# III Corps (German Empire)

The III Army Corps / III AK (German: III. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the Prussian and then the Imperial German Armies from the 19th century to World War I.
It was established in 1814 as the General Headquarters in Berlin (Generalkommando in Berlin) and became the III Army Corps on 3 April 1820. Its headquarters was in Berlin and its catchment area was the Province of Brandenburg.
In peacetime, the Corps was assigned to the IV Army Inspectorate, joining the 1st Army at the start of the First World War. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 7th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front. The Corps was disbanded with the demobilisation of the German Army after World War I.

## War of the Sixth Coalition

In 1813 the III Corps fought at the battles of Luckau, Grossbeeren, Dennewitz, Leipzig and Arnhem. In 1814, the corps fought at Hoogstraten and Laon.
Nov. 1813–Jan. 1814 organization of the Corps :
| Corps | Division | Brigade | Units |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 2nd East Prussian Grenadier Battalion |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 3rd East Prussian Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 4th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 3rd East Prussian Landwehr Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 1st Leib Hussar Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 3rd Brigade: Karl Heinrich von Zielinski | 6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 6 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | East Prussian Jäger Battalion (2 companies) |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | 4th East Prussian Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | 5th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | 2nd Pommeranian Landwehr Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | 1st Pommeranian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 4th Brigade: Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen | 6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 8 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | Pommeranian Grenadier Battalion |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | 1st Pommeranian Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | 2nd Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | Elbe Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | 2nd Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | Pommeranian Hussar Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 5th Brigade: Karl Ludwig von Borstell | 6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 10 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft | Kolberg Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft | 9th Reserve Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft | 1st Neumärk Landwehr Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft | 2nd Pommeranian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | 6th Brigade: Karl August Adolf von Krafft | 6-pounder Foot Battery Nr. 16 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Alexander Wilhelm von Treskow | Queen's Dragoon Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Alexander Wilhelm von Treskow | Brandenberg Dragoon Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Alexander Wilhelm von Treskow | 2nd West Prussian Dragoon Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Alexander Wilhelm von Treskow | 6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 5 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Bernhard Hellmuth von Hobe | Westphalian Uhlan Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Bernhard Hellmuth von Hobe | 2nd Silesian Hussar Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Bernhard Hellmuth von Hobe | Pommeranian National Cavalry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Karl Bernhard Hellmuth von Hobe | 6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 6 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Hans Joachim Friedrich von Sydow | 2nd Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: Adolph Friedrich von Oppen | Cavalry Brigade: Hans Joachim Friedrich von Sydow | 4th Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff | 12-pounder Foot Batteries Nrs. 4 and 5 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff | 6-pounder Foot Batteries Nrs. 19 and ? |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff | 6-pounder Horse Battery Nr. 11 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff | Park Columns Nrs. 3, 4 and 6 |
| III Corps: Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 19,172 infantry 6,240 cavalry | Division: None | Corps Artillery: Karl Friedrich von Holtzendorff | Pioneer Companies Nrs. 4 and 5 |

## Second Schleswig War

Part of the Corps (10th Brigade of the 5th Division and the 6th Division) fought in the Second Schleswig War of 1864, including the key Battle of Dybbøl, or Düppeler Heights.

## Austro-Prussian War

The III Corps formed part of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia's 1st Army and fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz.

## Franco-Prussian War

In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the Corps joined the 2nd Army. It saw action in the battles of Spicheren, Mars-la-Tour (a key part), Gravelotte, Beaune-la-Rolande, Orléans, and Le Mans, and in the Siege of Metz.

## 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 5 infantry brigades (so 10 infantry regiments)
    II, XIII, XVIII and XXI Corps had a 9 infantry regiments
    I, VI and XVI Corps had a 3 cavalry brigades (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 |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 9th Infantry Brigade | 8th (1st Brandenburg) Life Grenadiers "King Frederick William III" | Frankfurt an der Oder |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 9th Infantry Brigade | 48th (5th Brandenburg) Infantry "von Stülpnagel" | Küstrin |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 10th Infantry Brigade | 12th (2nd Brandenburg) Grenadiers "Prince Charles of Prussia" | Frankfurt an der Oder |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 10th Infantry Brigade | 52nd (6th Brandenburg) Infantry "von Alvensleben" | Cottbus, I Bn at Crossen an der Oder |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Field Artillery Brigade | 18th (2nd Brandenburg) Field Artillery "General-Feldzeugmeister" | Frankfurt an der Oder |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Field Artillery Brigade | 54th (Neumark) Field Artillery | Küstrin, Landsberg an der Warthe |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Cavalry Brigade | 2nd (1st Brandenburg) Dragoons | Schwedt |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Cavalry Brigade | 3rd (1st Brandenburg) Uhlans "Emperor Alexander II of Russia" | Fürstenwalde |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 11th Infantry Brigade | 20th (3rd Brandenburg) Infantry "Count Tauentzien von Wittenberg" | Wittenberg |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 11th Infantry Brigade | 35th (Brandenburg) Fusiliers "Prince Henry of Prussia" | Brandenburg an der Havel |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 12th Infantry Brigade | 24th (4th Brandenburg) Infantry "Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin" | Neuruppin |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 12th Infantry Brigade | 64th (8th Brandenburg) Infantry "General Field Marshal Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia" | Prenzlau, III Bn at Angermünde |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Field Artillery Brigade | 3rd (1st Brandenburg) Field Artillery "General-Feldzeugmeister" | Brandenburg an der Havel |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Field Artillery Brigade | 39th (Kurmark) Field Artillery | Perleberg |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Cavalry Brigade | 6th (Brandenburg) Cuirassiers "Emperor Nicholas I of Russia" | Brandenburg an der Havel |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Cavalry Brigade | 3rd (Brandenburg) Hussars “von Zieten” | Rathenow |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd (Brandenburg) Jäger Battalion | Lübben |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd (1st Brandenburg) Pioneer Battalion "von Rauch" | Magdeburg |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 28th (2nd Brandenburg) Pioneer Battalion | Küstrin |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 2nd Telegraph Battalion | Frankfurt an der Oder, Cottbus |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd (Brandenburg) Train Battalion | Spandau |
| III Corps | Berlin Defence Command (Landwehr-Inspektion) | | | Berlin |

## World War I
### Organisation on mobilisation

On mobilization on 2 August 1914 the Corps was restructured. 5th Cavalry Brigade was withdrawn to form part of the 2nd Cavalry Division and the 6th Cavalry Brigade was broken up: the 3rd Hussar Regiment was raised to a strength of 6 squadrons before being split into two half-regiments of 3 squadrons each and the half-regiments were assigned as divisional cavalry to 5th and 6th Divisions; the 6th Cuirassier Regiment was likewise assigned as two half-regiments to 22nd and 38th Divisions of XI Corps. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from the Corps headquarters. In summary, III 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 |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 9th Infantry Brigade | 8th Leib Grenadier Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 9th Infantry Brigade | 48th Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 10th Infantry Brigade | 12th Grenadier Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 10th Infantry Brigade | 52nd Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 10th Infantry Brigade | 3rd Jäger Battalion |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Field Artillery Brigade | 18th Field Artillery Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | 5th Field Artillery Brigade | 54th Field Artillery Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | staff and half of 3rd Hussar Regiment |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | 2nd Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | 3rd Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | 5th Divisional Pontoon Train |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | 1st Medical Company |
| III Corps | 5th Division | | 3rd Medical Company |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 11th Infantry Brigade | 20th Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 11th Infantry Brigade | 35th Fusilier Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 12th Infantry Brigade | 24th Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 12th Infantry Brigade | 64th Infantry Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Field Artillery Brigade | 3rd Field Artillery Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | 6th Field Artillery Brigade | 39th Field Artillery Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | | half of 3rd Hussar Regiment |
| III Corps | 6th Division | | 1st Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion |
| III Corps | 6th Division | | 6th Divisional Pontoon Train |
| III Corps | 6th Division | | 2nd Medical Company |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | I Battalion, 2nd Guards Foot Artillery Regiment |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 7th Aviation Detachment |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd Corps Pontoon Train |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd Telephone Detachment |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | 3rd Pioneer Searchlight Section |
| III Corps | Corps Troops | | Munition Trains and Columns corresponding to II Corps |

### Combat chronicle

On mobilisation, III Corps was assigned to the 1st Army on the right wing of the forces for the Schlieffen Plan offensive in August 1914 on the Western Front. It participated in the Battle of Mons and the First Battle of the Marne which marked the end of the German advances in 1914. Later, it participated in the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Amiens (1918).
It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 7th Army, Heeresgruppe Deutscher Kronprinz on the Western Front.

## Commanders

The III Corps had the following commanders during its existence:
| From | Rank | Name |
| 1814 | General der Infanterie | Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien |
| 7 April 1820 | General der Infanterie | Frederick William, Crown Prince of Prussia |
| 22 March 1824 | Generalleutnant | Prince Wilhelm of Prussia |
| 30 March 1838 | Generalleutnant | Adolf Eduard von Thile |
| 9 May 1840 | General der Infanterie | Karl von Weyrach |
| 13 November 1849 | General der Kavallerie | Friedrich Graf von Wrangel |
| 19 September 1857 | General der Kavallerie | Prince August of Württemberg |
| 3 June 1858 | General der Infanterie | Wilhelm Fürst von Radziwill |
| 1 July 1860 | General der Kavallerie | Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia |
| 18 July 1870 | General der Infanterie | Constantin von Alvensleben |
| 27 March 1873 | General der Infanterie | Julius von Groß genannt Schwarzhoff |
| 18 October 1881 | General der Infanterie | Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape |
| 21 August 1884 | Generalleutnant | Hermann Graf von Wartensleben |
| 12 July 1888 | General der Infanterie | Walther Bronsart von Schellendorff |
| 24 March 1890 | Generalleutnant | Maximilian von Versen |
| 7 October 1893 | General der Kavallerie | Prince Frederick of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen |
| 18 April 1896 | General der Infanterie | Friedrich von Lignitz |
| 27 January 1903 | General der Infanterie | Karl von Bülow |
| 1 October 1912 | General der Infanterie | Ewald von Lochow |
| 25 November 1916 | Generalleutnant | Walther von Lüttwitz |
| 12 August 1918 | Generalleutnant | Alfred von Böckmann |