7th Division (German Empire)
| 7th Division (7. Division); in 1870-71 and from August 2, 1914, 7th Infantry Division (7. Infanterie-Division) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1818–1919 |
| Country | Prussia/Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry (in peacetime included cavalry) |
| Size | Approx. 15,000 |
| Part of | IV. Army Corps (IV. Armeekorps) |
| Garrison/HQ | Magdeburg (1818–1919) |
| Engagements |
Austro-Prussian War: Königgrätz |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Karl Eberhard Herwarth von Bittenfeld, Julius von Groß genannt Schwarzhoff, Friedrich von Bernhardi |
Austro-Prussian War: Königgrätz
Franco-Prussian War: Beaumont, Sedan, Paris
The 7th Division (7. Division) was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed in Magdeburg in November 1816 as a brigade and became a division on September 5, 1818. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IV Army Corps (IV. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I. The division was recruited primarily in the Province of Saxony, also known as Prussian Saxony.
The division fought in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the division saw action in the battles of Beaumont and Sedan, and in the Siege of Paris.
The division was mobilized as the 7th Infantry Division in August 1914 and sent to the west for the opening campaigns of the war. It fought in the siege of the Belgian fortifications at Liège, and then participated in the subsequent march into France and the Race to the Sea. The division then spent time in the trenches, and fought in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. During the German Spring Offensive of 1918, the division fought in the Battle of the Lys. It then fought in the defensive battles against the Allied offensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The division was rated a first-class division by Allied intelligence.
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