# I Royal Bavarian Corps

The I Royal Bavarian Army Corps / I Bavarian AK (German: I. Königlich Bayerisches Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Royal Bavarian Army, part of the Imperial German Army, before and during World War I.
As part of the 1868 army reform, the I Royal Bavarian Army Corps of the Bavarian Army was set up in 1869 in Munich as the Generalkommando (headquarters) for the southern part of the kingdom. With the formation of the III Royal Bavarian Corps in 1900, it was made responsible for Swabia and most of Upper and Lower Bavaria. Like all Bavarian formations, it was assigned to the IV Army Inspectorate. This became the 6th Army at the start of the First World War. The Corps was disbanded at the end of the war along with the Kingdom of Bavaria.

## Franco-Prussian War

The I Royal Bavarian Corps (along with the II Royal Bavarian Corps) participated in the Franco-Prussian War as part of the 3rd Army.
It initially fought in the battles of Worth, Beaumont and Bazeilles, where it lost about 7,000 men, it also fought at the decisive battle of Sedan. After Sedan, the Corps was responsible for the removal of prisoners and ensuring transport of the booty. Thereafter, it moved south of Paris to the Loire, to shield the army during the Siege of Paris. A newly formed French Corps gathered in the Orléans area, so the Corps was reinforced by the 17th Division, 22nd Division and two cavalry divisions. After the Battle of Artenay, Orléans was captured and the reinforcing divisions were removed so the Corps did not have them for the first battles against the Army of the Loire. As a result of the subsequent Battle of Coulmiers, Orléans was lost once again.
In the period from October to late December 1870, the Corps was on service without interruption, particularly from the beginning of November in the battles of Villepion, Loigny, Orléans and Beaugency, usually against a numerically superior enemy. The losses in December alone amounted to 5,600 men. A planned return to the siege army at Paris had to be postponed several times because the Bavarians could not be spared.

## 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 |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Infantry Brigade | Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 1st Royal Bavarian Infantry "King" | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 2nd Royal Bavarian Infantry "Crown Prince" | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 16th Royal Bavarian Infantry "Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany" | Passau, Landshut |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Royal Bavarian Field Artillery "Prince Regent Luitpold" | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 7th Royal Bavarian Field Artillery "Prince Regent Luitpold" | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Cavalry Brigade | 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry "Prince Charles of Bavaria" | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Cavalry Brigade | 2nd Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry "Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria" | Landshut |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 3rd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 3rd Royal Bavarian Infantry "Prince Charles of Bavaria" | Augsburg |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 3rd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 20th Royal Bavarian Infantry "Prince Francis" | Lindau, Kempten |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 4th Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 12th Royal Bavarian Infantry "Prince Arnulf" | Neu-Ulm |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 4th Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 15th Royal Bavarian Infantry "King Frederick August of Saxony" | Neuburg an der Donau |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 4th Royal Bavarian Field Artillery "King" | Augsburg |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 9th Royal Bavarian Field Artillery | Freising |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Cavalry Brigade | 4th Royal Bavarian Chevau-légers "King" | Augsburg, Neu-Ulm |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Cavalry Brigade | 8th Royal Bavarian Chevau-légers | Dillingen |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Jäger Battalion | Freising |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Foot Artillery "vakant Bothmer" | Munich, Neu-Ulm |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Pioneer Battalion | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | Royal Bavarian Railway Battalion | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Telegraph Battalion | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 2nd Royal Bavarian Telegraph Battalion | Augsburg |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Luft- u. Kraftfahrer Battalion | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Flieger Battalion | Oberschleißheim |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Royal Bavarian Train Abteilung | Munich |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Munich Defence Command (Landwehr-Inspektion) | | | Munich |

## World War I
### Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization, on 2 August 1914, the Corps was restructured. 1st Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the Bavarian Cavalry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade was broken up and its regiments assigned to the divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, I Bavarian Corps mobilised with 25 infantry battalions, 8 machine gun companies (48 machine guns), 8 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 |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Infantry Brigade | Bavarian Leib Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 1st Bavarian Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 1st Bavarian Jäger Battalion |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 7th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 8th Chevauleger Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 1st Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 3rd Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 1st Bavarian Divisional Pontoon Train |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 1st Bavarian Medical Company |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 1st Royal Bavarian Division | | 3rd Bavarian Medical Company |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 3rd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 3rd Bavarian Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 3rd Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 20th Bavarian Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 4th Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 12th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 4th Bavarian Infantry Brigade | 15th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 4th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | 2nd Bavarian Field Artillery Brigade | 9th Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | | 4th Chevauleger Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | | 2nd Company, 1st Bavarian Pioneer Battalion |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | | 2nd Bavarian Divisional Pontoon Train |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | 2nd Royal Bavarian Division | | 2nd Bavarian Medical Company |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | II Battalion, 1st Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Bavarian Aviation Detachment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Bavarian Corps Pontoon Train |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Bavarian Telephone Detachment |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | 1st Bavarian Pioneer Searchlight Section |
| I Royal Bavarian Corps | Corps Troops | | Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps |

### Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, I Royal Bavarian Corps was assigned to the predominantly Bavarian 6th Army forming part of the left wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 18th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.

## Commanders

The I Royal Bavarian Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
| Dates | Rank | Name |
| 8 January 1869 | General der Infanterie | Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen |
| 16 June 1881 | General der Infanterie | Karl Freiherr von Horn |
| 3 March 1887 | Generalleutnant | Prince Leopold of Bavaria |
| 29 October 1890 | Generaloberst | Prince Arnulf of Bavaria |
| 19 April 1906 | General der Infanterie | Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria |
| 22 March 1913 | General der Infanterie | Oskar Ritter von Xylander |
| 19 June 1918 | Generalleutnant | Nikolaus Ritter von Endres |
| 25 April 1919 | General der Artillerie | Maximilian Ritter von Höhn |

### Headquarters staff during World War I

From 2 August 1914, its headquarters staff were:
* Commanding General: Gen. d. Inf. Oskar Ritter v. Xylander, Gen.-Lt. Nikolaus Ritter v. Endres as Führer from 23 June 1918
* Chief of General Staff: Gen.-Maj. Karl Frhr. v. Nagel zu Aichberg, Gen.-Maj. Möhl from 6 March 1915, Maj. Ludwig Graf v. Holnstein from Bavaria from 13 September 1916, Oberstlt. Friedrich Haack from 29 May 1918.
* General staff: Maj. Hans Hemmer, Hptm. Wilhelm Leeb, Hptm. Otto Frhr. v. Berchem, Hptm. Karl Deuringer
* Commander of Engineers: Major Georg Vogl