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87-694: On 30 September 1919, much of the Imperial German Army was dissolved. The Reichswehr (of the Weimar Republic ) took its place, and four commands of the type Reichswehrgruppenkommando were created, as well as seven Wehrkreiskommando commands, each assigned to one of the seven initial Wehrkreise of the Weimar Republic (numbered I through VII). The Reichswehrgruppenkommandos (which combined under them several military units across Wehrkreis lines) were soon reduced in number from four to two. Each of

174-718: A Military Cabinet and exercised control through the Prussian Ministry of War and the Great General Staff . The Chief of the General Staff became the Kaiser's main military adviser and the most powerful military figure in the empire. Bavaria kept its own Ministry of War and General Staff , but coordinated planning with the Prussian General Staff. Saxony also maintained its own Ministry of War and General Staff, and

261-529: A former principality and free state . The seventeen districts and nine independent cities of Westphalia and the single district of Lippe are members of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association ( Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe ). Previous to the formation of Westphalia as a province of Prussia and later state part of North Rhine-Westphalia, the term "Westphalia" was applied to different territories of different sizes such as

348-408: A geographical area. The corps was also responsible for maintaining the reserves and Landwehr in the corps area. By 1914, there were 21 corps areas under Prussian jurisdiction and three Bavarian army corps. Besides the regional corps, there was also a Guard Corps ( Gardecorps ), which controlled the elite Prussian Guard units. A corps usually included a light infantry ( Jäger ) battalion,

435-400: A heavy artillery ( Fußartillerie ) battalion, an engineer battalion, a telegraph battalion, and a trains battalion. Some corps areas also disposed of fortress troops; each of the 25 corps had a Field Aviation Unit ( Feldflieger Abteilung ) attached to it normally equipped with six unarmed "A" or "B" class unarmed two-seat observation aircraft apiece. In wartime, the army corps became

522-538: A large amount of territories in the Westphalian region and created the Province of Westphalia in 1815. After in 1816, the former Duchy of Westphalia and the counties of Wittgenstein and in 1851 the condominium of Lippstadt had joined the province, Westphalia had received its modern territorial shape. In 1816, the governmental districts of Arnsberg, Minden and Münster were created. After World War II in 1946,

609-553: A mobile tactical formation and four Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando (Higher Cavalry Commands) were formed from the Cavalry Inspectorate, the equivalent of corps, being made up of two divisions of cavalry. The areas formerly covered by the corps each became the responsibility of a Wehrkreis (military district, sometimes translated as corps area). The military districts were to supervise the training and enlistment of reservists and new recruits. Originally each military district

696-986: A part of Westphalia as a historic region. The District of Lippe as successor of the Free State of Lippe in the Governmental District of Detmold is rather considered to be a separate historic region. [REDACTED] Governmental District of Arnsberg 3,582,497 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2018 ) 8,010 km (3,094 sq mi) (all districts and independent cities) [REDACTED] Governmental District of Detmold 1,706,919 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2018 ) 5,280 km (2,038 sq mi) (all districts and independent cities except District of Lippe ) [REDACTED] Governmental District of Münster 2,623,619 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2018 ) 6,920 km (2,671 sq mi) (all districts and independent cities) The traditional symbol of Westphalia

783-612: Is divided into the following landscapes. Flat to hilly (498 m or 1,634 ft and under): East Westphalia , Münsterland , eastern Ruhr Metropolitan Area , Tecklenburg Land , Westphalian Hellweg Hilly to mountainous (up to 843 m or 2,766 ft): Westphalian part of the Sauerland , Siegerland , Wittgenstein Eastern Ruhr Metropolitan Area East Westphalia Münsterland Siegerland Westphalia

870-958: Is known for the 1648 Peace of Westphalia which ended the Thirty Years' War , as the two treaties were signed in Münster and Osnabrück . It is one of the regions that were part of all incarnations of the German state since the Early Middle Ages : the Holy Roman Empire , the Confederation of the Rhine , the German Confederation , the North German Confederation , the German Empire ,

957-738: Is roughly the region in between the rivers Rhine and Weser , located both north and south of the Ruhr River. Other important rivers are the Ems and the Lippe . The Langenberg (843 m or 2,766 ft) and the Kahler Asten (842 m or 2,762 ft) in the Sauerland part of the Rothaar Mountains are Westphalia's and also North Rhine-Westphalia's highest mountains. The term "Westphalia" contrasts with

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1044-619: Is the Westphalian Steed: a white horse on a red field. It is derived from the Saxon Steed in the coat of arms of the medieval Duchy of Saxony which most of today's Westphalia was part of. In official contexts the coat of arms of Westphalia is being used by the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association, which represents these two historic parts of North Rhine-Westphalia. The coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia uses

1131-541: The 2nd Division of the Reichswehr. Wehrkreis III was headquartered at Berlin and contained roughly the territories of the modern-day German state of Brandenburg and the historic province of Neumark . Wehrkreis III was the home district of III Army Corps (after June 1942: III Panzer Corps), which was formed in October 1934 from the 3rd Division of the Reichswehr. Wehrkreis IV was headquartered at Dresden and contained

1218-514: The General Offensive of 1 March 1949 . Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army ( German : Deutsches Heer ), 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 Prussia , and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of

1305-738: The Ministry of War of Württemberg and General Staff also continued to exist. The command of the Prussian Army had been reformed in the wake of the defeats suffered by Prussia in the Napoleonic Wars . Rather than rely primarily on the martial skills of the individual members of the German nobility, who dominated the military profession, the Prussian Army instituted changes to ensure excellence in leadership, organisation, and planning. The General Staff system, which sought to institutionalise military excellence,

1392-606: The Operation Product that mounted by the Dutch East Indies , which caused Renville Agreement . The agreement forced Indonesian military commanders such as Sudirman , T. B. Simatupang , and Abdul Haris Nasution to abandon the traditional linear defense formation of their army; this was formalized in a "strategy command order" issued by Sudirman that same year, which formally adopted the Wehrkreis system, since they viewed

1479-636: The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 made the easternmost portion of today's Westphalia part of the French client Kingdom of Westphalia until 1813, when the kingdom was dissolved by the Russians. While this state shared its name with the historical region, it only contained a relatively small part of Westphalia, rather consisting of mostly Hessian and Eastphalian regions. Following to the Congress of Vienna , Prussia received

1566-533: The Wehrkreis . Command of the Wehrkreis passed to the corps second-in-command at the outbreak of war. At the start of the war, there were fifteen Districts in Germany. Two Austrian Districts had been added after the Anschluss of 1938. During the war, four were added, and some Districts had territory added to them from other countries conquered by Germany. Wehrkreis I was headquartered at Königsberg and contained

1653-813: The Weimar Republic and National Socialist Germany . After World War II it was a part of the British occupation zone which merged with the American zone to become the Bizone in 1947 and again merged with the French zone to become the Trizone in 1948. The current Federal Republic of Germany was founded on these territories making Westphalia a part of West Germany . It is a part of united Germany since 1990. Around AD 1 there were numerous incursions through Westphalia and perhaps even some permanent Roman or Romanized settlements. The Battle of

1740-579: The Westphalian variant of the Low German language , Central German and Low Franconian dialects are spoken in the Northern Rhineland. These different regional identities are often being emphasized by different majorities of denomination between Roman Catholics and Lutheran Protestants . The different majorities date back to the days of the territorial fragmentation of the Holy Roman Empire (of

1827-559: The 17th and 18th centuries, but most of it remained divided by duchies and other areas of feudal power. The Peace of Westphalia of 1648, signed in Münster and Osnabrück, ended the Thirty Years' War . The concept of nation-state sovereignty resulting from the treaty became known as " Westphalian sovereignty ". After the defeat of the Prussian Army by the French at the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt ,

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1914-540: The 1860s, they surveyed the major European forces and decided that the Prussian system was the best one. That system was continued into the Imperial Army after 1871 and resulted in a modest cadre of professional officers and sergeants, and a large reserve force that could be quickly mobilised at the start of a war. The British could not use the system because they rejected conscription. The Japanese, however, were also observing

2001-641: The 1871 Constitution of the German Empire , an Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) was created. The Constitution of the German Empire, dated April 16, 1871, changed references in the North German Constitution from Federal Army to either Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) or German Army ( Deutsches Heer ). The contingents of the Bavarian , Saxon , and Württemberg kingdoms remained semi-autonomous, while

2088-618: The Bavarian Army. These divisions were all mobilised in August 1914. They were reorganised, receiving engineer companies and other support units from their corps, and giving up most of their cavalry to form cavalry divisions. Reserve divisions were also formed, Landwehr brigades were aggregated into divisions, and other divisions were formed from replacement ( Ersatz ) units. As World War I progressed, additional divisions were formed, and by wars' end, 251 divisions had been formed or reformed in

2175-701: The Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as the Federal Army ( Bundesheer ). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century , such as the First Schleswig War from 1848 to 1852. However, by the time of the Second Schleswig War of 1864, tension had grown between the main powers of the confederation, the Austrian Empire and

2262-520: The First World War, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg increasingly set foreign policy, working directly with the emperor—and indeed shaped his decision-making—leaving the chancellor and civilian officials in the dark. Historian Gordon A. Craig says that the crucial decisions in 1914, "were made by the soldiers and that, in making them, they displayed an almost complete disregard for political considerations." The Kaiser had full control of

2349-579: The German North Sea coast, as well as parts of the Baltic Sea coast. Wehrkreis X was the home district of the X Army Corps , which was formed on 15 October 1935 from the Cavalry Corps. Wehrkreis XI was headquartered at Hanover . It contained territories in northern-central Germany, including large parts of what in the modern day is southeastern Lower Saxony and northern Saxony-Anhalt . Wehrkreis XI

2436-518: The German Army during World War I. Although its name actually means something very close to the "Air Forces", it remained an integral part of the German Army for the duration of the war. The Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire had their own, separate Marine-Fliegerabteilung maritime aviation forces, apart from the Luftstreitkräfte of the army. The German Army from 1871 to 1914 inherited

2523-465: The German Army's structure. The regiment was the basic combat unit as well as the recruiting base for soldiers. When inducted, a soldier entered a regiment, usually through its replacement or training battalion, and received his basic training. There were three basic types of regiment: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Other specialties, such as pioneers (combat engineers) and signal troops, were organised into smaller support units. Regiments also carried

2610-572: The German Empire in World War I (1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term Deutsches Heer refers to the German Army , the land component of the Bundeswehr . The states that made up the German Empire contributed their armies; within the German Confederation , formed after the Napoleonic Wars , each state was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of

2697-543: The German General Staff upon the formation of the German Empire, given Prussia's leading role in the German Army. In the German Empire, diplomatic relations were the responsibility of the Chancellor and his Foreign Minister. The German Army reported separately to the emperor, and increasingly played a major role in shaping foreign policy when military alliances or warfare was at issue. In diplomatic terms, Germany used

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2784-546: The German Nation) which existed until 1806. The Münsterland and the region around Paderborn for instance are still mainly Catholic regions because of the former existence of the prince-bishoprics of Münster and Paderborn . The mainly Reformed Lippe was even able to retain its independence as a small state within Germany in the form of a principality until 1918 and as a free state until 1946. This continues to influence

2871-568: The German military district system enabled the Defence in depth in response to the Dutch positional advantages in artificial line that covered in that agreement. General Simatupang noted that he use the term of Wehrkreise from a german book. The establishment of this doctrine resulted in the formation of five Wehrkreise districts in West Java . Historian Robert Elson rationalize that this strategy enabled

2958-578: The Indonesian army to conduct guerilla warfare in following conflict with Dutch army during Operation Kraai . General Nasution viewed the Wehrkreise system were important for each Indonesian army districts to mount resistance independently. Barry Turner has noted the similarities of Indonesian Wehrkreise implemented by Nasution with the Germans in aspect of dividing of tier forces between the mobile force units and

3045-576: The Kingdom of Prussia, and the German Confederation was dissolved after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Prussia formed the North German Confederation and the treaty provided for the maintenance of a Federal Army and a Federal Navy ( Bundesmarine or Bundeskriegsmarine ). Further laws on military duty also used these terms. Conventions (some later amended) were entered into between

3132-608: The North German Confederation and its member states, subordinating their armies to the Prussian Army in time of war, and giving the Prussian Army control over training, doctrine, and equipment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the North German Confederation also entered into conventions on military matters with states that were not members of the confederation, namely Bavaria , Württemberg , and Baden . Through these conventions and

3219-510: The Prussian Army assumed almost total control over the armies of the other states of the Empire. After 1871, the peacetime armies of the four kingdoms remained relatively distinct. The term "German Army" was used in various legal documents, such as the Military Penal Code, but otherwise, the Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, and Württemberg armies maintained their distinct identities. Each kingdom had its own War Ministry, Bavaria and Saxony published their own rank and seniority lists for their officers and

3306-425: The Prussian system of military attachés attached to diplomatic locations, with highly talented young officers assigned to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and military capabilities of their assigned nations. They used close observation, conversations, and paid agents to produce very high-quality reports that gave a significant advantage to the military planners. The military staff grew increasingly powerful, reducing

3393-461: The Saxon Steed. Composed in Iserlohn in 1886 by Emil Rittershaus , the Westfalenlied is an unofficial anthem of Westphalia. While the Northern Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe are different historic territories of today's North Rhine-Westphalia , the old border between the former Rhine Province and the Province of Westphalia is also a language border. While in Westphalia and Lippe, people tend to speak West Low German dialects and especially

3480-564: The Teutoburg Forest took place near Osnabrück, which at this time was a place of settlement of the Westphalians, who were a part of the Germanic tribe of the Saxons . Some of the tribes who fought at this battle came from the area of Westphalia. Charlemagne is thought to have spent considerable time in Paderborn and nearby parts. His Saxon Wars also partly took place in what is thought of as Westphalia today. Popular legends link his adversary Widukind to places near Detmold, Bielefeld, Lemgo, Osnabrück and other places in Westphalia. Widukind

3567-476: The Wehrkreise was tasked to deploy one division by 1 October 1920 (resulting in the 1st through 7th Divisions of the Reichswehr, with the divisional ordinal number matching the cardinal number of the respective Wehrkreis). These seven (infantry) divisions were additionally joined by three cavalry divisions. In peacetime, the 13 Wehrkreise were the home to the army corps of the same number and all subordinate units of that formation. The corps commander also commanded

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3654-406: The Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association uses these colours with the Westphalian coat of arms in its centre. The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia is a combination of the Northern Rhineland's colours green/white and the Westphalian white/red. The flag of the Prussian Province of Westphalia already displayed the colours white and red. The flag of Lower Saxony shows the colours of Germany and

3741-479: The Westphalian Steed to represent Westphalia as one of its parts alongside the Lippish Rose representing Lippe and the Rhine River representing the Northern Rhineland. Prussia already used the Westphalian Steed in the coat of arms of its Province of Westphalia . The coat of arms of Lower Saxony uses a different version of the Saxon Steed since the state also covers large parts of the Old Saxons' duchy. The colours of Westphalia are white and red. The flag of

3828-409: The Württemberg list was a separate chapter of the Prussian Army rank lists. Württemberg and Saxon units were numbered according to the Prussian system but Bavarian units maintained their own numbers (the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment was Infantry Regiment No. 120 under the Prussian system). The commander of the Imperial German Army, less the Bavarian contingent, was the Kaiser . He was assisted by

3915-421: The armed forces but the organisation was highly complex. In peacetime the Imperial German Army was divided into four basic levels, the Army inspectorate ( Armee-Inspektion ), the army corps ( Armeekorps ), the division, and the regiment. During wartime, the staff of the Army inspectorates formed field army commands, which controlled the corps and subordinate units. During World War I, a higher command level,

4002-417: The army group ( Heeresgruppe ), was created. Each army group controlled several field armies. Germany was divided into army inspectorates, each of which oversaw three or four corps. There were five in 1871, with three more added between 1907 and 1913. The basic organisational formation was the army corps ( Armeekorps ). The corps consisted of two or more divisions and various support troops, covering

4089-439: The differences becoming less over time, the origin of units would be denoted on the uniform in the colours of the rank insignia until the early 20th century. They also had different cockades on the headgear. The Imperial cockade was to be worn above the state cockade on hats and caps, while they were worn on the right (state on the left) of helmets and more specialised headgear. When the British decided to reform their army in

4176-411: The historic province of Westphalia , much of the Lower Rhine , and parts of modern-day Lower Saxony . Wehrkreis VI was the home district of VI Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from the 6th Division of the Reichswehr. After the German occupation of Belgium (1940), parts of eastern Belgium were added to Wehrkreis VI. Wehrkreis VII was headquartered at Munich and contained the south of

4263-434: The historic provinces of Baden , Württemberg , and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (about equivalent to the modern-day German state of Baden-Württemberg ). Wehrkreis V was the home district of V Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from the 5th Division of the Reichswehr. After the German victory over France (1940), it was extended to include parts of Alsace. Wehrkreis VI was headquartered at Münster and contained

4350-430: The identity of its people who often distinguish themselves from neighbouring regions such as East Westphalia . In addition to these historic, lingual and religious aspects, there are some regional differences in culture and mentality. That is why many of the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia rather see themselves either as "Rhinelanders", "Westphalians" or "Lippers" rather than as "North Rhine-Westphalians". Westphalia

4437-485: The largest industrial base in Continental Europe, and behind only Great Britain (18%) and the United States (22%) worldwide. The army closely cooperated with industry, especially in the Great War, with particular focus on the very rapidly changing aircraft industry. The army set prices and labour exemptions, regulated the supply of credit and raw materials, limited patent rights so as to allow cross-licensing among firms, and supervised management–labour relationships. The result

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4524-431: The military leaders drew back. In 1905, when the First Moroccan Crisis was roiling international politics, the Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen called for a preventive war against France . At a critical point in the July Crisis of 1914, Helmuth von Moltke , the chief of staff, without telling the emperor or chancellor, advised his counterpart in Austria-Hungary to mobilise against Russia at once. During

4611-445: The modern-day German state of Bavaria . Wehrkreis VII was the home district of VII Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from the 7th Division of the Reichswehr. Wehrkreis VIII was headquartered at Breslau and contained the territory of the historic province of Silesia . Wehrkreis VIII was the home district of VIII Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934, initially disguised as "Heeresdienststelle Breslau". The corps

4698-429: The much less used term " Eastphalia ", which roughly covers the southeastern part of the present-day state of Lower Saxony , western Saxony-Anhalt and northern Thuringia . Westphalia is divided into three governmental districts . These are subdivided into further districts and independent cities . All districts and independent cities of the governmental districts of Arnsberg and Münster are considered to be

4785-424: The national army of the Kingdom of Saxony one of the four states of the German Reich to retain its own armed forces. Nevertheless, in times of war, all of these would pledge allegiance to the Kaiser and the German nation. They did, however, remain organisationally distinct, being able to raise units of their own without assistance from the dominating Prussians. In one instance, Freiherr von Sonden (from Württemberg)

4872-405: The partisan elements. He also noted the similarities of Nasution Wehrkreise with theterritorial warfare conducted by Josip Broz Tito. This system also served as basis for Indonesian army Military Regional Command or KODAM. Suharto , the second and longest serving president Indonesian republic, once serving as brigade commander under jurisdiction of Yogyakarta Wehrkreise III district during

4959-401: The present state of North Rhine-Westphalia was created by the British military government from the former Prussian Province of Westphalia and the northern half of the former Prussian Rhine Province . The old governmental districts of 1816 stayed in place. When in 1947 the former Free State of Lippe with its capital Detmold joined North Rhine-Westphalia, the "Governmental District of Minden"

5046-464: The regimental depot. Cavalry, field, and horse artillery regiments were also similarly organised. The German Empire was formed by 38 duchies and kingdoms each with their traditions of warfare. Although the new army of the united German Empire was nominally "German" and most state forces served integrated into the Prussian Army, the Bavarian Army, the Saxon Army, and the Württemberg Army remained independent national contingents: The Royal Saxon Army...was

5133-408: The region is almost identical with the historic Province of Westphalia , which was a part of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1918 and the Free State of Prussia from 1918 to 1946. In 1946, Westphalia merged with North Rhine , another former part of Prussia, to form the newly created state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1947, the state with its two historic parts was joined by a third one: Lippe,

5220-449: The reserve system and, unlike the British, decided to copy the Prussian model. Barnett (1970) explains that every young man was drafted at age 18, with the upper-class becoming officers: the Prussian system... was based on service of only three years with the colors... and four years in the reserve. The Prussian standing army had become simply a training cadre for the intake of conscripts. The Prussian army's organization for peace and war

5307-439: The role of the Minister of War, and increasingly asserted itself in foreign policy decisions. Otto von Bismarck , the Imperial Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, was annoyed by military interference in foreign policy affairs – in 1887, for example, they tried to convince the emperor to declare war on Russia ; they also encouraged Austria-Hungary to attack Russia. Bismarck never controlled the army, but he did complain vehemently, and

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5394-428: The territories of the modern-day German state of Saxony as well as some southern parts of modern-day Saxony-Anhalt . Wehrkreis IV was the home district of IV Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from the 4th Division of the Reichswehr. It was later expanded through the addition of parts of northern Bohemia after the Munich Agreement of 1938. Wehrkreis V was headquartered at Stuttgart , containing roughly

5481-403: The territory of the German exclave of East Prussia , making it also a coastal state on the Baltic Sea coast. Wehrkreis I was the home district of the I Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from the 1st Division of the Reichswehr . Wehrkreis I was expanded to include the Memel Territory after the German ultimatum to Lithuania (accepted by Lithuania on 23 March 1939); the Wehrkreis

5568-662: The thirteen original districts as well as the two Austrian districts being assigned an army corps of the matching ordinal number with its headquarters in that Wehrkreis), these numbers were skipped as they were taken up by the motorized corps ( XIV Army Corps , XV Army Corps , XVI Army Corps , XIX Army Corps ). The four corps were not inherently bound to one particular military district (but naturally ended up with some connections to their respective peacetime headquarters regardless). The concept of Wehrkreise were adopted in Indonesian military in 1948, during Indonesian National Revolution . The background of such formations were caused by

5655-470: The traditions of the army, in many cases stretching back into the 17th and 18th centuries. After World War I, regimental traditions were carried forward in the Reichswehr and its successor, the Wehrmacht , but the chain of tradition was broken in 1945 as West German and East German units did not carry forward pre-1945 traditions. Each Imperial German regiment of infantry had headquarters units, three battalions, and one training battalion assigned to

5742-540: The various traditions and military ranks of its constituent states, thus becoming a truly federal armed service. Critics long believed that the army's officer corps was heavily dominated by Junker aristocrats, so that commoners were shunted into low-prestige branches, such as the heavy artillery or supply. However, by the 1890s, the top ranks were opened to highly talented commoners. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The Imperial Army

5829-436: The western part of the ancient Duchy of Saxony , the Duchy of Westphalia or the Kingdom of Westphalia . The Westphalian language , a variant of the Low German language , is spoken beyond modern Westphalia's borders in neighbouring southwestern Lower Saxony and northwestern Hesse . Being a part of the North German Plain , most of Westphalia's north is flat. In the south the German Central Uplands emerge. Westphalia

5916-460: Was able to "quite legitimately send a request directly to the Ministry of War in Stuttgart for the raising of a new artillery regiment". Regiments and units from separate constituents were also raised locally and often numbered independently from each other – for example, there was (among others) both a Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment and a Württemberger 1st Infantry Regiment . While the aforementioned contingents wore distinctive uniforms, with

6003-505: Was abolished on 6 March 1919, and the provisional Reichswehr was created. Westphalia Westphalia ( / w ɛ s t ˈ f eɪ l i ə / ; German : Westfalen [vɛstˈfaːlən] ; Low German : Westfalen [vεs(t)ˈfɔːln] ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia . It has an area of 20,210 square kilometres (7,800 sq mi) and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of

6090-417: Was also a Wehrkreis, with respective institutions being created in late 1942. The General Government was also a Wehrkreis, with respective institutions being created in 1943. Several cardinal numbers were not assigned to a particular Wehrkreis and skipped in the numbering. These were 14 (XIV), 15 (XV), 16 (XVI) and 19 (XIX). As the Wehrkreis system was initially tightly bound to the army corps (with each of

6177-414: Was buried in Enger , which is also a subject of a legend. Along with Eastphalia , Angria and Nordalbingia , Westphalia (Westfalahi) was originally a district of the Duchy of Saxony . At the time, large portions of its territory in the north lay in what today is Lower Saxony . Following the deposition of the Saxon duke Henry the Lion in 1180 and the subsequent belittlement of the duchy, Westphalia

6264-652: Was elevated to a duchy in its own right by Emperor Barbarossa . The Duchy of Westphalia comprised only a small area south of the Lippe River . Modern Westphalia was a part of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, which comprised territories of Lower Lorraine , Frisia and parts of the former Duchy of Saxony . As a result of the Protestant Reformation , there

6351-520: Was enlarged by this territory and renamed "Governmental District of Detmold". In total, North Rhine-Westphalia is subdivided into five governmental districts ( Regierungsbezirke ) . Westphalia today consists of the old governmental districts of Arnsberg and Münster and of Detmold (including the District of Lippe , which is a separate historical region). Inhabitants of the region call themselves Westphalians and their home region Westphalia even though there

6438-591: Was formed on 1 April 1938 with headquarters at Vienna. The district was expanded after the Munich Agreement (1938) to include parts of southern Bohemia. Wehrkreis XVIII was headquartered at Salzburg . It contained the southwestern and southeastern thirds of Austria , added to the German Reich after the 1938 Anschluss . Wehrkreis XVIII was the home district of XVIII Army Corps (after 1940: XVIII Mountain Corps), which

6525-477: Was formed on 1 April 1938 with headquarters in Salzburg. Wehrkreis XX was headquartered at Danzig . It contained the historic province of West Prussia , occupied by Germany in the 1939 Invasion of Poland . Wehrkreis XXI was headquartered at Posen . It contained the territories of the historic region by the same name , occupied by Germany in the 1939 Invasion of Poland . The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

6612-469: Was formed on 1 October 1936 with headquarters at Wiesbaden. After the German victory over France (1940), Wehrkreis XII was expanded through the addition of parts of Lorraine (such as the Nancy area). Wehrkreis XIII was headquartered at Nuremberg . It contained the territories of the historic provinces of Franconia and Upper Palatinate in what is today the northern half of modern-day Bavaria . Wehrkreis XIII

6699-635: Was later fed yet more territory in the form of the Bialystok District and the Sudauen region. Wehrkreis II was headquartered at Stettin and included the territories of the historic provinces of Mecklenburg and Pomerania , which also gave Wehrkreis II the largest share of the German Baltic Sea coast. Wehrkreis II was the home district of the II Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934 from

6786-493: Was linked to an army corps; thus Wehrkreis I took over the area that I. Armeekorps had been responsible for and sent replacements to the same formation. The first sixteen reserve corps raised followed the same pattern; X. Reserve-Korps was made up of reservists from the same area as X. Armeekorps . However, these links between rear areas and front line units were broken as the war went on and later corps were raised with troops from all over Germany. The basic tactical formation

6873-465: Was no dominant religion in Westphalia. Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism were on a relatively equal footing. Lutheranism was strong in the eastern and northern parts with numerous free churches. Münster and especially Paderborn were considered to be Catholic. Osnabrück was divided almost equally between Catholicism and Protestantism. Parts of Westphalia came under Brandenburg-Prussian control during

6960-466: Was the division . A standard Imperial German division was organised into: One of the divisions in a corps area usually also managed the corps Landwehr region ( Landwehrbezirk ). In 1914, besides the Guard Corps (two Guard divisions and a Guard cavalry division), there were 42 regular divisions in the Prussian Army (including four Saxon divisions and two Württemberg divisions), and six divisions in

7047-426: Was the home district of XIII Army Corps , which was formed on 1 October 1937 with headquarters at Nuremberg. The district was expanded after the Munich Agreement (1938) to include parts of western Bohemia. Wehrkreis XVII was headquartered at Vienna . It contained the northeastern third of Austria , added to the German Reich after the 1938 Anschluss . Wehrkreis XVII was the home district of XVII Army Corps , which

7134-467: Was the home district of the IX Army Corps , which was formed in October 1934, initially disguised as "Heeresdienststelle Kassel". The corps was then given its proper designation as IX Army Corps in 1935. Wehrkreis X was headquartered at Hamburg . It contained the territories of modern-day Schleswig-Holstein and most of the north of modern-day Lower Saxony , placing Wehrkreis X exclusively in charge of

7221-524: Was the home district of the XI Army Corps , which was formed on 1 October 1936 with headquarters at Hanover. Wehrkreis XII was headquartered at Wiesbaden . Its territory was roughly equivalent to the modern-day German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland , with the addition of a small part of northern Baden (around Heidelberg ). Wehrkreis XII was the home district of the XII Army Corps , which

7308-528: Was the main result. It sought to identify military talent at the lower levels and develop it thoroughly through academic training and practical experience on division, corps, and higher staffs, up to the Great General Staff, the senior planning body of the army. It provided planning and organisational work during peacetime and wartime. The Prussian General Staff, proven in battle in the Wars of Unification , became

7395-440: Was then given its proper designation as VIII Army Corps in 1935. After the Munich Agreement (1938), parts of northern Moravia were added to the district. After the German invasion of Poland (1939), the territory was further extended to include parts of East Upper Silesia . Wehrkreis IX was headquartered at Kassel and contained territories in central Germany, including parts of modern-day Hesse and Thuringia . Wehrkreis IX

7482-471: Was very rapid expansion and a high output of high-quality aircraft, as well as high wages that attracted the best machinists. Apart from aircraft, the army's regulation of the rest of the war economy was largely inefficient. The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (The Air Corps of the German Empire), was the over-land air arm of

7569-468: Was virtually the same. Prussia was divided into army-corps districts for the purposes both of administration and of recruitment. On the outbreak of war the command organizations of the district became that of a corps in the field. Localization of the Army and its recruitment gave the districts pride and interest in their 'own' corps. The German Empire accounted for 12% of global industrial output in 1914, making it

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