The 12th Army () was an
army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
level command of the
German Army
The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
formed in August 1915 by the redesignation of Gallwitz. It served exclusively on the
Eastern Front and was dissolved on 9 October 1916 when its commander,
General der Infanterie General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to:
* General of the Infantry (Austria)
* General of the Infantry (Bulgaria)
* General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...
Max von Fabeck
Herrmann Gustav Karl Max von Fabeck (6 May 1854 – 16 December 1916) was a Prussian military officer and a German '' General der Infantarie'' during World War I. He commanded the 13th Corps in the 5th Army and took part in the Race to the Sea on ...
, was transferred to
8th Army.
History
On 9 February 1915
Guards Reserve Corps was redesignated ''Armee-Gruppe'' Gallwitz. Its commander was raised to the status of an Army Commander on 18 March 1915 and his ''Armee-Gruppe'' was redesignated as 12th Army on 7 August 1915.
On 22 July, the armies of Central Powers crossed the
Vistula river
The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra ...
. In August, the Russian Fourth Army left the
Ivangorod
Ivangorod ( rus, Иванго́род, p=ɪvɐnˈɡorət; ; ) is a town in Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the east bank of the Narva river which flows along the Estonia–Russia international border, west of Sain ...
fortress. With the continuing Russian retreat, Warsaw became isolated, and the 12th Army seized the opportunity and conquered it on 4–5 August.
Commanders
''Armee-Gruppe'' Gallwitz was redesignated as 12th Army on 7 August 1915 with von Gallwitz remaining in command. The 12th Army was dissolved on 9 October 1916 when its commander was transferred to
8th Army.
Glossary
*''Armee-Abteilung'' or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.
*''Armee-Gruppe'' or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
*''Heeresgruppe'' or
Army Group
An army group is a military organization consisting of several field army, field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organizatio ...
in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.
See also
*
12th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 12th Army (German: ''12. Armee'') was a World War II field army of the Wehrmacht.
History Campaign in the west
The 12th Army was activated on October 13, 1939, with General Wilhelm List in command. First seeing defensive action along the Sieg ...
for the equivalent formation in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
*
Great Retreat (Russian)
The Great Retreat was a strategic withdrawal and evacuation on the Eastern Front of World War I in 1915. The Imperial Russian Army gave up the salient in Galicia and the Polish Congress Kingdom. The Russian Empire's critically under-equ ...
References
Bibliography
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Military units and formations established in 1915
Military units and formations disestablished in 1916