The 2nd Division was a unit of the ''
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
''.
Creation
In the Order of 31 July 1920 for the Reduction of the Army (to comply with the upper limits on the size of the military contained in the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
), it was determined that in every ''Wehrkreis'' (
military district) a division would be established by 1 October 1920. The 2nd Division was formed in January 1921 out of the ''Reichswehrs 2nd and 9th Brigades, both part of the former ''Übergangsheer'' (Transition Army).
It consisted of 3 infantry regiments, the 4th, 5th, and 6th. It also consisted of the 2nd Artillery Regiment, an engineering battalion, a signals battalion, a transportation battalion, and a medical battalion.
The commander of ''Wehrkreis'' II was simultaneously the commander of the 2nd Division. For the leadership of the troops, an ''Infanterieführer'' and an ''Artillerieführer'' were appointed, both subordinated to the commander of the division.
[Edgar Graf von Matuschka: ''Organisation des Reichsheeres.'' in: ''Handbuch zur deutschen Militärgeschichte 1648–1939.'' Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (Hrsg.). Freiburg (Breisgau). Teil VI: ''Reichswehr und Republik (1918–1933).'' Bernard & Graefe Verlag für Wehrwesen, Frankfurt am Main 1970, S. 317.]
The unit ceased to exist as such after October 1934, and its subordinate units were transferred to one of the 21 new divisions created in that year.
Organization
* 4th Infantry Regiment
* 5th Infantry Regiment
* 6th Infantry Regiment
* 2nd Artillery Regiment
* Pioneer Battalion
* Signals Battalion
* Transportation Battalion
* Medical Battalion
Divisional commanders
* ''
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 ...
''
Erich Weber Pascha (1 October 1920 - 16 June 1921)
* ''General der Infanterie'' Hans Freiherr von Hammerstein-Gesmold (16 June 1921 - 1 February 1923)
* ''General der Infanterie'' Erich von Tschischwitz (1 February 1923 - 1 February 1927)
* ''General der Infanterie''
Joachim vom Amsberg (1 February 1927 - 30 September 1929)
* ''General der Infanterie'' Rudolf Schniewindt (1 October 1929 - 30 September 1931)
* ''
Generalleutnant
() is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...
''
Fedor von Bock
Moritz Albrecht Franz Friedrich Fedor von Bock (3 December 1880 – 4 May 1945) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) who served in the German Army during the Second World War. Bock served as the commander of Army Group ...
(1 October 1931 - 1 April 1935)
''Infanterieführers''
* ''Generalleutnant''
Waldemar Erfurth (1 October 1929 - 30 September 1931)
* ''Generalleutnant'' Wilhelm Ulex (1 August 1935 - 15 October 1935)
''Artillerieführers''
* ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...
''
Werner von Fritsch
Thomas Ludwig Werner Freiherr von Fritsch (4 August 1880 – 22 September 1939) was a German ''Generaloberst'' (Full General, full general) who served as Oberkommando des Heeres, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army fro ...
(1 March 1930 - 30 September 1931)
Garrison
The divisional headquarters was in
Stettin
Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...
.
Notes
* Georg Tessin: ''Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918–1939.'' Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, , S. 189 ff.
References
{{Divisions of the Reichswehr
Infantry divisions of Germany
Military units and formations established in 1920
Military units and formations disestablished in 1934