1st Royal Bavarian Division
Encyclopedia
The 1st Royal Bavarian Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army which served alongside the Prussian Army as part of the Imperial German Army
. The division was formed on November 27, 1815 as the Infantry Division of the Munich
General Command (Infanterie-Division des Generalkommandos München.). It was called the 1st Army Division between 1822 and 1848, again between 1851 and 1859, and again from 1869 to 1872. It was called the 1st Infantry Division from 1848 to 1851 (as well as during wartime) and was named the Munich
General Command from 1859 to 1869. From April 1, 1872 until mobilization for World War I, it was the 1st Division. Within Bavaria, it was not generally referred to as a "Royal Bavarian" division, but outside Bavaria, this designation was used for it, and other Bavarian units, to distinguish them from similarly numbered Prussian units. The division was headquartered in Munich from 1815 to 1919. The division was part of the 1st Royal Bavarian Army Corps.
The division fought against Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866. In the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71, the division fought alongside the Prussians. It saw action in battles of Wörth, Beaumont
, and Sedan
, the 1st and 2nd battles of Orleans, the battle of Loigny-Poupry
, and the siege of Paris
.
During World War I, the division served on the Western Front
. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers
against French forces in the early stages, and then participated in the Race to the Sea
. Thereafter, it remained on the northern part of the front facing the British Army through 1915 and early 1916. The Infantry Life Regiment was transferred from the division in 1915 to become part of a provisional German mountain division, the Alpenkorps
, sent to the Italian Front
. In 1916, the division went into the Battle of Verdun
. After Verdun, it went to the Somme in that battle's later stages. 1917 was spent mainly occupying the trench lines. In 1918, the division participated in the Spring Offensive
. The division was generally rated one of the better German divisions by Allied intelligence.
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 1st Division was renamed the 1st Bavarian Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, and the engineer contingent was increased. Divisional signals commanders were established to better control communications, a major problem in coordinating infantry and artillery operations during the war. The division's order of battle on March 21, 1918 was as follows:
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
. The division was formed on November 27, 1815 as the Infantry Division of the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
General Command (Infanterie-Division des Generalkommandos München.). It was called the 1st Army Division between 1822 and 1848, again between 1851 and 1859, and again from 1869 to 1872. It was called the 1st Infantry Division from 1848 to 1851 (as well as during wartime) and was named the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
General Command from 1859 to 1869. From April 1, 1872 until mobilization for World War I, it was the 1st Division. Within Bavaria, it was not generally referred to as a "Royal Bavarian" division, but outside Bavaria, this designation was used for it, and other Bavarian units, to distinguish them from similarly numbered Prussian units. The division was headquartered in Munich from 1815 to 1919. The division was part of the 1st Royal Bavarian Army Corps.
The division fought against Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866. In the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, the division fought alongside the Prussians. It saw action in battles of Wörth, Beaumont
Battle of Beaumont
The Battle of Beaumont on August 30, 1870 was won by Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War.It was fought between Fifth French Corps d'Armee under General Pierre Louis Charles de Failly, and the IV and XII Army Corps under Prince George of Saxony The Battle of Beaumont on August 30, 1870 was won...
, and Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
, the 1st and 2nd battles of Orleans, the battle of Loigny-Poupry
Battle of Loigny-Poupry
The Battle of Loigny-Poupry was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War. It took place on 2 December 1870 during the Loire Campaign near the town of Loigny...
, and the siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
.
During World War I, the division served on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. It fought in the Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of the Frontiers
The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I. The battles represented a collision between the military strategies of the French Plan XVII and the German Schlieffen Plan...
against French forces in the early stages, and then participated in the Race to the Sea
Race to the Sea
The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through...
. Thereafter, it remained on the northern part of the front facing the British Army through 1915 and early 1916. The Infantry Life Regiment was transferred from the division in 1915 to become part of a provisional German mountain division, the Alpenkorps
Alpenkorps (German Empire)
The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain unit of division size formed by the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best units of the German Army.-Formation:...
, sent to the Italian Front
Italian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
. In 1916, the division went into the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was one of the major battles during the First World War on the Western Front. It was fought between the German and French armies, from 21 February – 18 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France...
. After Verdun, it went to the Somme in that battle's later stages. 1917 was spent mainly occupying the trench lines. In 1918, the division participated in the Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
. The division was generally rated one of the better German divisions by Allied intelligence.
Pre-World War I peacetime organization
In 1914, the peacetime organization of the 1st Royal Bavarian Division was as follows:- 1st Royal Bavarian Infantry Brigade (1. Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Brigade)
- Royal Bavarian Infantry Life Regiment (Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment)
- Royal Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment "King" (Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Infanterie-Regiment König)
- 2nd Royal Bavarian Infantry Brigade (2. Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Brigade)
- Royal Bavarian 2nd Infantry Regiment "Crown Prince" (Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Infanterie-Regiment Kronprinz)
- Royal Bavarian 16th Infantry Regiment "Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany" (Kgl. Bayerisches 16. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Ferdinand von Toskana)
- 1st Royal Bavarian Cavalry Brigade (1. Kgl. Bayer. Kavallerie-Brigade)
- 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry “Prince Charles of Bavaria” (Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Schweres Reiter-Regiment Prinz Karl von Bayern)
- 2nd Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry “Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria” (Kgl. Bayerisches 2. Schweres Reiter-Regiment Erzherzog Franz-Ferdinand von Österreich-Este
- 1st Royal Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade (1. Kgl. Bayer. Feldartillerie-Brigade)
- Royal Bavarian 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Prince Regent Luitpold" (Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold)
- Royal Bavarian 7th Field Artillery Regiment "Prince Regent Luitpold" (Kgl. Bayerisches 7. Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold)
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 1st Division was renamed the 1st Bavarian Infantry Division. Its initial wartime organization (major units) was as follows:
- 1. Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Leib-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Infanterie-Regiment König
- 2. Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayer. 2. Infanterie-Regiment Kronprinz
- Kgl. Bayer. 16. Infanterie-Regiment Großherzog Ferdinand von Toskana
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Jäger-Bataillon König
- Kgl. Bayer. 8. Chevaulegers-Regiment
- 1. Kgl. Bayer. Feldartillerie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold
- Kgl. Bayer. 7. Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold
- Kgl. Bayer. 10. Fußartillerie-Bataillon
- 3./Kgl. Bayer. 1. Pionier-Bataillon
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangularTriangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, and the engineer contingent was increased. Divisional signals commanders were established to better control communications, a major problem in coordinating infantry and artillery operations during the war. The division's order of battle on March 21, 1918 was as follows:
- 1. Kgl. Bayer. Infanterie-Brigade
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Infanterie-Regiment König
- Kgl. Bayer. 2. Infanterie-Regiment Kronprinz
- Kgl. Bayer. 24. Infanterie-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayer. 4. MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung
- 2.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayer. 8. Chevaulegers-Regiment
- Kgl. Bayer. Artillerie-Kommandeur 1
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Feldartillerie-Regiment Prinz-Regent Luitpold
- Kgl. Bayer. 9. Fußartillerie-Bataillon
- Stab Kgl. Bayer. 1. Pionier-Bataillon
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Pionier-Kompanie
- Kgl. Bayer. 3. Pionier-Kompanie
- Kgl. Bayer. 3. Minenwerfer-Kompanie
- Kgl. Bayer. 1. Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur
Notable commanders
- Luitpold, Prince Regent of BavariaLuitpold, Prince Regent of BavariaLuitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria , was the de facto ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, due to the incapacity of his nephews, King Ludwig II and King Otto.-Early life:...
(1856–1861) - Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-RathsamhausenLudwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-RathsamhausenLudwig Samson Arthur Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen was a Bavarian general.-Early life:Born at Darmstadt, on the day of Waterloo, Ludwig von der Tann was descended from the old family of von der Tann, which had branches in Bavaria, the Alsace and the Rhine provinces, and attached his...
(1861–1869) - A senior Bavarian field commander in the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and... - Prince Leopold of BavariaPrince Leopold of BavariaLeopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, Prinz von Bayern was born in Munich, the son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and his wife Archduchess Augusta of Austria...
(1881–1887) - Later a GeneralfeldmarschallGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used... - Rupprecht, Crown Prince of BavariaRupprecht, Crown Prince of BavariaRupprecht or Rupert, Crown Prince of Bavaria was the last Bavarian Crown Prince.His full title was His Royal Highness Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine...
(1904–1906) - Later a GeneralfeldmarschallGeneralfeldmarschallField Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used... - Otto Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein (1906–1910) - Bavarian Minister of War, 1912–1916