8th Army (German Empire)

As the 8th Army / Army High Command 8 (AOK 8) was designated a major formation and the associated command authority of the German Army during the First World War ( 1914-1918). It included several Army or Reserve Corps and numerous special troops. At times she was she called after the river Niemen as " Njemenarmee ".

History

Colonel General Maximilian von Prittwitz ( from 2 August 1914)
General der Infanterie Paul von Hindenburg (as of August 22, 1914 )
Artillery General Richard Schubert (from September 18, 1914 )
Infantry General Hermann von François ( October 8, 1914)
General der Infanterie Otto von Below (from November 7, 1914 )
Infantry General Max von Fabeck ( 3 October 1916)
General of Infantry Bruno of Mudra ( from 22 October 1916)
Artillery General Friedrich von Scholtz ( January 2, 1917)
Infantry General Oskar von Hutier ( from 22 April 1917)
General der Infanterie Günther von Kirchbach ( from 12 December 1917)
Infantry General Hugo von Kathen ( July 31, 1918)

Major General Georg von Waldersee ( from 2 August 1914)
Major General Erich Ludendorff ( from 23 August 1914)
Major General Paul Grunert ( effective September 16, 1914)
Major General Adolf Wild von Hohenborn (3 November 1914)
Major General Alfred von Boeckmann (from November 10, 1914 )
Major General Walter von Bergmann ( from 10 October 1916)
Major-General Traugott of Sauberzweig ( from 16 November 1916)
Colonel Georg Frotscher ( from 15 September 1917)
Major Frantz ( 16 February 1918)
Lieutenant Colonel Bürckner ( from 13 December 1918)

As on 2 August 1914 started off the German mobilization, the Army High Command 8 was set up in Poznan. This moved on August 8 to Marienburg. The task of the army was to defend the province of East Prussia against an expected attack by the Russian army. The following forces were available:

I Army Corps under Hermann von François
XVII. Army Corps under August von Mackensen in German Eylau
XX. Army Corps under Friedrich von Scholtz
I. Reserve Corps under Otto von Below in North Castle
3rd Reserve Division under Kurt von morning at Hohensalza
1st Cavalry Division under General Brecht at Gumbinnen

After the Battle of Gumbinnen ( 19-20. August 1914 ) had led to no success, and most of East Prussia had fallen the numerically far superior Russian forces in the hands, thought the Commander Colonel General Maximilian von Prittwitz to retreat behind the Vistula. He was therefore replaced. His successor, General der Infanterie Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff, Erich Ludendorff were victorious at the Battle of Tannenberg ( 26 to 30 August 1914) and in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes ( 6 to 14 September 1914). After these battles the mass of the army subordinate organizations was moved temporarily southern Poland to the newly formed 9th Army. After the establishment of the 10th Army in East Prussia early 1915 both armies were involved during the period from 7 to 22 February 1915 on the winter battle in Masuria.

In the course of successful offensives of the Central Powers on the Eastern Front took place in the spring of 1915 some reorganisations should wear the new front line account. In Kurland operated in a diversionary attack to the offensive of Gorlice - Tarnów initially only the XXXIX. Reserve Corps. This has been enhanced by a larger increase on April 22, 1915 to the Army Department Lauenstein and the Commander-in directly subordinated. As more troops were added and the offensive also on the northern section of the Eastern Front assumed greater proportions, the leadership of the attack group had to be reformed. The Army High Command 8 in Tilsit was withdrawn from the front and charged on 26 May 1915, the leadership of the German armed forces in Courland. At the same time it was renamed Njemenarmee. New headquarters of the Army High Command was on July 28, 1915 Schaulen.

The name of the 8th Army led representation, the General Command of the XX. Army Corps of General of Artillery Friedrich von Scholtz and his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Adolf von Schwerin. The headquarters were almost all the time in Elk before this army was disbanded on 29 September 1915.

It was only on December 30, 1915 was to rename the Njemenarmee in the 8th Army, which the Army High Command received its original name again. From 4 October 1916, the Army High Command received a new order. The Commander Otto von Below should command the German troops in Macedonia. The army high command followed him now for the formation of the Army Group Below. At the top of the 8th Army, the former Army High Command entered 12 The HQ was at first in Siauliai, but was moved to Jelgava on 1 April 1916. Between 15 September 1917 and 31 December 1918 was in Riga before it arrived in Königsberg after the withdrawal on 12 January 1919.

References

→ Main article: Army ( German Empire )

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