# Guards Corps (German Empire)

The Guards Corps/GK (German: Gardekorps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.
The Corps was headquartered in Berlin, with its units garrisoned in the city and nearby towns (Potsdam, Jüterbog, Döberitz). Unlike all other Corps of the Imperial German Army, the Guards Corps did not recruit from a specific area, but from throughout Prussia and the "Imperial Lands" of Alsace-Lorraine.
The Corps served in the Austro-Prussian War. During the Franco-Prussian War it was assigned to the 2nd Army.
In peacetime the Corps was assigned to the II Army Inspectorate but joined the 2nd Army at the start of the First World War. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 4th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht, on the Western Front. The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

## Austro-Prussian War

The Guards Corps fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz.

## Franco-Prussian War

The Corps served in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870–1871 as part of 2nd Army. It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte, Battle of Sedan and the Siege of Paris (including the Battle of Le Bourget), among other actions.

## 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 eight infantry, four field artillery and four cavalry regiments. There were exceptions to this rule:
    V, VI, VII, IX and XIV Corps each had a fifth infantry brigade (so 10 infantry regiments)
    II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a ninth infantry regiment
    I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3rd cavalry brigade (so six cavalry regiments)
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
The Guards Corps was considerably above this norm, with 11 infantry regiments (in five brigades) and 8 cavalry regiments (in four brigades). In addition to the normal two infantry divisions (1st Guards Infantry and 2nd Guards Infantry Divisions), the Guards Corps also commanded the Guards Cavalry Division, the only peacetime cavalry division in the German Army. It also incorporated an exceptional number of "Corps Troops" units, in particular school and demonstration (Lehr) units.
Peacetime organization of the Corps :
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units | Garrison |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade | Gardes du Corps | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade | Guards Cuirassiers | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade | 1st Guards Uhlans | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade | 3rd Guards Uhlans | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade | 1st Guards Dragoons "Queen of Great Britain and Ireland" | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade | 2nd Guards Dragoons "Empress Alexandra of Russia" | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade | Life Guards Hussars | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Guards Cavalry Division | 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade | 2nd Guards Uhlans | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 1st Guards Infantry Brigade | 1st Foot Guards | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 1st Guards Infantry Brigade | 3rd Foot Guards | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 1st Guards Infantry Brigade | Guards Jäger Battalion | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade | 2nd Foot Guards | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade | 4th Foot Guards | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade | Guards Fusiliers | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 1st Guards Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Guards Field Artillery | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Infantry Division | 1st Guards Field Artillery Brigade | 3rd Guards Field Artillery | Berlin, Beeskow |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade | 1st (Emperor Alexander) Guards Grenadiers | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade | 3rd (Queen Elizabeth) Guards Grenadiers | Charlottenburg |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade | Guards Schützen Battalion | Groß-Lichterfelde |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 4th Guards Infantry Brigade | 2nd (Emperor Francis) Guards Grenadiers | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 4th Guards Infantry Brigade | 4th (Queen Augusta) Guards Grenadiers | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 5th Guards Infantry Brigade | 5th Foot Guards | Spandau |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 5th Guards Infantry Brigade | 5th Guards Grenadiers | Spandau |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 2nd Guards Field Artillery Brigade | 2nd Guards Field Artillery | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Infantry Division | 2nd Guards Field Artillery Brigade | 4th Guards Field Artillery | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Lehr Infantry Battalion | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Guards Machine Gun Abteilung | Potsdam |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 2nd Guards Machine Gun Abteilung | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Foot Artillery | Spandau |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Lehr Regiment of the Field Artillery Firing School | Jüterbog |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Lehr Regiment of the Foot Artillery Firing School | Jüterbog |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Pioneer Battalion | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Train Battalion | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Railway Regiment | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 4th Railway Regiment | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Operating Abteilung of the Railway Troops | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Telegraph Battalion | Berlin (Treptow) |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | War Telegraph School | Spandau (Ruheleben) |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Airship Battalion | Berlin (Tegel) |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 2nd Airship Battalion | Berlin / Hannover / Dresden |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Flying Battalion | Döberitz / Großenhain |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Motorised Battalion | Berlin |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Testing Abteilung of the Transport Technical Examination Board | 1st Co. Berlin, 2nd Co. Jüterbog |

## World War I
### Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was extensively restructured. The Guards Cavalry Division (less the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade) was assigned to the I Cavalry Corps (Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando 1); the 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. The Lehr Infantry Battalion was expanded to form the Lehr Infantry Regiment. It formed 6th Guards Infantry Brigade (with the Guards Füsilier Regiment) and together with the 5th Guards Infantry Brigade formed the 3rd Guards Division of the Guards Reserve Corps. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters.
In summary, the Guards Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 10 machine gun companies (60 machine guns), eight cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), four heavy artillery batteries (16 guns), three pioneer companies and an aviation detachment.
Initial wartime organization of the Corps :
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 1st Guard Infantry Brigade | 1st Foot Guards Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 1st Guard Infantry Brigade | 3rd Foot Guards Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 1st Guard Infantry Brigade | Guards Jäger Battalion |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 2nd Guard Infantry Brigade | 2nd Foot Guards Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 2nd Guard Infantry Brigade | 4th Foot Guards Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 1st Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | 1st Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 3rd Guards Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | | Leib Guards Hussar Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | | 1st Company, Guards Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | | 1st Guards Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | | 1st Medical Company |
| Guards Corps | 1st Guards Division | | 3rd Medical Company |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 3rd Guard Infantry Brigade | 1st Guards Grenadier Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 3rd Guard Infantry Brigade | 3rd Guards Grenadier Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 3rd Guard Infantry Brigade | Guards Schützen Battalion |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 4th Guard Infantry Brigade | 2nd Guards Grenadier Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 4th Guard Infantry Brigade | 4th Guards Grenadier Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 2nd Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 2nd Guards Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | 2nd Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 4th Guards Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | | 2nd Guards Uhlan Regiment |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | | 2nd Company, Guards Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | | 3rd Company, Guards Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | | 2nd Guards Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Guards Corps | 2nd Guards Division | | 2nd Medical Company |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | I Battalion, 1st Guards Foot Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Aviation Detachment |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Corps Pontoon Train |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Telephone Detachment |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Pioneer Searchlight Section |
| Guards Corps | Corps Troops | | Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps |

### Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, the Guards Corps was assigned to the 2nd Army as part of the right wing of the forces that invaded France and Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914.
Soon into the war, at the First Battle of the Marne, the Prussian Guards were bitterly defeated in an attempt to take French positions.
In early July 1915 it participated in the "Battle of the Guards" near Krasnostav, acting against parts of the Russian Guard corps. It participated in the Battle of Lublin-Kholm in July 1915
In 1917, the corps was stationed on the Aisne River as part of 1st Army, and played an important role in the German defense against the French offensive in that sector.
It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 4th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht, on the Western Front.

## Commanders

The Guards Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
| From | Rank | Name |
| 20 September 1814 | General der Infanterie | Duke Charles of Mecklenburg |
| 30 March 1838 | Generalleutnant | Prince Wilhelm of Prussia |
| 23 May 1848 | Generalleutnant | Karl von Prittwitz |
| 2 June 1853 | General der Kavallerie | Karl von der Gröben |
| 3 June 1858 | General der Kavallerie | Prince August of Württemberg |
| 30 August 1882 | General der Kavallerie | Wilhelm von Brandenburg |
| 21 August 1884 | General der Infanterie | Alexander von Pape |
| 19 September 1888 | General der Infanterie | Oskar von Meerscheidt-Hüllessem |
| 6 May 1893 | General der Infanterie | Hugo von Winterfeld |
| 18 August 1897 | General der Infanterie | Max von Bock und Polach |
| 27 January 1902 | General der Infanterie | Gustav von Kessel |
| 29 May 1909 | General der Infanterie | Alfred von Loewenfeld |
| 1 March 1913 | General der Infanterie | Karl von Plettenberg |
| 6 February 1917 | General der Infanterie | Ferdinand von Quast |
| 9 September 1917 | General der Kavallerie | Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten |
| 2 November 1917 | Generalleutnant | Alfred von Böckmann |