalry Schützen Division on the Western Front. It was in Artois until May 1918, then Champagne / Aisne. [1] By the end of the war, it was serving under VI Reserve Corps, 1st Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front. [2]
A more detailed combat chronicle can be found at the German-language version of this article.
Upon the outbreak of war, the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was dissolved and its component regiments were assigned as divisional cavalry to the 1st Guards Infantry Division (Life Guard Hussars) and 2nd Guards Infantry Division (2nd Guard Uhlans). With the addition of support units, the Division's structure was: [3]
The Guard Cavalry Division was extensively reorganised in the course of the war, culminating in the conversion to a Cavalry Schützen Division, that is to say, dismounted cavalry. Here, the cavalry brigades were renamed Cavalry Schützen Commands and performed a similar role to that of an infantry regiment command. Likewise, the cavalry regiments became Cavalry Schützen Regiments and allocated the role of an infantry battalion (and their squadrons acted as infantry companies). However, these units were much weaker than normal infantry formations (for example, a Schützen squadron had a strength of just 4 officers and 109 NCOs and other ranks, considerably less than that of an infantry company). [4]
Allied Intelligence rated this division as 2nd Class (of 4 classes). [5] Its late war organisation was: [6]
This is the order of battle for both the Russian and German armies at the Battle of Tannenberg, August 17 to September 2, 1914.
The Imperial Russian Army in June 1812 consisted of three main armies and other military formations. The Commander in Chief of the Army was Emperor Alexander I.
The IV Army Corps / IV AK was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th Century to World War I.
The III Army Corps / III AK was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.
The 3rd Division was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed in Stettin in May 1816 as a Troop Brigade (Truppen-Brigade). It became the 3rd Division on September 5, 1818. From the corps' formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the II Army Corps. The 3rd Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
This is an order of battle of the French and German Armies at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.
The II Cavalry Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. It was first formed in December 1806, but only enjoyed a brief existence under Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières. The II Cavalry Corps was reconstituted for the invasion of Russia in 1812 and commanded by General Louis-Pierre Montbrun who was killed in battle, as was his successor a few hours later. During the War of the Sixth Coalition, General Horace François Bastien Sébastiani de La Porta led the II Cavalry Corps in 1813, while General Antoine-Louis Decrest de Saint-Germain led the corps in 1814. During the Hundred Days, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte raised the corps again and entrusted it to General Rémi Joseph Isidore Exelmans.
The 1st Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 2nd Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 3rd Cavalry Division was a unit of the Prussian Army, part of German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in November 1916.
The 5th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was dissolved in February 1918.
The 8th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was dissolved in April 1918. The majority of the division was drawn from the Kingdom of Saxony.
The 9th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was dissolved in March 1918.
The 7th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 6th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army that fought on Eastern and Western Fronts during World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914 and was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The 4th Cavalry Division was a unit of the German Army in World War I. The division was formed on the mobilization of the German Army in August 1914. The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
The history of the German Cavalry in World War I is one of an arm in decline.
The VII Army Corps / VII AK was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th Century to World War I.
The IV Cavalry Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. The corps was created in 1812 and rebuilt in 1813 and 1815. Emperor Napoleon I first organized the corps for the invasion of Russia. Under General Victor de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg, the corps fought at Borodino. During the War of the Sixth Coalition in 1813, General François Étienne de Kellermann commanded the all-Polish corps at Leipzig.
