# X Corps (German Empire)

The X Army Corps / X AK (German: X. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and German Armies before and during World War I.
X Corps was one of three formed in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War (the others being IX Corps and XI Corps). The Corps was formed in October 1866 with headquarters in Hannover. The catchment area included the newly annexed Kingdom of Hanover (thereafter the Province of Hanover), the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and the Duchy of Brunswick.
During the Franco-Prussian War it was assigned to the 2nd Army.
In peacetime, it was assigned to the III Army Inspectorate. which became the 2nd Army at the start of the First World War. It was still in existence at the end of the war, in Armee-Abteilung B, Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg at the extreme southern end of the Western Front. The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

## Franco-Prussian War

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 the army corps fought under the command of General von Voigts-Rhetz in several battles including the Battle of Mars-la-Tour, Battle of Spicheren, Siege of Metz, Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande, Battle of Orléans and Battle of Le Mans.

## Flags of the Line Infantry regiments

Due to the large number of Line Infantry regiments then in existence, on 18 December 1890, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered that the flag colours were to be the same as that of the uniform epaulettes. This was to ensure that each corps attained uniformity. IX and X Corps wore white epaulettes. Notwithstanding this, the flags of the Jäger Battalions would be green.
| Flag of the Line Infantry regiments of the IX and X Corps (except Jägers) | Flag of the Jägers |

## Peacetime organisation

The 25 peacetime Corps of the German Army (Guards, I - XXI, I - III Bavarian) had a reasonably standardised organisation. Each consisted of two divisions with usually two infantry brigades, one field artillery brigade and a cavalry brigade each. Each brigade normally consisted of two regiments of the appropriate type, so each Corps normally commanded 8 infantry, 4 field artillery and 4 cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:
    V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a 5th infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)
    II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a 9th infantry regiment
    I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so 6 cavalry regiments)
    the Guards Corps had 11 infantry regiments (in 5 brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in 4 brigades).
Each Corps also directly controlled a number of other units. This could include one or more
    Foot Artillery Regiment
    Jäger Battalion
    Pioneer Battalion
    Train Battalion
Peacetime organization of the Corps :
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units | Garrison |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 37th Infantry Brigade | 78th (East Frisian) Infantry "Duke Frederick William of Brunswick" | Osnabrück, III Bn at Aurich |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 37th Infantry Brigade | 91st (Oldenburg) Infantry | Oldenburg |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 38th Infantry Brigade | 73rd (Hannover) Fusiliers "Field Marshal Prince Albrecht of Prussia" | Hannover |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 38th Infantry Brigade | 74th (1st Hannover) Infantry | Hannover |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Field Artillery Brigade | 26th (2nd Hannover) Field Artillery | Verden an der Aller |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Field Artillery Brigade | 62nd (East Frisisan) Field Artillery | Oldenburg, Osnabrück |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Cavalry Brigade | 19th (Oldenburg) Dragoons | Oldenburg |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Cavalry Brigade | 13th (1st Hannover) King's Uhlans | Hannover |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 39th Infantry Brigade | 79th (3rd Hannover) Infantry "von Voigts-Rhetz" | Hildesheim |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 39th Infantry Brigade | 164th (4th Hannover) Infantry | Hamelin, III Bn at Holzminden |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 40th Infantry Brigade | 77th (2nd Hannover) Infantry | Celle |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 40th Infantry Brigade | 92nd (Brunswick) Infantry | Braunschweig |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Field Artillery Brigade | 10th (1st Hannover) Field Artillery "von Scharnhorst" | Hannover |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Field Artillery Brigade | 46th (Lower Saxony) Field Artillery | Wolfenbüttel, Celle |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Cavalry Brigade | 16th (2nd Hannover) Dragoons | Lüneburg |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Cavalry Brigade | 17th (Brunswick) Hussars | Braunschweig |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th (Hannover) Jäger Battalion | Goslar |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th (Hannover) Pioneer Battalion | Minden |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th (Hannover) Train Battalion | Hannover |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 6th Telegraph Battalion | Hannover |
| X Corps | Hannover Defence Command (Landwehr-Inspektion) | | | Hannover |

## World War I
### Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was restructured. 19th Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the 9th Cavalry Division and the 20th Cavalry Brigade was broken up. The 17th (Brunswick) Hussars was raised to a strength of 6 squadrons before being split into two half-regiments of 3 squadrons each; the half-regiments were assigned as divisional cavalry to 19th and 20th Divisions. Likewise, the 16th (2nd Hannover) Dragoons formed two half-regiments which were assigned as divisional cavalry to 17th and 18th Divisions of IX Corps. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, X Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 9 machine gun companies (54 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), 4 heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), 3 pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.
Initial wartime organization of the Corps :
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 37th Infantry Brigade | 78th Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 37th Infantry Brigade | 91st Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 38th Infantry Brigade | 73rd Fusilier Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 38th Infantry Brigade | 74th Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Field Artillery Brigade | 26th Field Artillery Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | 19th Field Artillery Brigade | 62nd Field Artillery Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | | half of 17th Hussar Regiment |
| X Corps | 19th Division | | 1st Company, 10th Pioneer Battalion |
| X Corps | 19th Division | | 19th Divisional Pontoon Train |
| X Corps | 19th Division | | 1st Medical Company |
| X Corps | 19th Division | | 3rd Medical Company |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 39th Infantry Brigade | 79th Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 39th Infantry Brigade | 164th Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 39th Infantry Brigade | 10th Jäger Battalion |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 40th Infantry Brigade | 77th Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 40th Infantry Brigade | 92nd Infantry Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Field Artillery Brigade | 10th Field Artillery Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | 20th Field Artillery Brigade | 46th Field Artillery Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | | staff and half of 17th Hussar Regiment |
| X Corps | 20th Division | | 2nd Company, 10th Pioneer Battalion |
| X Corps | 20th Division | | 3rd Company, 10th Pioneer Battalion |
| X Corps | 20th Division | | 20th Divisional Pontoon Train |
| X Corps | 20th Division | | 2nd Medical Company |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | II Battalion, 20th Foot Artillery Regiment |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 21st Aviation Detachment |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th Corps Pontoon Train |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th Telephone Detachment |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | 10th Pioneer Searchlight Section |
| X Corps | Corps Troops | | Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps |

### Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, X Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army forming part of the right wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front.
It was still in existence at the end of the war in Armee-Abteilung B, Heeresgruppe Herzog Albrecht von Württemberg at the extreme southern end of the Western Front.

## Commanders

The X Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
| From | Rank | Name |
| 30 October 1866 | General der Infanterie | Konstantin Bernhard von Voigts-Rhetz |
| 12 December 1873 | General der Kavallerie | Prince Albert of Prussia |
| 10 July 1888 | General der Infanterie | Leo von Caprivi |
| 24 March 1890 | Generalleutnant | Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff |
| 27 January 1893 | General der Infanterie | August Wilhelm von Seebeck |
| 4 April 1899 | General der Infanterie | August von Bomsdorff |
| 9 February 1908 | General der Infanterie | Dr. Alfred von Loewenfeld |
| 29 May 1909 | General der Infanterie | Otto von Emmich |
| 22 December 1915 | Generalleutnant | Walther von Lüttwitz |
| 21 August 1916 | Generalleutnant | Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf |