3rd Division ( German Empire ) The 3rd Division ( " 3 . Division " ) was a unit of the Prussia n / German Army . It was formed in Stettin ( now Szczecin , Poland ) in May 1816 as a Troop Brigade ( " Truppen - Brigade " ) . It became the 3rd Division on September 5 , 1818 . From the corps ' formation in 1820 , the division was subordinated in peacetime to the II Army Corps ( " II . Armeekorps " ) . The 3rd Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I . The 3rd Division and its regiments fought in the Austro - Prussian War against Austria in 1866 , distinguishing itself at the Battle of Königgrätz . The division then fought in the Franco - Prussian War against France in 1870 - 71 . It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte , the Siege of Metz , and the Siege of Paris , among other actions . In World War I , the 3rd Division served initially on the Western Front , seeing action in the invasion of Belgium , the First Battle of the Marne and the Race to the Sea . The division was then transferred to the Eastern Front , and remained there until the end of the war with Russia . It then served in occupation duty in Russia until October 1918 , when it returned to the Western Front for the final few weeks of the war . 1870 organization . During wartime , the 3rd Division , like other regular German divisions , was redesignated an infantry division . The organization of the 3rd Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco - Prussian War was as follows : Pre - World War I organization . Many regiments were renamed and assigned to different divisions during the period from 1871 to 1914 . Among other changes , the 3rd and 4th Divisions swapped the Colberg Grenadiers and the 14th Infantry Regiment . In 1914 , the peacetime organization of the 3rd Division was as follows : August 1914 organization . On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War I , most divisional cavalry , including brigade headquarters , was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units . Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters . The 3rd Division was again renamed the 3rd Infantry Division and the 54th Infantry was transferred to the 36th Reserve Division . The 3rd Infantry Division ' s initial wartime organization was as follows : Late World War I organization . Divisions underwent many changes during the war , with regiments moving from division to division , and some being destroyed and rebuilt . During the war , most divisions became triangular - one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments ( a " square division " ) . An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters , the cavalry was further reduced , the engineer contingent was increased , and a divisional signals command was created . The 3rd Infantry Division was heavily reorganized by 1918 , losing all of its prewar infantry regiments . These were replaced by lower grade infantry and " Landwehr " infantry regiments . The division was also weaker in artillery and engineers than most other divisions . These changes reflected the division ' s primary role as occupation troops late in the war . Its order of battle on January 10 , 1918 was as follows :