Replacement Army

Last updated

The Replacement Army (German : Ersatzheer) was part of the Imperial German Army during World War I and part of the Wehrmacht during World War II. 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. [1]

Contents

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. [2]

The Ersatzheer contingency plans for Operation Valkyrie were deliberately misused as part of the unsuccessful 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, arrest SS troops, and stage a military coup d'etat through the organization driven by the newly appointed Chief of Staff, Claus von Stauffenberg, in early 1944. Its commander, Generaloberst Friedrich Fromm, 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. [3] Fromm had refused to cooperate in an earlier coup, Operation Spark, but the planners in 1944 still planned to use the Replacement Army. Heinrich Himmler personally took over control of the Replacement Army because of its potential to be used in another assassination attempt. [4]

Leadership

Commanders
No.PortraitCommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branch
1
No image.png
Stülpnagel, Joachim General der Infanterie zur Verwendung
Joachim von Stülpnagel  [ de ]
(1880–1968)
26 August 193931 August 19395 daysWar ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  German Army
2
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1969-168-07, Friedrich Fromm.jpg
Fromm, Friedrich Generaloberst
Friedrich Fromm
(1888–1945)
1 September 193920 July 19444 years, 323 daysWar ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg  German Army
3
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-S72707, Heinrich Himmler.jpg
Himmler, Heinrich Reichsführer-SS
Heinrich Himmler
(1900–1945)
21 July 194429 April 1945282 daysFlag Schutzstaffel.svg Schutzstaffel
Chief of Staff
No.PortraitChief of StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branch
1
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J28010, Hans Juttner.jpg
Jüttner, HansSS- Obergruppenführer
Hans Jüttner
(1894–1965)
21 July 194429 April 1945282 daysFlag Schutzstaffel.svg Schutzstaffel

Related Research Articles

<i>Oberkommando des Heeres</i> Army High Command of the Wehrmacht

The Oberkommando des Heeres was the high command of the Army of Nazi Germany. It was founded in 1935 as part of Adolf Hitler's rearmament of Germany. OKH was de facto the most important unit within the German war planning until the defeat at Moscow in December 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claus von Stauffenberg</span> German army officer (1907–1944)

Claus von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20 July plot</span> Attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, 1944

The 20 July plot was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany, and subsequently overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German resistance, mainly composed of Wehrmacht officers. The leader of the conspiracy, Claus von Stauffenberg, planned to kill Hitler by detonating an explosive hidden in a briefcase. However, due to the location of the bomb at the time of detonation, the blast only dealt Hitler minor injuries. The planners' subsequent coup attempt also failed and resulted in a purge of the Wehrmacht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell D. Taylor</span> United States Army general

Maxwell Davenport Taylor was a senior United States Army officer and diplomat of the mid-20th century. He served with distinction in World War II, most notably as commander of the 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed "The Screaming Eagles."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erwin von Witzleben</span> Field Marshal of Nazi Germany

Job Wilhelm Georg Erdmann Erwin von Witzleben was a German field marshal in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. A leading conspirator in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, he was designated to become Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht in a post-Nazi regime had the plot succeeded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German General Staff</span> Full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and German Army

The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff, was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the German Army, responsible for the continuous study of all aspects of war, and for drawing up and reviewing plans for mobilization or campaign. It existed unofficially from 1806, and was formally established by law in 1814, the first general staff in existence. It was distinguished by the formal selection of its officers by intelligence and proven merit rather than patronage or wealth, and by the exhaustive and rigorously structured training which its staff officers undertook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinand Schörner</span> German field marshal

Ferdinand Schörner was a German military commander who held the rank of Generalfeldmarschall in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He commanded several army groups and was the last Commander-in-chief of the German Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Valkyrie</span> German plan for putting down civil unrest, repurposed for planned coup, WW2

Operation Valkyrie was a German World War II emergency continuity of government operations plan issued to the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in the event of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation. Failure of the government to maintain control of civil affairs might have been caused by the Allied bombing of German cities, or uprising of the millions of foreign forced labourers working in German factories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermann Balck</span> German Army general

Georg Otto Hermann Balck was a highly decorated officer of the German Army who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of General der Panzertruppe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotthard Heinrici</span> German general during World War II

Gotthard Fedor August Heinrici was a German general during World War II. Heinrici is considered as the premier defensive expert of the Wehrmacht. His final command was Army Group Vistula, formed from the remnants of Army Group A and Army Group Center to defend Berlin from the Soviet armies advancing from the Vistula River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friedrich Fromm</span> German general (1888–1945)

Friedrich Wilhelm Waldemar Fromm 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 divisions of the German Army, a position he occupied for most of the war. A recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, he was executed for failing to act against the plot of 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friedrich Olbricht</span> German general (1888–1944)

Friedrich Olbricht was a German general during World War II. He is known for being one of the plotters involved in the 20 July Plot, an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bendlerblock</span> Building complex in Berlin

The Bendlerblock is a building complex in the Tiergarten district of Berlin, Germany, located on Stauffenbergstraße. Erected in 1914 as headquarters of several Imperial German Navy offices, it served the Ministry of the Reichswehr after World War I. Significantly enlarged under Nazi rule, it was used by several departments of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) from 1938, especially the Oberkommando des Heeres and the Abwehr intelligence agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Group Upper Rhine</span> German army group that attempted to defend Alsace during WW2

The Upper Rhine High Command, known for three days as Army Group Upper Rhine, was a short-lived headquarters unit of the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) created on the Western Front during World War II. The Upper Rhine High Command was formed on 26 November 1944 and deactivated on 25 January 1945. The sole commander of this headquarters unit was Heinrich Himmler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Hilpert</span> German WWII general (1888-1947)

Carl Hilpert was a German general during World War II.

Maximilian Fretter-Pico was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

The 154th Infantry Division, also known as Commander of the Replacement Troops IV, Division No. 154, 154th Reserve Division, 154th Division and 154th Field Training Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

The 159th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. The unit, at times designated Commander of Reserve Troops IX, 159th Division, Division No. 159, and 159th Reserve Division, was active between 1939 and 1945.

The 180th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. The unit, at times designated Commander of Reserve Troops X/II, 180th Division, Division No. 180, and Operation Division No. 180, was active between 1939 and 1945.

The 182nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. The unit, at times designated Commander of Reserve Troops XII/II, 182nd Division, Division No. 182, 182nd Replacement Division, Division Nancy,Division Gümbel, Division Karl, and 182nd Reserve Division, was active between 1939 and 1945.

References

  1. Ph.D, David T. Zabecki (2014-10-28). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History [4 volumes]: 400 Years of Military History. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9781598849813.
  2. Balkoski, Joseph (2005). Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy. Stackpole Books. ISBN   9780811732376.
  3. Ziemke, Earl F.; Bauer, Magna E. (1985). Moscow To Stalingrad: Decision In The East. U.S. Army Center of Military History. ISBN   9780160019425.
  4. Zaloga, Steven J. (2016-01-20). US Infantryman vs German Infantryman: European Theater of Operations 1944. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9781472801388.