25th Division (German Empire)
| 25th Division (25. Division); from August 2, 1914, 25th Infantry Division (25. Infanterie-Division) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1866-1919 |
| Country | Hesse/Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry (in peacetime included cavalry) |
| Size | Approx. 15,000 |
| Part of | XVIII. Army Corps (XVIII. Armeekorps) |
| Garrison/HQ | Darmstadt |
| Engagements |
Franco-Prussian War: Mars-la-Tour, Gravelotte, Metz, Noiseville, 2nd Orléans |
Franco-Prussian War: Mars-la-Tour, Gravelotte, Metz, Noiseville, 2nd Orléans
The 25th Division (25. Division), officially the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division (Großherzoglich Hessische (25.) Division), was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was headquartered in Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The division was subordinated in peacetime to XVIII Army Corps (XVIII. Armeekorps) when that corps was formed in 1899. The division was disbanded in 1919, during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.
As the formal name indicates, the division was raised and recruited in the Grand Duchy of Hesse.
The Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division was officially formed on December 20, 1842 as the Infantry Division Command (Infanterie-Divisions-Kommando), but the division-strength Hessian Army had been around before that date. During the Napoleonic Wars, Hesse fielded a division-strength troop corps (Truppenkorps). In 1820, as part of the Hessian troop contribution to the German Confederation's Federal Army (Bundesheer), Hesse reorganized its army into two brigades of infantry, 1/2 company of horse artillery, two companies of foot artillery, one light horse regiment, one trains company and one sapper (later pioneer) company. This force was placed under the Infantry Division Command in 1842. On February 5, 1849, this force was redesignated the Grand Ducal Army Division (Großherzogliche Armee-Division). The organization of the Grand Ducal Army Division in 1858 was as follows:
In 1860, the cavalry was expanded to brigade strength. In 1867, Hesse, on the losing side of the Austro-Prussian War, entered into a convention with Prussia on military matters and reorganized its division along Prussian lines. The division was redesignated the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) Division. It formally became a part of the Prussian Army in 1872, in accordance with the military convention of June 13, 1871.
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