The 1st Guards Reserve Division (''1. Garde-Reserve-Division'') was a reserve infantry division of the
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
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 ...
. It was a reserve formation of the Prussian Guards, the elite regiments raised throughout the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 as part of the
Guards Reserve Corps and dissolved in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after the Armistice.
The division saw action on both the
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
Eastern Fronts during World War I. It was not heavily engaged in the war's major well-known battles, but was rated by Allied intelligence as a dependable division willing to take losses to hold and retake the line.
[''Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919'' (1920), pp.22-25]
online
.
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914, the reserves of the Prussian Guards were called up and formed into the 1st Guard Reserve Division. The 1st Guard Reserve Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:
[Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle'']
*1.Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**1. Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment
**2. Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment
**Garde-Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon
*15.Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 64
**Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 93
**Garde-Reserve-Schützen-Bataillon
*Garde-Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment
*Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Brigade:
**1.Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment
**3.Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment
*2./2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 28
*3./2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 28
Order of battle on February 23, 1918
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
triangular
A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimensional ...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "
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 "maneuver," i.e., infantry regimental elements. Other types of regiments, such as artiller ...
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 1st Guard Reserve Division's order of battle on February 23, 1918, was as follows:
*1. Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade:
**1. Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment
**2. Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment
**Garde-Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 64
**MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 70
*1. Eskadron/Garde-Reserve-Dragoner-Regiment
*Garde-Artillerie-Kommandeur 8:
**1.Garde-Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment
**II./2.Garde-Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment
*Stab 2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 28:
**2./2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 28
**3./2. Brandenburgisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 28
**5.Garde-Minenwerfer-Kompanie
*Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung Nr. 401
References
1.Garde-Reserve-Division - Der erste Weltkrieg* ''Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918), compiled from records of Intelligence section of the General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, at General Headquarters, Chaumont, France 1919'' (1920
online
* Hermann Cron et al., ''Ruhmeshalle unserer alten Armee'' (Berlin, 1935)
* Hermann Cron, ''Geschichte des deutschen Heeres im Weltkriege 1914-1918'' (Berlin, 1937)
External links
Histories of two hundred and fifty-one divisions of the German army which participated in the war (1914-1918)(p. 22-25)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Guards Reserve Division (German Empire)
Military units and formations established in 1914
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
1914 establishments in Germany
Guards reserve divisions of Germany in World War I