Imperial German Army in World War I

The Imperial German Army in World War I was the largest armed force in Germany. The German Army was a highly organized and complexly structured armed force made up of various types of troops and units. At the beginning of the war, the army was strongly influenced by the traditions of the 19th century, with its organization and structure based on the experiences of the unification wars and the Prussian military system. It consisted of active troops, the reserve, the Landwehr and the Landsturm. These different parts of the army were organized along territorial lines, with each German state providing its own contingents. The troops were divided into armies, army corps, divisions, brigades and regiments, with leadership being largely determined by the Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL) under the direction of the Kaiser and later prominent generals such as Hindenburg and Ludendorff.

With the beginning of the war and the transition from wars of movement to positional warfare, there were extensive organizational changes. The original structure, which was designed for rapid offensives as in the Schlieffen Plan, proved to be inadequate for the challenges of trench warfare. In order to meet the new requirements, additional units were set up, including specialized shock troops trained for rapid attacks on enemy positions. The air force, which was initially only used for reconnaissance, also became increasingly important and was used for bombing and air combat. Overall, the German army was subject to constant change during the First World War. The initial focus on rapid movement operations was replaced by the requirements of positional warfare, which necessitated far-reaching organizational and tactical adjustments. Despite its high level of professionalism and adaptability, however, the army was unable to compensate for the enormous material and personnel losses and the superiority of the Allies at the end of the war.