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This is the German Army order of battle on the outbreak of war in August 1914.

GHQ

The overall commander of the Imperial German Army was Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The Chief of the General Staff was Generaloberst Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, with General von Stein as Deputy Chief.

Departmental chiefs were Oberst Tappen (Operations Branch), Oberstleutnant Hentsch (Intelligence Branch), Major Nicolai (Secret Service), Oberst von Dommes (Political Section), Generalleutnant Siger (Field munitions), Major Thomsen (Air Service), Oberst Groner (Field Railways), and General von Schjerning (Medical Services). Generalmajor von Schoeler was Intendant-General (responsible for logistical supplies), and General von Claer was General of Engineers.

Western Front

Cavalry

Two independent cavalry corps served on the Western Front:

• I Cavalry Corps (Freiherr von Richthofen)
  • Guard Cavalry Division
  • 5th Cavalry Division
• II Cavalry Corps (von der Marwitz)
  • 2nd Cavalry Division
  • 4th Cavalry Division
  • 9th Cavalry Division

First Army

First Army was commanded by Generaloberst von Kluck.

• II Corps (von Linsingen)
  • 3rd Division
  • 4th Division
• III Corps (von Lochow)
  • 5th Division
  • 6th Division
• IV Corps (Sixt von Arnim)
  • 7th Division
  • 8th Division
• IX Corps (von Quast)
  • 17th Division
  • 18th Division
• III Reserve Corps (von Beseler)
  • 5th Reserve Division
  • 6th Reserve Division
• IV Reserve Corps (von Gronau)
  • 7th Reserve Division
  • 22nd Reserve Division
• IX Reserve Corps (von Boehn)^[1]
  • 17th Reserve Division
  • 18th Reserve Division
• 10th Landwehr Brigade
• 11th Landwehr Brigade
• 12th Landwehr Brigade
• Pionier regiment

Second Army

2nd Army was commanded by Generaloberst von Bülow.

• Guard Corps (von Plettenberg)
  • 1st Guard Division
  • 2nd Guard Division
• VII Corps (von Einem)
  • 18th Division
  • 14th Division
• X Corps (von Emmich)
  • 19th Division
  • 20th Division
• Guard Reserve Corps (von Gallwitz)
  • 3rd Guard Division^[2]
  • 1st Guard Reserve Division
• VII Reserve Corps (von Zwehl)
  • 13th Reserve Division
  • 14th Reserve Division
• X Reserve Corps (Graf von Kirchbach)
  • 2nd Guard Reserve Division
  • 19th Reserve Division
• 25th Landwehr Brigade
• 29th Landwehr Brigade
• 4 mortar battalions
• 1 10-cm gun battalion
• 2 heavy coastal mortar battalions
• 2 Pionier regiments

Third Army

3rd Army was commanded by Generaloberst Freiherr von Hausen.

• XI Corps (von Plüskow)
  • 22nd Division
  • 38th Division
• XII (1st Saxon) Corps (d'Elsa)
  • 23rd Division
  • 32nd Division
• XIX (2nd Saxon) Corps (von Laffert)
  • 24th Division
  • 40th Division
• XII (Saxon) Reserve Corps (von Kirchbach)
  • 10th Reserve Division
  • 10th Reserve Division
• 47th Landwehr Brigade
• 2 mortar battalions
• 1 Pionier regiment

Fourth Army

4th Army was commanded by Generaloberst Duke Albrecht of Württemberg.

• VI Corps (von Pritzelwitz)
  • 11th Division
  • 12th Division
• VIII Corps (von Weidenbach)
  • 15th Division
  • 16th Division
• XVIII Corps (von Schenk)
  • 21st Division
  • 25th Division
• VIII Reserve Corps (von Egloffstein)
  • 15th Reserve Division
  • 16th Reserve Division
• XVIII Reserve Corps (von Steuben)
  • 21st Reserve Division
  • 25th Reserve Division
• 49th Landwehr Brigade
• 2 mortar battalions
• 1 Pionier regiment

Fifth Army

5th Army was commanded by the William, German Crown Prince.

• V Corps
• XIII Corps
• XVI Corps
• V Reserve Corps
• VI Reserve Corps
• 33rd Reserve Division
• IV Cavalry Corps
  • 3rd Cavalry Division
  • 6th Cavalry Division
• 13th Landwehr Brigade
• 43rd Landwehr Brigade
• 45th Landwehr Brigade
• 33rd Landwehr Brigade
• 9th Bavarian Landwehr Brigade
• 4 mortar battalions
• 2 Pionier regiments

Sixth Army

6th Army was commanded by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria.

• XXI Corps
• I Bavarian Corps
• II Bavarian Corps
• III Bavarian Corps
• I Bavarian Reserve Corps
• III Cavalry Corps
  • 7th Cavalry Division
  • 8th Cavalry Division
  • Bavarian Cavalry Division
• Guard Ersatz Division
• 4th Ersatz Division
• 7th Ersatz Division
• 8th Ersatz Division

Seventh Army

7th Army was commanded by Generaloberst von Heeringen.

• XIV Corps (von Heiningen)
• XV Corps (von Deimling)
• XIV Corps (von Schubert)
• Strasbourg Reserve Division
• 19th Ersatz Division
• Bavarian Ersatz Division
• 109th Landwehr Regiment
• 112th Landwehr Regiment
• 114th Landwehr Regiment
• 142nd Landwehr Regiment

Eastern Front

Eighth Army

8th Army was commanded by Generaloberst von Prittwitz.

• I Corps (von François)
• XVII Corps (von Mackensen)
• XX Corps (von Scholtz)
• I Reserve Corps (Otto von Below)
• 3rd Reserve Division
• 1st Cavalry Division
• 5th Ersatz Division
• 70th Landwehr Brigade
• 6th Landwehr Brigade
• Landwehr Division (von der Goltz)

References

1. ^ Originally held back in Sleswig in case of British landings; moved up in late August.
2. ^ Given by Edmonds as "3rd Guard Reserve Division".

• Appendix 6: Order of battle of the German Armies. In: History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1914, by J. E. Edmonds. Macmillan & Co., London, 1922.