Imperial German Army
1871–1919 land warfare branch of the German military / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (German: Deutsches Heer[8]), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Prussia, and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I (1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term Deutsches Heer identifies the German Army, the land component of the Bundeswehr.
1871–1919 land warfare branch of the German military
| German Army | |
|---|---|
| Deutsches Heer (German)[1] | |
Standards of the Emperor | |
.svg) | |
| Motto | Gott mit uns[2] |
| Founded | 16 April 1871; 152 years ago (16 April 1871)[3] |
| Disbanded | 6 March 1919; 104 years ago (6 March 1919)[4] |
| Service branches |
|
| Headquarters | Großes Hauptquartier (locations vary)[lower-alpha 1] |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-chief | German Emperor |
| Governing body | General Staff
|
| Chief of the General Staff | Moltke the Elder (first) Hans von Seeckt (last) |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 17–45 |
| Conscription | 2–3 years; compulsory service |
| Reaching military age annually |  500,000 (1871) 3,562,000- (1918)[6] |
| Active personnel | 13,250,000+ (total served; 1914–18) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $45 billion USD (total; 1914–18)[7] ($1.3 trillion USD in 2022) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Germany during World War I |
| Ranks | Ranks of the Imperial German military |