Spangenberg & Sauer
81-539: The M1879 Reichsrevolver , or Reichs-Commissions-Revolver Modell 1879 and 1883 , were service revolvers used by the German Army from 1879 to 1908, when it was superseded by the Luger . The two versions of the revolver differ in barrel length (The M1883 had a 5-inch barrel) and grip shape. Although the design was dated, the weapon was extremely robust, and they were still used through World War I and until 1945 by
162-737: A Military Cabinet and exercised control through the Prussian Ministry of War and the Great General Staff . The Chief of the General Staff became the Kaiser's main military adviser and the most powerful military figure in the empire. Bavaria kept its own Ministry of War and General Staff , but coordinated planning with the Prussian General Staff. Saxony also maintained its own Ministry of War and
243-530: A federal state that resembled a confederation of states. The state sovereign was to be the individual states united in the Bundesrat as a whole, not a personal sovereign (i.e. an emperor). The federal chancellor, who was appointed by the king of Prussia, presided over the Bundesrat and directed its business. All of the king's orders and decrees had to be countersigned by the chancellor so that he assumed responsibility for them (Articles 15 and 17). The Reichstag
324-408: A geographical area. The corps was also responsible for maintaining the reserves and Landwehr in the corps area. By 1914, there were 21 corps areas under Prussian jurisdiction and three Bavarian army corps. Besides the regional corps, there was also a Guard Corps ( Gardecorps ), which controlled the elite Prussian Guard units. A corps usually included a light infantry ( Jäger ) battalion,
405-400: A heavy artillery ( Fußartillerie ) battalion, an engineer battalion, a telegraph battalion, and a trains battalion. Some corps areas also disposed of fortress troops; each of the 25 corps had a Field Aviation Unit ( Feldflieger Abteilung ) attached to it normally equipped with six unarmed "A" or "B" class unarmed two-seat observation aircraft apiece. In wartime, the army corps became
486-562: A mobile tactical formation and four Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando (Higher Cavalry Commands) were formed from the Cavalry Inspectorate, the equivalent of corps, being made up of two divisions of cavalry. The areas formerly covered by the corps each became the responsibility of a Wehrkreis (military district, sometimes translated as corps area). The military districts were to supervise the training and enlistment of reservists and new recruits. Originally each military district
567-537: A two-thirds majority to change the Constitution (Article 78). The allocation of votes by state was laid out in Article 6. <== The individual states were required to vote collectively (Prussia, for example, had to cast all 17 of its votes either yea or nay), and the vote could be cast only as decided by the government of the state (Article 7). The Bundesrat participated in legislation on an equal footing with
648-743: The Ministry of War of Württemberg also continued to exist. The command of the Prussian Army had been reformed in the wake of the defeats suffered by Prussia in the Napoleonic Wars . Rather than rely primarily on the martial skills of the individual members of the German nobility, who dominated the military profession, the Prussian Army instituted changes to ensure excellence in leadership, organisation, and planning. The General Staff system, which sought to institutionalise military excellence,
729-720: The Napoleonic Wars , each state was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of the Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as the Federal Army ( Bundesheer ). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century , such as the First Schleswig War from 1848 to 1852. However, by the time of the Second Schleswig War of 1864, tension had grown between
810-552: The 1860s, they surveyed the major European forces and decided that the Prussian system was the best one. That system was continued into the Imperial Army after 1871 and resulted in a modest cadre of professional officers and sergeants, and a large reserve force that could be quickly mobilised at the start of a war. The British could not use the system because they rejected conscription. The Japanese, however, were also observing
891-668: The 1871 Constitution of the German Empire , an Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) was created. The Constitution of the German Empire, dated April 16, 1871, changed references in the North German Constitution from Federal Army to either Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) or German Army ( Deutsches Heer ). The contingents of the Bavarian , Saxon , and Württemberg kingdoms remained semi-autonomous, while
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#1732771891989972-629: The Bavarian Army. These divisions were all mobilised in August 1914. They were reorganised, receiving engineer companies and other support units from their corps, and giving up most of their cavalry to form cavalry divisions. Reserve divisions were also formed, Landwehr brigades were aggregated into divisions, and other divisions were formed from replacement ( Ersatz ) units. As World War I progressed, additional divisions were formed, and by wars' end, 251 divisions had been formed or reformed in
1053-607: The Bundesrat, or, if necessary, federal laws, unless the state constitutions had their own regulations (Article 76). Since the Constitution also did not provide for fundamental rights, it left jurisdiction with the individual states, initially to an even greater extent than administrative jurisdiction. In 1869, the Federal Supreme Commercial Court ( Bundesoberhandelsgericht ) was established with its seat in Leipzig . In commercial matters, it replaced
1134-561: The Confederation. The North German Constitution remained in force until the short-lived Constitution of the German Confederation , which was based largely on its predecessor, went into effect on 1 January 1871. After the failure of the German revolutions of 1848–49 , the government of Prussia was convinced that the German people would continue to pursue their "redemption from fragmentation and powerlessness" regardless of
1215-419: The Confederation. The individual states retained their statehood, constitutions, succession to the throne and their electoral rights, which were restricted to certain groups of people. The Constitution also left untouched the previous responsibilities of the individual states such as policing, budgetary law, religion, schools and universities. The Constitution did not prohibit the individual states from changing
1296-527: The First World War, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg increasingly set foreign policy, working directly with the emperor—and indeed shaped his decision-making—leaving the chancellor and civilian officials in the dark. Historian Gordon A. Craig says that the crucial decisions in 1914, "were made by the soldiers and that, in making them, they displayed an almost complete disregard for political considerations." The Kaiser had full control of
1377-532: The German Army during World War I. Although its name actually means something very close to the "Air Forces", it remained an integral part of the German Army for the duration of the war. The Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire had their own, separate Marine-Fliegerabteilung maritime aviation forces, apart from the Luftstreitkräfte of the army. The German Army from 1871 to 1914 inherited
1458-465: The German Army's structure. The regiment was the basic combat unit as well as the recruiting base for soldiers. When inducted, a soldier entered a regiment, usually through its replacement or training battalion, and received his basic training. There were three basic types of regiment: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Other specialties, such as pioneers (combat engineers) and signal troops, were organised into smaller support units. Regiments also carried
1539-403: The German Empire of 1871 was closely based on it. The Constitution bore a strong imprint of the German chancellor, Otto von Bismarck , who wanted a loosely organized confederation in which sovereignty rested with the individual states as a whole. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, as the body representing the states, was thus the Confederation's sovereign. Its members were chosen by
1620-558: The German General Staff upon the formation of the German Empire, given Prussia's leading role in the German Army. In the German Empire, diplomatic relations were the responsibility of the Chancellor and his Foreign Minister. The German Army reported separately to the emperor, and increasingly played a major role in shaping foreign policy when military alliances or warfare was at issue. In diplomatic terms, Germany used
1701-690: The North German Confederation and its member states, subordinating their armies to the Prussian Army in time of war, and giving the Prussian Army control over training, doctrine, and equipment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the North German Confederation also entered into conventions on military matters with states that were not members of the confederation, namely Bavaria , Württemberg , and Baden . Through these conventions and
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#17327718919891782-634: The Prussian Army assumed almost total control over the armies of the other states of the Empire. After 1871, the peacetime armies of the four kingdoms remained relatively distinct. The term "German Army" was used in various legal documents, such as the Military Penal Code, but otherwise, the Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, and Württemberg armies maintained their distinct identities. Each kingdom had its own War Ministry, Bavaria and Saxony published their own rank and seniority lists for their officers and
1863-425: The Prussian system of military attachés attached to diplomatic locations, with highly talented young officers assigned to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and military capabilities of their assigned nations. They used close observation, conversations, and paid agents to produce very high-quality reports that gave a significant advantage to the military planners. The military staff grew increasingly powerful, reducing
1944-461: The Reichstag (Article 12). The Bundesrat could dissolve the Reichstag by mutual agreement with the king (Article 24). The Reichstag had no general authority to approve international treaties, a limitation that was imposed to allow secret diplomacy (per Article 22, Reichstag meetings were open to the public). The king alone was responsible for concluding all international treaties, but they required
2025-424: The Reichstag could not be prosecuted under civil or criminal law for their statements in the Reichstag (Article 30), nor could journalists who reported on them (Article 22). For a federal bill to be passed, there had to be concurring resolutions from both the Reichstag and the Bundesrat (Article 5), either of which could block the other. In order to end impasses, it was permissible for the Bundesrat, in agreement with
2106-438: The Reichstag with its liberal majority, the Bundesrat, the chancellor and the president of the federal chancellery, Rudolf von Delbrück , were able to create the long-sought unified economic area in just four years. The unresolved opposition between the chancellor, Bundesrat and Reichstag did not come to the fore because of the liberal majority and its successes. It was only later, under the German Empire and its constitution that
2187-422: The Reichstag. No law could enter into force without the consent of the Bundesrat (Article 5). Both the Bundesrat and the Reichstag thus had the implicit right of veto by voting against a proposal. The Bundesrat did not have the right to issue general administrative regulations on federal laws or to determine the organisation of the administrative authorities. It was nevertheless able to exercise general control over
2268-649: The Württemberg list was a separate chapter of the Prussian Army rank lists. Württemberg and Saxon units were numbered according to the Prussian system but Bavarian units maintained their own numbers (the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment was Infantry Regiment No. 120 under the Prussian system). The commander of the Imperial German Army, less the Bavarian contingent, was the Kaiser . He was assisted by
2349-404: The approval of both the Bundesrat and the Reichstag if their content was subject to federal legislation (Article 11). The Reichstag could neither elect nor remove the government (i.e. ministers). Bismarck wanted to avoid a government because he feared that it would become accountable to the Reichstag. He also disliked the model of the collegial Prussian Council of Ministers because it did not give
2430-472: The armed forces but the organisation was highly complex. In peacetime the Imperial German Army was divided into four basic levels, the Army inspectorate ( Armee-Inspektion ), the army corps ( Armeekorps ), the division, and the regiment. During wartime, the staff of the Army inspectorates formed field army commands, which controlled the corps and subordinate units. During World War I, a higher command level,
2511-417: The army group ( Heeresgruppe ), was created. Each army group controlled several field armies. Germany was divided into army inspectorates, each of which oversaw three or four corps. There were five in 1871, with three more added between 1907 and 1913. The basic organisational formation was the army corps ( Armeekorps ). The corps consisted of two or more divisions and various support troops, covering
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2592-546: The constituent Reichstag on 4 March 1867. The Reichstag then made significant changes to the founding governments' draft. Under the final form of the Constitution, the constituent states sent representatives to a Bundesrat (Federal Council), which participated in legislation on an equal footing with the Reichstag . Prussia was entitled to 17 out of 43 votes, which secured it a hegemonic position. No constitutional amendment could be passed against Prussia's will, since it required
2673-416: The constituent states retained their independence except where Constitution provided for restrictions. The clause in Article 2 stating that "within the federal territory, the Confederation shall exercise the right of legislation in accordance with the content of this Constitution" suggested the inverse conclusion that the constituent states retained the right to legislate insofar as the right was not assigned to
2754-637: The continued existence of the individual states and the aristocracies that still ruled in them. The Prussian government made itself an advocate of the unification movement in order to preserve the Prussian, anti-democratic state and social order. Prussia's victory over Austria in the Austro-Prussian War , which ended on 22 July 1866 with the Treaty of Prague , dissolved the German Confederation and allowed Prussia to annex many of
2835-534: The costs of the navy alone (Article 53). The budget period was normally for one year (Article 71), and the king was required to render an annual account of expenditures to the Reichsrat and Reichstag (Article 72). The North German Constitution did not provide for federal courts. Disputes between individual states were to be settled by the Bundesrat. For internal state constitutional disputes, the federal constitution provided for expert recommendations or settlements by
2916-494: The differences becoming less over time, the origin of units would be denoted on the uniform in the colours of the rank insignia until the early 20th century. They also had different cockades on the headgear. The Imperial cockade was to be worn above the state cockade on hats and caps, while they were worn on the right (state on the left) of helmets and more specialised headgear. When the British decided to reform their army in
2997-520: The electoral law of the 1848 revolution. The governments of the states of the new North German Confederation were then to submit a draft constitution to the assembly for final approval. Maximilian Duncker, a liberal member of the Prussian House of Representatives , produced a draft constitution at the request of Prussian minister president Otto von Bismarck in September 1866. He considered
3078-464: The federal administration. Each individual state was authorised to make proposals for the exercise of federal supervision, to represent them and to have them discussed in plenary session (Article 7). The orders and decrees concerning the federal administration were not issued by the Bundesrat but by the king of Prussia (Article 17). The Constitution did not explicitly say who was the holder of overall state power (the sovereign). Bismarck wanted to create
3159-403: The highest court with jurisdiction under the laws of the individual state. The introduction of a federal court jurisdiction was the most important constitutional amendment during the time of the North German Confederation, although the constitutional text did not provide for federal jurisdiction over the constitution of the courts (Article 4, section 13). There was no general clause stating that
3240-409: The individual states and the federal administration. He did not issue orders and individual regulations in the name of Prussia but for the North German Confederation. The king of Prussia had no veto right in the legislature, but he could assert his hegemonic claim in the Bundesrat through the seventeen votes Prussia had there. The Prussian votes were instructed by the minister president of Prussia, who
3321-479: The individual states were obliged to make additional levy contributions (Article 70). In cases of "extraordinary need", the federal government was authorized to borrow (Article 73). Until 31 December 1871 (which turned out to be beyond the life of the North German Confederation), the budget for the army was submitted to the Reichsrat for information only (Article 71). The federal government bore
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3402-424: The king of Prussia and the countersigning federal chancellor, to dissolve the Reichstag (Article 24). The king of Prussia was the head of state (referred to in the Constitution as the "presidium") of the North German Confederation (Article 11). As holder of the federal presidency, he had the governmental powers of submitting proposals to the Reichstag and of enacting and executing federal laws (Articles 16 and 17). He
3483-674: The largest industrial base in Continental Europe, and behind only Great Britain (18%) and the United States (22%) worldwide. The army closely cooperated with industry, especially in the Great War, with particular focus on the very rapidly changing aircraft industry. The army set prices and labour exemptions, regulated the supply of credit and raw materials, limited patent rights so as to allow cross-licensing among firms, and supervised management–labour relationships. The result
3564-522: The leading minister clear political responsibility. Election to the Reichstag was by universal, equal, direct and secret manhood suffrage (Article 20). The North German Constitution was indirectly based on the Frankfurt Imperial Election Act of 12 April 1849 in which the principles were implemented. Bismarck considered it simple and useful to dispense with the interposition of electors and the three-tier electoral system he
3645-664: The main powers of the confederation, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, and the German Confederation was dissolved after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Prussia formed the North German Confederation and the treaty provided for the maintenance of a Federal Army and a Federal Navy ( Bundesmarine or Bundeskriegsmarine ). Further laws on military duty also used these terms. Conventions (some later amended) were entered into between
3726-608: The meeting of the Council of Ministers on 13 December, a newly edited draft with 69 articles was prepared with many of Bismarck's amendments, which were removed during the course of the meeting. On 15 December 1866, the cabinet's draft was forwarded to the governments of the North German states. On 12 February 1867, the constituent Reichstag was elected; it convened for its first session on 24 February 1867. The state governments adopted Bismarck's final amendments and submitted them to
3807-751: The military leaders drew back. In 1905, when the First Moroccan Crisis was roiling international politics, the Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen called for a preventive war against France . At a critical point in the July Crisis of 1914, Helmuth von Moltke , the chief of staff, without telling the emperor or chancellor, advised his counterpart in Austria-Hungary to mobilise against Russia at once. During
3888-406: The monarchical form of government to a republican one or vice versa. The Confederation was not prevented from taking on further powers by amending the Constitution and thus developing further into a unitary state. As members of a federal state, the individual states lost their sovereignty. They could, for example, no longer represent themselves in their dealings with other states; the responsibility
3969-485: The national army of the Kingdom of Saxony one of the four states of the German Reich to retain its own armed forces. Nevertheless, in times of war, all of these would pledge allegiance to the Kaiser and the German nation. They did, however, remain organisationally distinct, being able to raise units of their own without assistance from the dominating Prussians. In one instance, Freiherr von Sonden (from Württemberg)
4050-399: The parliament but had no veto right. He was commander-in-chief of the federal army and navy and could declare war and make peace. The Constitution did not provide for federal courts. Disputes between states were to be resolved by the Bundesrat. The individual states retained their statehood, constitutions, successions to the throne and electoral rights, although they lost their sovereignty to
4131-601: The political unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia , and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I (1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term Deutsches Heer refers to the German Army , the land component of the Bundeswehr . The states that made up the German Empire contributed their armies; within the German Confederation , formed after
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#17327718919894212-419: The prior consent of the Reichstag (Article 31). Members of the Reichstag could not be appointed as heads of the highest federal authorities (Article 21). Per diems were banned (Article 32) with the intention of keeping members of the propertyless classes out of the Reichstag. Except when the subject was either foreign or military policy, the debates of the Reichstag were open to the public.(Article 22). Members of
4293-400: The proposal too cumbersome and centralistic, and as a result it was used as a counter-model and not as the prototype for the Constitution as it developed. After Bismarck made several revisions and corrections, Lothar Bucher , an aide to Bismarck, produced a draft with 65 articles on 8 December 1866, which he revised again on 9 December. The draft went to the Prussian cabinet for approval. For
4374-590: The regimental depot. Cavalry, field, and horse artillery regiments were also similarly organised. The German Empire was formed by 38 duchies and kingdoms each with their traditions of warfare. Although the new army of the united German Empire was nominally "German" and most state forces served integrated into the Prussian Army, the Bavarian Army, the Saxon Army, and the Württemberg Army remained independent national contingents: The Royal Saxon Army...was
4455-449: The reserve system and, unlike the British, decided to copy the Prussian model. Barnett (1970) explains that every young man was drafted at age 18, with the upper-class becoming officers: the Prussian system... was based on service of only three years with the colors... and four years in the reserve. The Prussian standing army had become simply a training cadre for the intake of conscripts. The Prussian army's organization for peace and war
4536-566: The role of the Minister of War, and increasingly asserted itself in foreign policy decisions. Otto von Bismarck , the Imperial Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, was annoyed by military interference in foreign policy affairs – in 1887, for example, they tried to convince the emperor to declare war on Russia ; they also encouraged Austria-Hungary to attack Russia. Bismarck never controlled the army, but he did complain vehemently, and
4617-476: The security of the customs administration. The M1879 is referred to as the "cavalry model" and the M1883 as the "officer's model," by collectors, which were not official designations. Both models were single-action , solid frame, non-ejecting six-shot revolvers. The caliber was an indigenous 10.6×25mmR with a medium-length cartridge case, comparable to the contemporary .44 Russian round in size and power. Loading
4698-464: The smaller German states to form the North German Confederation through the Treaty of 18 August 1866 . On 10 June 1866, four days before the start of the war, the Prussian government had presented the other German states with the outlines of a new federal constitution containing ten articles that formulated its key principles. A Reichstag was to be elected as a constituent assembly according to equal, secret and universal manhood suffrage, which had been
4779-442: The states' governments. The members of the lower house of parliament, the Reichstag , were elected by universal manhood suffrage. The Reichstag participated on an equal footing with the Bundesrat in legislation for the Confederation. The chancellor, who presided over the Bundesrat, was appointed by the king of Prussia and was responsible only to him. The king was head of state and was responsible for executing federal laws passed by
4860-406: The supreme command of the king of Prussia as Federal Field Commander ( Bundesfeldherr ). As "chiefs of the troops in their territory", the federal princes were military rulers only at need and without command authority (Article 66). The soldiers still had to take an oath of allegiance to the princes, but it had to include obedience to the king of Prussia as well (Article 64). The peacetime strength
4941-578: The traditions of the army, in many cases stretching back into the 17th and 18th centuries. After World War I, regimental traditions were carried forward in the Reichswehr and its successor, the Wehrmacht , but the chain of tradition was broken in 1945 as West German and East German units did not carry forward pre-1945 traditions. Each Imperial German regiment of infantry had headquarters units, three battalions, and one training battalion assigned to
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#17327718919895022-399: The unspecified and therefore unstable balance between the king of Prussia and the chancellor and between the chancellor and the Reichstag, remained hidden in the early years because Bismarck was able to exercise the office at his own political discretion. The Reichstag majority was of the opinion that the Constitution had worked brilliantly. The North German Confederation was successful because
5103-540: The various traditions and military ranks of its constituent states, thus becoming a truly federal armed service. Critics long believed that the army's officer corps was heavily dominated by Junker aristocrats, so that commoners were shunted into low-prestige branches, such as the heavy artillery or supply. However, by the 1890s, the top ranks were opened to highly talented commoners. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The Imperial Army
5184-572: Was able to "quite legitimately send a request directly to the Ministry of War in Stuttgart for the raising of a new artillery regiment". Regiments and units from separate constituents were also raised locally and often numbered independently from each other – for example, there was (among others) both a Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment and a Württemberger 1st Infantry Regiment . While the aforementioned contingents wore distinctive uniforms, with
5265-473: Was abolished on 6 March 1919, and the provisional Reichswehr was created. North German Constitution The North German Constitution , officially the Constitution of the North German Confederation ( German : Verfassung des Norddeutschen Bundes ) was the constitution of the North German Confederation , which existed as a state from 1 July 1867 to 31 December 1870. The Constitution of
5346-441: Was also chancellor and chairman of the Bundesrat (Article 15). Prussia had a blocking minority for constitutional amendments (Article 78), in military and naval affairs (Article 5) and in customs and excise duties and the associated administrative regulations and administrative authorities (Articles 35 and 37). In the alliance treaty of 18 August 1866, Prussia and the other North German states had agreed that all troops would be under
5427-400: Was also concentrated in the hands of the king because neither the approval of the Reichstag nor the countersignature of the chancellor was required for acts of command and military organisation (Article 63). The most important governmental power of the king was to appoint the federal chancellor (Article 15). He also had the right to supervise the execution of federal laws by the administration of
5508-470: Was commander-in-chief of the federal army (Article 63) and navy (Article 53) and was responsible for declaring war and concluding peace in the name of the Confederation (Article 11). Because of royal rights and the restrictions on the rights of the Reichstag, the North German Confederation was established a semi-constitutional monarchy. As head of state, the king was able to conclude alliances and other foreign policy treaties (Article 11). Foreign policy power
5589-561: Was familiar with. For foreign policy reasons, Bismarck adopted the universal manhood suffrage of the Frankfurt Constitution in his outlines for the new federal constitution. He hoped that Austria and Russia would not draw the attention of their populations to the suffrage withheld from them and would therefore pass over the emergence of a new power in Europe in silence. The prosecution of members of parliament required
5670-420: Was introduced in all individual states (Article 61), as were Prussian administrative regulations (Article 63). The navy was under Prussian supreme command and was financed exclusively by the federal government (Article 63). Direct taxes, such as income tax, remained with the individual states. The revenue from customs and excise duties went to the federal treasury. If customs and excise duties were not sufficient,
5751-493: Was linked to an army corps; thus Wehrkreis I took over the area that I. Armeekorps had been responsible for and sent replacements to the same formation. The first sixteen reserve corps raised followed the same pattern; X. Reserve-Korps was made up of reservists from the same area as X. Armeekorps . However, these links between rear areas and front line units were broken as the war went on and later corps were raised with troops from all over Germany. The basic tactical formation
5832-426: Was one per cent of the population (Article 60), and the individual states had to pay an annual contribution of 225 Thaler for each soldier to the Confederation (Article 62). The army was a federal army (Article 63) and therefore uniform in terms of administration, rations, armaments and equipment (Article 63). The king of Prussia appointed the highest commander of a contingent (Article 64). Prussian military legislation
5913-663: Was replaced in May 1871 by the Constitution of the German Empire . It, too, was an only slightly modified version of the North German Constitution. It renamed the Confederation to the German Empire , made the head of state the German emperor and added special clauses for Bavaria and Württemberg . It remained in effect until the end of World War I in November 1918. Weaknesses in the Constitution, such as
5994-472: Was the division . A standard Imperial German division was organised into: One of the divisions in a corps area usually also managed the corps Landwehr region ( Landwehrbezirk ). In 1914, besides the Guard Corps (two Guard divisions and a Guard cavalry division), there were 42 regular divisions in the Prussian Army (including four Saxon divisions and two Württemberg divisions), and six divisions in
6075-447: Was the democratic body of the North German Confederation, and it participated on an equal footing with the Bundesrat in the Confederation's legislation (Articles 4 and 5). It was not a full parliament, since it was dependent on other state bodies and had no comprehensive rights of control over the government. The Reichstag also did not have the right of self-assembly. Only the king of Prussia was authorised to convene, open, adjourn and close
6156-541: Was the main result. It sought to identify military talent at the lower levels and develop it thoroughly through academic training and practical experience on division, corps, and higher staffs, up to the Great General Staff, the senior planning body of the army. It provided planning and organisational work during peacetime and wartime. The Prussian General Staff, proven in battle in the Wars of Unification , became
6237-421: Was the safety lever, which was often applied with the hammer resting in the half-cock position. Most revolvers came with a lanyard ring for attachment to the uniform. German Army (German Empire) The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army ( German : Deutsches Heer ), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire . It was established in 1871 with
6318-432: Was transferred to the king of Prussia (Article 11). In September 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War (19 July 1870 – 10 May 1871), the North German Confederation under Prussian leadership began unification talks with the south German states. The result was the Constitution of the German Confederation , which was based largely on the 1867 North German Constitution and went into effect on 1 January 1871. That constitution
6399-478: Was very rapid expansion and a high output of high-quality aircraft, as well as high wages that attracted the best machinists. Apart from aircraft, the army's regulation of the rest of the war economy was largely inefficient. The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (The Air Corps of the German Empire), was the over-land air arm of
6480-435: Was via a gate on the revolver's right side, and the cylinder was released by pulling the hammer to half-cock. Removing empty cartridges could be done by removing the cylinder by withdrawing the axis pin, and then removing the casings by hand, but in actual practice a separate small rod (stored in the ammunition pouch) was used to push the casings out without having to remove the cylinder. A unique feature among these revolvers
6561-421: Was virtually the same. Prussia was divided into army-corps districts for the purposes both of administration and of recruitment. On the outbreak of war the command organizations of the district became that of a corps in the field. Localization of the Army and its recruitment gave the districts pride and interest in their 'own' corps. The German Empire accounted for 12% of global industrial output in 1914, making it
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