Bavarian army
Encyclopedia
The Bavarian Army was the army of the Electorate
(1682–1806) and then Kingdom
(1806–1919) of Bavaria
. It existed from 1682 as the standing army
of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty (Wehrhoheit) of Bavaria into that of the German State in 1919. The Bavarian army was never comparable to the armies of the Great Powers of the 19th century, but did provide the Wittelsbach
dynasty with sufficient scope of action, in the context of effective alliance politics, to transform Bavaria from a territorially-disjointed small state to the second-largest state of the German Empire after Prussia
.
army. Moreover, the establishment of a standing army was increasingly seen as a sign of nation-statehood and an important tool of absolutist
power-politics. At a field camp in Schwabing on 12 October 1682, the newly-recruited troops were officially taken into Bavarian service. Seven regiment
s of infantry
, two regiments of dragoons and two of cuirassiers were set up, along with an artillery
corps
. The traditional mid-blue colour was already in wide use among the Bavarian infantry and would be used throughout from 1684. The cuirassiers and artillery wore light grey tunics, while the dragoons wore red or blue tunics. The army distinguished itself under Maximilian II
during the Great Turkish War
, particularly during the Siege of Belgrade
.
During the War of the Spanish Succession
, Bavaria fought on the side of France
. After the defeat at the Battle of Blenheim
, the Bavarian army ceased to exist as a coherent fighting force, though small remainders continued to fight until the end of the war. Bavaria was occupied by Austrian forces after the war, which led to a rising of the people, bloodily put down at the so-called "Murderous Christmas of Sendling" (Sendlinger Mordweihnacht). By 1701, the composition of the army was the same as that during the Turkish wars, only now with three regiments each of cuirassiers and dragoons.
The attempt of the Crown Prince to gain the Imperial crown during the War of the Austrian Succession
was initially successful, but the campaign ended once again with an Austrian occupation of Bavaria.
At the beginning of the Seven Years War, the army consisted of eight infantry, two dragoon and three cuirassier regiments, and a brigade of artillery. In 1757, one of the cuirassier regiments was disbanded and distributed among other regiments, while only one company of dragoons in each regiment was mounted. Infantry regiments consisted of two battalions with four Füsilierkompanien (each of 130 men) and one infantry company (100 men) as well as two 4-Pounder battalion guns. The nominal strength of approximately 1,800 men for each regiment was never reached in the field. The Lifeguard regiment had three battalions, from which however only two stood in the field. Ten battalions of infantry were made available to the Habsburgs according to Bavaria's Imperial military obligations. They fought unsuccessfully at Schweidnitz, Breslau
and Leuthen
in 1757, as well as at Troppau, Olmütz
and Neiße in 1758.
The unification between the Wittelsbachs and the Palatinate line added eight regiments to the infantry in 1777, and the Palatine troops brought with them a lighter blue tunic colour. The War of the Bavarian Succession is often known as the "Potato War" due to the amount of time and effort the sides expended in securing food supplies and denying them to the enemy, and the war actually passed relatively uneventfully for the Bavarian army.
In 1785, the infantry's uniform changed to white, and the cuirassiers abandoned their traditional armour.
regiments were divided into four light infantry
battalions. The cavalry consisted of three regiments of light cavalry and two each of dragoons and cuirassiers. The infantry returned to their traditional light blue, and in 1801 all branches of service introduced the Raupenhelm, a helmet with fore-and-aft horsehair plume, which became characteristic of the Bavarian army. Capable generals such as Deroy, Wrede and Triva reformed the army along French lines, and it soon became the most modern in Germany, and the first in Germany to abolish flogging. The field army was based largely on compulsory military service, and a national guard with three classes was also developed (1st class: Reserve battalions of the Line regiments; 2nd class: Territorial army; 3rd class: Citizen levy).
in 1800, Bavaria reluctantly fought on Austria's side against France, but in 1805 when Austria attacked Bavaria for the third time in 100 years, they found a powerful army. The Bavarians retreated initially, but only in order to link up with Napoleon's advancing army and to prepare the counter-attack, which took place quickly, methodically and thoroughly. 30,000 Bavarian troops took part in the successful Siege of Ulm
and the consequent liberation of Bavaria. At the Battle of Austerlitz
, the Bavarians secured the flanks and supply lines of Napoleon's army and in 1806-7 they forced several Prussian forts to surrender.
Bavaria was awarded the Austrian province of Tyrol
as a reward, but unrest erupted into a full-blown rebellion under Andreas Hofer
in 1809, which could only be put down with French assistance. When Austria attacked Bavaria once more in 1809, Napoleon's army was concentrated in Spain
, and it was troops of the Confederation of the Rhine
, predominantly Bavarian, which led the early campaigning against Austria. At the Battle of Wagram
, the contribution of Bavarian forces was decisive to the outcome.
In the Russian Campaign, the Bavarian army suffered terrible losses - of about 33,000 men (including following reinforcements) who marched in 1812, only 4,000 returned. Pressed by the Crown Prince
and General Wrede
, King Maximilan I Josef turned with a heavy heart away from the French and changed to the Allied camp shortly before the Battle of Leipzig
. The attempt by Wrede to stop the victory of the Grande Armée in 1813 at the Battle of Hanau
ended in a narrow defeat for his Austro-Bavarian corps. The campaign of 1814 began badly for the Allies, but Wrede made up for his earlier defeat with valuable victories over his former allies at the battles of Arcis-sur-Aube
and Bar-sur-Aube
.
In 1814, the Bavarian army consisted of a Grenadier Guard regiment, 16 regiments of Line Infantry, two battalions of Jäger, seven regiments of light cavalry (of which one territorial), one regiment of Uhlans, two Hussar regiments, one regiment of Garde du Corps (mounted royal bodyguard), two regiments of foot artillery and one of horse-artillery.
In 1815, the 7th (National) Light Cavalry regiment was formed into two Cuirassier regiments, and the Hussars and Uhlans were disbanded in 1822. Following the recommendations of the Military Savings Commission in 1826, one infantry regiment was converted into two Jäger battalions, and the Grenadier Guard regiment into an Infantry lifeguard regiment. The Garde du Corps became the 1st Cuirassier Regiment, and the previous 1st Cuirassier Regiement was merged into the 2nd Regiment.
The mobilisation of the army for the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866 was only concluded on 22 June, by which time the Prussian army was almost in Bohemia already. The war went very badly for the Bavarians. The Bavarian Commander-in-Chief Prince Karl
, who also commanded the southern forces of the German Confederation, was hurrying to the aid of the Kingdom of Hanover
when he heard of the Hanoverians' defeat at the Battle of Langensalza. The rapid advance of the Prussians meant that Karl was unable to link up with the western forces of the Confederation under Prince Alexander of Hesse, so the Bavarian troops withdrew to Bad Kissingen. After fierce fighting, the Bavarians withdrew to Schweinfurt
and Würzburg
(of which only the fortress and part of the city could be held). On 1 August, a Prussian reserve corps occupied Nuremberg
.
The difficulties of the Bavarian army were attributed mainly to the Bavarian Landtag (parliament), and to the military leadership. Thanks to constant cuts in the military budget, the Bavarian war ministry did not see itself in a position to accomplish manoeuvers above the brigade level. Apart from Prince Karl, and General von Thurn und Taxis
, no Bavarian General had ever commanded a division before. The newspapers also criticised the role of von der Tann
.
Due to this criticism, King Ludwig II appointed the battle-hardened veteran General Siegmund von Pranckh
as the new War Minister on 1 August. Von Prankh already had political experience as adjutant
to War Minister von Lüder, and contributed crucially to the modernisation of the Bavarian army with his reforms.
When the candidacy to the Spanish throne of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern led to a worsening in relations between Prussia and France in 1870, von Prankh mobilised the two Bavarian army corps on 14 July. The Bavarian Army Corps fought in the Franco-Prussian War
as part of the III Army under Crown Price Friedrich Wilhelm
(the I Army Corps under von der Tann, and the II Army Corps under Jakob Freiherr von Hartmann).
The Bavarians under Jakob von Hartmann
stormed Wissembourg
and took part in the Battles of Wörth, Beaumont
, Sedan
and the Siege of Paris
. Over 5,000 Bavarian soldiers died during the Franco-Prussian War.
and Württemberg
, its own troops, War Ministry and military justice system, but it was also excluded from the Empire-wide regimental re-numbering of the army regiments and would only come under Imperial control in times of war. Bavaria also kept its light-blue infantry uniforms, the Raupenhelm (until 1886), the Light Cavalry and some other peculiarities. The officers and men of the Bavarian Army continued to swear their oaths to the King of Bavaria and not the German Emperor. Nevertheless, the uniform cut, equipment and training was standardised to the Prussian model. When field-grey uniforms were introduced, only the cockade
and a blue-and-white lozenge edging to the collar distinguished Bavarian units.
At the beginning of World War I
, the Bavarian Army had an effective strength of 4,089 officers, physicians, veterinarians and officials; 83,125 NCOs and other ranks, as well as 16,918 horses. With the beginning of mobilisation on 1 August 1914, the supreme command of the Bavarian field army passed from the 4th Army Inspectorate to the German Emperor
. Units in Bavaria remained under the command of the Bavarian War Ministry. The Bavarian Army — consisting of the three Bavarian Army Corps, the Bavarian Cavalry Division — was joined by some additional Prussian units and transported to the Western Front as the German 6th Army under the command of Crown Prince Rupprecht
.
The Bavarian army fought at the Battle of the Frontiers
, the last time that it fought together as a single unit: the exclusive Bavarian command of Bavarian forces began to be diluted from the German Army reorganisations in Autumn 1914 onwards. Rupprecht held command for the duration of the war and was promoted to Field Marshal
in 1916 largely on account of his outstanding ability, however after Frontiers the units under his command came largely from outside Bavaria.
Although the German Empire fell in the German Revolution of 1918–1919, and King Ludwig III
was forced to abdicate, Bavaria retained its military sovereignty. However, the rise of the Bavarian Soviet Republic
and the confusion surrounding its overthrow and the defeat of its "Red Army" persuaded the drafters of the Bamberg Constitution of 1919 to relinquish military sovereignty to the Weimar Republic
. At any rate, the regular Bavarian troops had been demobilised after the war to the extent that most of the fighting against the Red Army was done by Freikorps
units and other German troops from outside Bavaria.
During World War I, around 200,000 members of the Royal Bavarian Army were killed.
Bavaria placed at first two and later three army corps in the army of the German Empire:
Bavarian Cavalry Division
Divisions
Bavarian infantry:
Bavarian reserve:
Bavarian Landwehr:
Bavarian Ersatz:
Mountain Troops:
, which offered the possibility for men to buy exemption by means of paying another to serve in your place (which had to be for a longer time). During the army reform of 1868, compulsory conscription was introduced with the special form of "One Year Voluntary Service".
Bavaria also maintained troops in the German Confederation fortresses of Landau
and Ulm
. The fortresses of Germersheim, Ingolstadt and Ulm were de-fortified according to the Treaty of Versailles
.
Electorate of Bavaria
The Electorate of Bavaria was an independent hereditary electorate of the Holy Roman Empire from 1623 to 1806, when it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Bavaria....
(1682–1806) and then Kingdom
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
(1806–1919) of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. It existed from 1682 as the standing army
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereignty (Wehrhoheit) of Bavaria into that of the German State in 1919. The Bavarian army was never comparable to the armies of the Great Powers of the 19th century, but did provide the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
dynasty with sufficient scope of action, in the context of effective alliance politics, to transform Bavaria from a territorially-disjointed small state to the second-largest state of the German Empire after Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
.
1682–1790: From the first standing army to the Napoleonic Wars
The Reichskriegsverfassung of 1681 obliged Bavaria to provide troops for the ImperialHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
army. Moreover, the establishment of a standing army was increasingly seen as a sign of nation-statehood and an important tool of absolutist
Absolutism (European history)
Absolutism or The Age of Absolutism is a historiographical term used to describe a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by all other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites...
power-politics. At a field camp in Schwabing on 12 October 1682, the newly-recruited troops were officially taken into Bavarian service. Seven regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, two regiments of dragoons and two of cuirassiers were set up, along with an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. The traditional mid-blue colour was already in wide use among the Bavarian infantry and would be used throughout from 1684. The cuirassiers and artillery wore light grey tunics, while the dragoons wore red or blue tunics. The army distinguished itself under Maximilian II
Maximilian II of Bavaria
Maximilian II of Bavaria was king of Bavaria from 1848 until 1864. He was son of Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.-Crown Prince:...
during the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
, particularly during the Siege of Belgrade
Siege of Belgrade (1688)
The Siege of Belgrade in 1688 was the fourth siege of that city, taking place during the Great Turkish War.Belgrade was at that time a part of the Ottoman Empire, and had been for 167 years. The Ottoman Empire was at war with the Holy League, the forces of which were led by the elector of Bavaria,...
.
During the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, Bavaria fought on the side of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After the defeat at the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
, the Bavarian army ceased to exist as a coherent fighting force, though small remainders continued to fight until the end of the war. Bavaria was occupied by Austrian forces after the war, which led to a rising of the people, bloodily put down at the so-called "Murderous Christmas of Sendling" (Sendlinger Mordweihnacht). By 1701, the composition of the army was the same as that during the Turkish wars, only now with three regiments each of cuirassiers and dragoons.
The attempt of the Crown Prince to gain the Imperial crown during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
was initially successful, but the campaign ended once again with an Austrian occupation of Bavaria.
At the beginning of the Seven Years War, the army consisted of eight infantry, two dragoon and three cuirassier regiments, and a brigade of artillery. In 1757, one of the cuirassier regiments was disbanded and distributed among other regiments, while only one company of dragoons in each regiment was mounted. Infantry regiments consisted of two battalions with four Füsilierkompanien (each of 130 men) and one infantry company (100 men) as well as two 4-Pounder battalion guns. The nominal strength of approximately 1,800 men for each regiment was never reached in the field. The Lifeguard regiment had three battalions, from which however only two stood in the field. Ten battalions of infantry were made available to the Habsburgs according to Bavaria's Imperial military obligations. They fought unsuccessfully at Schweidnitz, Breslau
Battle of Breslau (1757)
The Battle of Breslau was a battle fought on November 22, 1757 during the Seven Years' War. A Prussian army of 28,000 men fought an Austrian army of 84,000 men. The Prussians held off the Austrian attack, losing 6,000 men to the Austrians 5,000 men. But one day later the Prussians beat a retreat...
and Leuthen
Battle of Leuthen
In the Battle of Leuthen or Lissa, fought on 5 December 1757, Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine, thus ensuring Prussian control of Silesia during the Seven Years' War.- Background :While Frederick...
in 1757, as well as at Troppau, Olmütz
Battle of Domstadtl
The Battle of Domstadtl, also spelled Domstadt, Czech Domašov, was a battle between Habsburg Monarchy and Kingdom of Prussia at a Moravian village Domašov nad Bystřicí during the Seven Years' War on 30 June 1758, preceded by a minor clash at Guntramovice on 28 June...
and Neiße in 1758.
The unification between the Wittelsbachs and the Palatinate line added eight regiments to the infantry in 1777, and the Palatine troops brought with them a lighter blue tunic colour. The War of the Bavarian Succession is often known as the "Potato War" due to the amount of time and effort the sides expended in securing food supplies and denying them to the enemy, and the war actually passed relatively uneventfully for the Bavarian army.
In 1785, the infantry's uniform changed to white, and the cuirassiers abandoned their traditional armour.
1790–1871: The Napoleonic Wars until the German Empire
1790 brought a fundamental reform of the Bavarian army. All field troops received identically-cut uniforms, including a leather helmet with horsehair plume known as the "Rumford Casket" after the then minister for war Count Rumford. However, Maximilian IV found the army in abject condition on his accession to the throne in 1799: hardly any of the units was at full strength, the Rumford uniforms were unpopular and impractical, and the troops were badly-trained. The young Prince-Elector, who had served under the Ancien Régime in France as a colonel in the Royal Deux-Ponts regiment, made reconstruction of the army a priority. The line infantry was reduced to ten regiments, which were made up to their full strength. Two JägerJäger (military)
Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then....
regiments were divided into four light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
battalions. The cavalry consisted of three regiments of light cavalry and two each of dragoons and cuirassiers. The infantry returned to their traditional light blue, and in 1801 all branches of service introduced the Raupenhelm, a helmet with fore-and-aft horsehair plume, which became characteristic of the Bavarian army. Capable generals such as Deroy, Wrede and Triva reformed the army along French lines, and it soon became the most modern in Germany, and the first in Germany to abolish flogging. The field army was based largely on compulsory military service, and a national guard with three classes was also developed (1st class: Reserve battalions of the Line regiments; 2nd class: Territorial army; 3rd class: Citizen levy).
in 1800, Bavaria reluctantly fought on Austria's side against France, but in 1805 when Austria attacked Bavaria for the third time in 100 years, they found a powerful army. The Bavarians retreated initially, but only in order to link up with Napoleon's advancing army and to prepare the counter-attack, which took place quickly, methodically and thoroughly. 30,000 Bavarian troops took part in the successful Siege of Ulm
Battle of Ulm
The Battle of Ulm was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating in the surrender of an entire Austrian army near Ulm in Württemberg....
and the consequent liberation of Bavaria. At the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
, the Bavarians secured the flanks and supply lines of Napoleon's army and in 1806-7 they forced several Prussian forts to surrender.
Bavaria was awarded the Austrian province of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
as a reward, but unrest erupted into a full-blown rebellion under Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer was a Tirolean innkeeper and patriot. He was the leader of a rebellion against Napoleon's forces....
in 1809, which could only be put down with French assistance. When Austria attacked Bavaria once more in 1809, Napoleon's army was concentrated in Spain
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, and it was troops of the Confederation of the Rhine
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
, predominantly Bavarian, which led the early campaigning against Austria. At the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
, the contribution of Bavarian forces was decisive to the outcome.
In the Russian Campaign, the Bavarian army suffered terrible losses - of about 33,000 men (including following reinforcements) who marched in 1812, only 4,000 returned. Pressed by the Crown Prince
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
and General Wrede
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
, King Maximilan I Josef turned with a heavy heart away from the French and changed to the Allied camp shortly before the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
. The attempt by Wrede to stop the victory of the Grande Armée in 1813 at the Battle of Hanau
Battle of Hanau
The Battle of Hanau was fought on between Karl Philipp von Wrede’s Austro-Bavarian corps and Napoleon's retreating French during the War of the Sixth Coalition....
ended in a narrow defeat for his Austro-Bavarian corps. The campaign of 1814 began badly for the Allies, but Wrede made up for his earlier defeat with valuable victories over his former allies at the battles of Arcis-sur-Aube
Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube
The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube was Napoleon’s penultimate battle before his abdication and exile to Elba...
and Bar-sur-Aube
Battle of Bar-sur-Aube
The Battle of Bar-sur-Aube was fought on February 27, 1814, between the First French Empire and the Austrian Empire. The French were led by Nicolas Oudinot, while the Austrians and their Bavarian allies, forming the Army of Bohemia, were led by Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg...
.
In 1814, the Bavarian army consisted of a Grenadier Guard regiment, 16 regiments of Line Infantry, two battalions of Jäger, seven regiments of light cavalry (of which one territorial), one regiment of Uhlans, two Hussar regiments, one regiment of Garde du Corps (mounted royal bodyguard), two regiments of foot artillery and one of horse-artillery.
In 1815, the 7th (National) Light Cavalry regiment was formed into two Cuirassier regiments, and the Hussars and Uhlans were disbanded in 1822. Following the recommendations of the Military Savings Commission in 1826, one infantry regiment was converted into two Jäger battalions, and the Grenadier Guard regiment into an Infantry lifeguard regiment. The Garde du Corps became the 1st Cuirassier Regiment, and the previous 1st Cuirassier Regiement was merged into the 2nd Regiment.
The mobilisation of the army for 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 was only concluded on 22 June, by which time the Prussian army was almost in Bohemia already. The war went very badly for the Bavarians. The Bavarian Commander-in-Chief Prince Karl
Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria
Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty. He was the second son and fifth child of Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt .Prince Karl joined the Bavarian Army and rose to be Field Marshal in 1841...
, who also commanded the southern forces of the German Confederation, was hurrying to the aid of the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
when he heard of the Hanoverians' defeat at the Battle of Langensalza. The rapid advance of the Prussians meant that Karl was unable to link up with the western forces of the Confederation under Prince Alexander of Hesse, so the Bavarian troops withdrew to Bad Kissingen. After fierce fighting, the Bavarians withdrew to Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
(of which only the fortress and part of the city could be held). On 1 August, a Prussian reserve corps occupied Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
The difficulties of the Bavarian army were attributed mainly to the Bavarian Landtag (parliament), and to the military leadership. Thanks to constant cuts in the military budget, the Bavarian war ministry did not see itself in a position to accomplish manoeuvers above the brigade level. Apart from Prince Karl, and General von Thurn und Taxis
Thurn und Taxis
The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of many castles.- History :...
, no Bavarian General had ever commanded a division before. The newspapers also criticised the role of von der Tann
Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
Ludwig 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...
.
Due to this criticism, King Ludwig II appointed the battle-hardened veteran General Siegmund von Pranckh
Siegmund von Pranckh
Siegmund Freiherr von Pranckh was a Bavarian general and Minister of War. Pranckh joined the army in Munich in 1840 from the cadet corps and in 1849 worked on the staff of the Generalquartiermeister...
as the new War Minister on 1 August. Von Prankh already had political experience as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to War Minister von Lüder, and contributed crucially to the modernisation of the Bavarian army with his reforms.
When the candidacy to the Spanish throne of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern led to a worsening in relations between Prussia and France in 1870, von Prankh mobilised the two Bavarian army corps on 14 July. The Bavarian Army Corps fought 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...
as part of the III Army under Crown Price Friedrich Wilhelm
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
(the I Army Corps under von der Tann, and the II Army Corps under Jakob Freiherr von Hartmann).
The Bavarians under Jakob von Hartmann
Jakob von Hartmann
Jakob Freiherr von Hartmann was a Bavarian general who served in the Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War.-Early life and French service:...
stormed Wissembourg
Wissembourg
Wissembourg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in northeastern France.It is situated on the little River Lauter close to the border between France and Germany approximately north of Strasbourg and west of Karlsruhe. Wissembourg is a sub-prefecture of the department...
and took part in the 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...
, 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...
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....
. Over 5,000 Bavarian soldiers died during the Franco-Prussian War.
1871–1918: The German Empire
In the Imperial Constitution, Bavaria was able to secure for itself extensive rights, in particular regarding military sovereignty. Not only did the army retain, like the kingdoms of SaxonySaxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, its own troops, War Ministry and military justice system, but it was also excluded from the Empire-wide regimental re-numbering of the army regiments and would only come under Imperial control in times of war. Bavaria also kept its light-blue infantry uniforms, the Raupenhelm (until 1886), the Light Cavalry and some other peculiarities. The officers and men of the Bavarian Army continued to swear their oaths to the King of Bavaria and not the German Emperor. Nevertheless, the uniform cut, equipment and training was standardised to the Prussian model. When field-grey uniforms were introduced, only the cockade
Cockade
A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colors which is usually worn on a hat.-Eighteenth century:...
and a blue-and-white lozenge edging to the collar distinguished Bavarian units.
At the beginning of World War I
World 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...
, the Bavarian Army had an effective strength of 4,089 officers, physicians, veterinarians and officials; 83,125 NCOs and other ranks, as well as 16,918 horses. With the beginning of mobilisation on 1 August 1914, the supreme command of the Bavarian field army passed from the 4th Army Inspectorate to the German Emperor
German Emperor
This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the...
. Units in Bavaria remained under the command of the Bavarian War Ministry. The Bavarian Army — consisting of the three Bavarian Army Corps, the Bavarian Cavalry Division — was joined by some additional Prussian units and transported to the Western Front as the German 6th Army under the command of Crown Prince Rupprecht
Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria
Rupprecht 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...
.
The Bavarian army fought at 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...
, the last time that it fought together as a single unit: the exclusive Bavarian command of Bavarian forces began to be diluted from the German Army reorganisations in Autumn 1914 onwards. Rupprecht held command for the duration of the war and was promoted to Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
in 1916 largely on account of his outstanding ability, however after Frontiers the units under his command came largely from outside Bavaria.
Although the German Empire fell in the German Revolution of 1918–1919, and King Ludwig III
Ludwig III of Bavaria
Ludwig III , was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.-Early life:...
was forced to abdicate, Bavaria retained its military sovereignty. However, the rise of the Bavarian Soviet Republic
Bavarian Soviet Republic
The Bavarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Munich Soviet Republic was, as part of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the short-lived attempt to establish a socialist state in form of a council republic in the Free State of Bavaria. It sought independence from the also recently proclaimed...
and the confusion surrounding its overthrow and the defeat of its "Red Army" persuaded the drafters of the Bamberg Constitution of 1919 to relinquish military sovereignty to the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
. At any rate, the regular Bavarian troops had been demobilised after the war to the extent that most of the fighting against the Red Army was done by Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
units and other German troops from outside Bavaria.
During World War I, around 200,000 members of the Royal Bavarian Army were killed.
Pre and early war
- I Army CorpsI Royal Bavarian CorpsAs part of the 1868 army reform, the 1st Royal Bavarian Army Corps of the Bavarian Army was set up in 1869 in Munich as the Generalkommando for Swabia and Upper and Lower Bavaria. Like all Bavarian formations, it was placed under the 4th Army As part of the 1868 army reform, the 1st Royal...
in MunichMunichMunich 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...
- 1st Division1st Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 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...
in Munich - 2nd Division2nd Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 2nd 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...
in AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
- 1st Division
- II Army Corps in WürzburgWürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
- 3rd Division3rd Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 3rd 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 an Infantry Division of the Würzburg General Command...
in LandauLandauLandau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the... - 4th Division4th Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 4th 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 an Infantry Division of the Würzburg General Command...
in Würzburg
- 3rd Division
- III Army Corps in NurembergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
- 5th Division5th Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 5th 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 October 1, 1890 in Landau as the 5th Division and swapped division numbers with the Nuremberg-based 3rd Royal Bavarian...
in Nuremberg - 6th Division in6th Royal Bavarian DivisionThe 6th 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 April 1, 1900 and was headquartered in Regensburg...
RegensburgRegensburgRegensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
- 5th Division
Bavarian Cavalry Division
Bavarian Cavalry Division (German Empire)
The Bavarian Cavalry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on 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...
Raised during World War I
Corps- I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps
- XV Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps
Divisions
Bavarian infantry:
- 10th Bavarian Infantry Division10th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)The 10th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 3, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
- 11th Bavarian Infantry Division11th Bavarian Infantry Division (German Empire)The 11th Bavarian Infantry Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on March 24, 1915 and organized over the next few weeks. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in the spring of 1915...
- 12th Bavarian Infantry Division
- 14th Bavarian Infantry Division
- 15th Bavarian Infantry Division
- 16th Bavarian Infantry Division
Bavarian reserve:
- 1st Bavarian Reserve Division1st Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 1st Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on 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...
- 5th Bavarian Reserve Division5th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 5th Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on 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...
- 6th Bavarian Reserve Division6th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 6th Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on 10 September 1914 and organized over the next month...
- 8th Bavarian Reserve Division8th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 8th Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed at the end of December 1914 and organized over the next month, arriving in the line in late January 1915. It was part of the second large wave of new divisions formed at the outset of...
- 9th Bavarian Reserve Division9th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 9th Bavarian Reserve Division was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed on September 26, 1916 and entered the line in October. It was part of a large wave of new divisions formed in the summer and autumn of 1916 and was recruited in the Kingdom of Bavaria...
- 30th Bavarian Reserve Division30th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 30th Royal Bavarian Reserve Division was a reserve infantry division of the Imperial German Army in World War I. It was initially the Main Reserve, Fortress Strasbourg and was designated the 30th Reserve Division from mobilization in August 1914...
- 39th Bavarian Reserve Division39th Bavarian Reserve Division (German Empire)The 39th Royal Bavarian Reserve Division was a reserve infantry division of the Imperial German Army in World War I. It was raised to division status on October 2, 1914 from an ad hoc unit, "Brigade von Rekowski", and named "Division von Rekowski" . On December 8, 1914 it was renamed the 39th...
Bavarian Landwehr:
- 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division1st Bavarian Landwehr Division (German Empire)The 1st Bavarian Landwehr Division was a unit of the Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I...
- 2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division (German Empire)The 2nd Bavarian Landwehr Division was a unit of the Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on December 31, 1916. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I...
- 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division6th Bavarian Landwehr Division (German Empire)The 6th Bavarian Landwehr Division was a unit of the Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, in World War I. The division was formed on February 20, 1915. It was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I...
Bavarian Ersatz:
- Bavarian Ersatz DivisionBavarian Ersatz Division (German Empire)The Bavarian Ersatz Division was a division of the Imperial German Army in World War I. It was formed in August 1914 and dissolved in 1919 in the demobilization following the Armistice which ended the war...
Mountain Troops:
- AlpenkorpsAlpenkorps (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:...
Officer corps
The Bavarian Army had a smaller proportion of aristocratic officers than the Prussian Army: in 1832 there were 1.86 common officers for every one noble; by 1862 it was 2.34 commoners for every noble and by the outbreak of the First World War 5.66. Since the dissolution in 1826 of the Lifeguard unit, there was no specific Guard regiment. Only in the following units was the proportion of aristocratic officers considerably higher than average:- 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment "Prince Karl of Bavaria" (formerly 1st Cuirassiers).
- 1st Royal Bavarian Uhlan Regiment "Emperor Wilhelm II, King of Prussia"
- Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards RegimentRoyal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards RegimentThe Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment was a household-bodyguard regiment of the Bavarian kings from the end of the Napoleonic Wars until the fall of the Wittelsbach monarchy and the related resolution of the Bavarian army.- Predecessors :...
NCO corps
The Bavarian NCO Corps consisted of long-serving and career soldiers, usually recruited from those completing military service. There was a strict career separation between Officers and NCOs, which led to substantial social problems during the First World War due to the way qualified NCOs were blocked from promotion to officer ranks.Recruitment
According to the constitution of 1808, until 1868, recruitment was according to a system of conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, which offered the possibility for men to buy exemption by means of paying another to serve in your place (which had to be for a longer time). During the army reform of 1868, compulsory conscription was introduced with the special form of "One Year Voluntary Service".
Landwehr
In 1809, after the French model, the territorial forces were converted into a National Guard, which from 1814 to 1868 was known as the Landwehr of the Kingdom of Bavaria. During the 1868 reforms, the older classes of reserves became known as the Landsturm. The Landwehr also took responsibility for supervising the veterans' associations.Garrisons
The bulk of the Bavarian army was housed in fortresses, secularised monasteries and former castles. The first co-ordinated programme of barracks-building took place in 1806 (such as the New Isar Barracks), and after a typhoid outbreak in 1881, modern buildings with married quarters were built (such as the Prince Leopold Barracks). In 1838, Bavaria maintained seven fortresses, with another under construction:- Forchheim
- IngolstadtIngolstadtIngolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
- Veste-Oberhaus
- Rosenberg ob Kronach
- Rothenberg bei Schnaittach
- Wülzburg
- Fortress Marienburg in Würzburg
- Germersheim (under construction)
Bavaria also maintained troops in the German Confederation fortresses of Landau
Landau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
and Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
. The fortresses of Germersheim, Ingolstadt and Ulm were de-fortified according to the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
.
See also
- Quartermaster Generals and Chiefs of the General Staff of the ArmyChief of the General Staff (Kingdom of Bavaria)The Chief of the General Staff of the Bavarian army was the military leader of the armed forces in the Kingdom of Bavaria.- Names of the General Staff of the Army commanders :...