Evolution of The Grand Ducal Hessian Division
The Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division was officially formed on December 20, 1842 as the Infantry Division Command (Infanterie-Divisions-Kommando), but the division-strength Hessian Army had been around before that date. During the Napoleonic Wars, Hesse fielded a division-strength troop corps (Truppenkorps). In 1820, as part of the Hessian troop contribution to the German Confederation's Federal Army (Bundesheer), Hesse reorganized its army into two brigades of infantry, 1/2 company of horse artillery, two companies of foot artillery, one light horse regiment, one trains company and one sapper (later pioneer) company. This force was placed under the Infantry Division Command in 1842. On February 5, 1849, this force was redesignated the Grand Ducal Army Division (Großherzogliche Armee-Division). The organization of the Grand Ducal Army Division in 1858 was as follows:
- Army Division Staff
- Guard NCO Company
- General Quartermaster Staff with Pioneer Company
- Guard Light Horse Regiment
- Grand Ducal Artillery Corps
- Two infantry brigades of two regiments of two battalions each (8 total battalions, each with 5 companies).
In 1860, the cavalry was expanded to brigade strength. In 1867, Hesse, on the losing side of the Austro-Prussian War, entered into a convention with Prussia on military matters and reorganized its division along Prussian lines. The division was redesignated the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division. It formally became a part of the Prussian Army in 1872, in accordance with the military convention of June 13, 1871.
The organization of the division at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 was as follows:
- 49. Infanterie-Brigade
- Hessisches Leib-Garde-Regiment Nr. 1
- Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2
- Hessisches Gardejäger-Bataillon Nr. 1
- 50. Infanterie-Brigade
- Hessisches Leib-Regiment Nr. 3
- Hessisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 4
- Hessisches Leibjäger-Bataillon Nr. 2
- Hessische 25. Kavallerie-Brigade
- Hessisches 1. Reiter-Regiment
- Hessisches 2. Reiter-Regiment
Read more about this topic: 25th Division (German Empire)
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