The VIII Corps of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
(
Turkish: ''8 nci Kolordu'' ''or'' ''Sekizinci Kolordu'') was one of the
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
of the
Ottoman Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922.
Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
. It was formed in the early 20th century as part of the Ottoman military reforms.
Formation
Order of Battle, 1911
With further reorganizations of the Ottoman Army, to include the creation of corps level headquarters, by 1911 the VIII Corps was headquartered in
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
. The Corps before the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
in 1911 was structured as such:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Defeat in Detail, The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912–1913'', Westport, Praeger, 2003, p. 379.]
*VIII Corps,
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
**
25th Division,
Dera
***73rd Infantry Regiment, Dera
***74th Infantry Regiment,
Suveydiye
***75th Infantry Regiment,
Kerek
***25th Rifle Battalion,
Maan
***25th Division Band, Dera
**
26th Division,
Halep
***76th Infantry Regiment, Halep
***77th Infantry Regiment,
Maraş
***78th Infantry Regiment,
Adana
Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...
***26th Rifle Battalion, Halep
***26th Field Artillery Regiment, Halep
***26th Division Band, Halep
**
27th Division,
Beyrut
***79th Infantry Regiment,
Hayfa
***80th Infantry Regiment, Beyrut
***81st Infantry Regiment,
Kudüs
***27th Rifle Battalion,
Mesiha
***27th Division Band, Beyrut
*Units of VIII Corps
*8th Rifle Regiment, Damascus
*9th Cavalry Brigade, Damascus
**28th Cavalry Regiment, Dera
**29th Cavalry Regiment,
Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...
**30th Cavalry Regiment, Damascus
*2nd Mountain Artillery Battalion, Damascus
*8th Mountain Artillery Battalion, Damascus
*6th Engineer Battalion,
Humus
In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...
*6th Transport Battalion, Damascus
*Railroad Regiment,
Medina
Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
Balkan Wars
Order of Battle, 19 October 1912
On 19 October 1912, the VIII Provisional Corps was placed under the
Western Army and faced the Greek
Army of Thessaly. Its composition was as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Defeat in Detail, The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912–1913'', Westport, Praeger, 2003, p. 170.]
*
22nd Regular (''Nizamiye'') Division
*Nasliç Reserve (''Redif'') Division
*Aydın Reserve (''Redif'') Division
Order of Battle, July 1913
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
25th Division,
26th Division
World War I
Order of Battle, August 1914
In August 1914, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 38.]
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
25th Division,
27th Division
Order of Battle, November 1914
In November 1914, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 43.]
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
23rd Division, 25th Division, 27th Division
Order of Battle, Late April 1915
In Late April 1915, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 86.]
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
8th Division,
10th Division, 23rd Division, 25th Division, 27th Division
Order of Battle, Late Summer 1915, January 1916
In Late Summer 1915, January 1916, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 109, 126.]
*VIII Corps (Syria-Palestine)
**23rd Division, 24th Division, 27th Division
Order of Battle, August 1916, December 1916
In August 1916, December 1916, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 134, 154.]
*VIII Corps (Syria-Palestine)
**
3rd Division, 23rd Division, 24th Division, 27th Division
Order of Battle, August 1917
In August 1917, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 170.]
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
48th Division
Order of Battle, January 1918, June 1918
In January 1918, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 181.]
*VIII Corps (Syria)
**
43rd Division, 48th Division
Order of Battle, January 1918, June 1918
In June 1918, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 188.]
*VIII Corps (Palestine)
**43rd Division, 48th Division
Order of Battle, September 1918
In September 1918, the corps was structured as follows:
[Edward J. Erickson, ''Order to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War'', Greenwood Press, 2001, , p. 197.]
*VIII Corps (Palestine)
**48th Division, Provisional Infantry Division
Sources
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Corps of the Ottoman Empire
Military units and formations of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars
Military units and formations of the Ottoman Empire in World War I
Military history of Damascus