# Guards Reserve Corps

The Guards Reserve Corps (German: Garde-Reserve-Korps / Garde RK) was a corps level command of the German Army in World War I.

## Formation

Guards Reserve Corps was formed on the outbreak of the war in August 1914 as part of the mobilisation of the Prussian Army. It was initially commanded by General der Artillerie Max von Gallwitz, formerly Inspector General of Artillery. It was dissolved on 9 February 1915 as its headquarters was used to form the headquarters of Armee-Gruppe Gallwitz (later 12th Army) on the Eastern Front.
Temporary Corps Marschall was formed on 7 July 1915 and renamed Guards Reserve Corps on 18 April 1916. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 4th Army, part of Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front.

### Structure on formation

On formation in August 1914, Guards Reserve Corps consisted of two divisions. In general, reserve corps and reserve divisions were weaker than their active counterparts, but the Guards Reserve Corps was exceptional in that
    the 3rd Guards Division, although new, consisted almost entirely of regular army units
    the 1st Guards Reserve Division had a field artillery brigade of two regiments (most reserve divisions only had one regiment)
    the corps troops were equivalent to an active corps, lacking only an aviation detachment
The Guards Reserve Corps mobilised with 26 infantry battalions, 9 machine gun companies (54 machine guns), 6 cavalry squadrons, 24 field artillery batteries (144 guns), 4 heavy batteries (16 guns) and 3 pioneer companies.
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 5th Guards Infantry Brigade | 5th Foot Guards Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 5th Guards Infantry Brigade | 5th Guards Grenadiers Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 6th Guards Infantry Brigade | Guard Fusilier Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 6th Guards Infantry Brigade | Lehr Infantry Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 3rd Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 5th Guard Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | 3rd Guard Field Artillery Brigade | 6th Guard Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | | Guards Reserve Uhlan Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | | 1st Company, 28th Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | | 3rd Guards Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | | 1st Guards Medical Company |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 3rd Guards Division | | 3rd Guards Medical Company |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 1st Guards Reserve Brigade | 1st Guards Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 1st Guards Reserve Brigade | 2nd Guards Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 1st Guards Reserve Brigade | Guards Reserve Jäger Battalion |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade | 64th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade | 93rd Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade | Guards Reserve Schützen Battalion |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | Guards Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 1st Guards Reserve Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | Guards Reserve Field Artillery Brigade | 3rd Guards Reserve Field Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | | Guards Reserve Dragoon Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | | 2nd Company, 28th Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | | 3rd Company, 28th Pioneer Battalion |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | | 2nd Guards Divisional Pontoon Train |
| Guards Reserve Corps | 1st Guards Reserve Division | | 2nd Guards Reserve Medical Company |
| Guards Reserve Corps | Corps Troops | | II Battalion, 1st Guards Foot Artillery Regiment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Reserve Corps Pontoon Train |
| Guards Reserve Corps | Corps Troops | | Guards Reserve Telephone Detachment |
| Guards Reserve Corps | Corps Troops | | 28th Pioneer Searchlight Section |
| Guards Reserve Corps | Corps Troops | | Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to the II Corps |

## Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, Guards Reserve 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. It participated in the capture of Namur and was immediately transferred to the Eastern Front to join the 8th Army in time to participate in the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
On 9 February 1915, the Corps headquarters was upgraded to form the headquarters of Armee-Gruppe Gallwitz (later the 12th Army).
Temporary Corps Marschall was formed on 7 July 1915 and established as the Guards Reserve Corps on 18 April 1916. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 4th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front.

## Commanders

Guards Reserve Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
| From | Rank | Name | Notes |
| 2 August 1914 | General der Artillerie | Max von Gallwitz | |
| 9 February 1915 | | | Upgraded to Armee-Gruppe Gallwitz |
| 14 February 1915 | | | Reformed as Korps Marschall |
| 17 April 1916 | General der Kavallerie | Wolf Freiherr Marschall von Altengottern | |

## Glossary

* Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.
* Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
* Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.