The 1st Guards Reserve Division (1. Garde-Reserve-Division) was a reserve infantry division of the Imperial German ArmyinWorld War I. It was a reserve formation of the Prussian Guards, the elite regiments raised throughout the Kingdom of Prussia. It was formed on mobilization in August 1914 as part of the Guards Reserve Corps and dissolved in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after the Armistice.[1]
| 1st Guard Reserve Division (1. Garde-Reserve-Division) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1914-1919 |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Approx. 15,000 |
| Part of | Guard Reserve Corps (Garde-Reservekorps) |
The division saw action on both the Western and Eastern Fronts during World War I. It was not heavily engaged in the war's major well-known battles, but was rated by Allied intelligence as a dependable division willing to take losses to hold and retake the line.[2]
On mobilization in August 1914, the reserves of the Prussian Guards were called up and formed into the 1st Guard Reserve Division. The 1st Guard Reserve Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:[3]
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangular - one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 1st Guard Reserve Division's order of battle on February 23, 1918, was as follows:[3]