1st Division (Reichswehr)
The 1st Division was a unit of the Reichswehr, the armed forces of Germany during the Weimar Republic.
Creation
In the Order of 31 July 1920 for the Reduction of the Army, it was determined that in every Wehrkreis a division would be established by 1 October 1920. The 1st Division was formed in January 1921 out of the Reichswehr's 1st and 20th Brigades, both part of the former Übergangsheer.It consisted of 3 infantry regiments, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Regiments. It also included the 1st Artillery Regiment, an engineering battalion, a signals battalion, a transportation battalion, and a medical battalion. It was subordinated to Gruppenkommando 1.
The commander of Wehrkreis I was simultaneously the commander of the 1st Division. For the leadership of the troops, an Infanterieführer and an Artillerieführer were appointed, both subordinated to the commander of the division.
The unit ceased to exist as such after October 1934, and its subordinate units were transferred to the 11 new divisions created in that year. The 1st Infantry Regiment provided the personnel for the infantry regiments of the 1st Infantry Division of the newly created Wehrmacht.
Organization
- 1st Infantry Regiment
- 2nd Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Infantry Regiment
- 1st Artillery Regiment
- Pioneer Battalion
- Signals Battalion
- Transportation Battalion
- Medical Battalion
Divisional commanders
- General der Infanterie Johannes von Dassel Generaloberst Wilhelm Heye General der Infanterie Friedrich Freiherr von Esebeck General der Infanterie Werner von Blomberg Generalleutnant Walther von Brauchitsch