XXI Corps (German Empire)
| XXI Army Corps XXI. Armee-Korps |
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|---|---|
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
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| Active | 1 October 1912–1919 |
| Country |
 German Empire
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| Type | Corps |
| Size | Approximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914) |
| Garrison/HQ | Saarbrücken |
| Engagements | |
The XXI Army Corps / XXI AK (German: XXI. Armee-Korps) was a corps level command of the German Army, before and during World War I.
As the German Army expanded in the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century, the XXI Army Corps was set up on 1 October 1912 in Saarbrücken as the Generalkommando (headquarters) for the districts of Koblenz, Trier and part of Alsace-Lorraine. It took over command of 31st Division from XV Corps and the newly formed 42nd Division (the last division to be formed by the peacetime army). General der Infanterie Fritz von Below, former commander of 1st Guards Division, took command.
It was assigned to the VII Army Inspectorate. but joined the predominantly Bavarian 6th Army at the start of the First World War. It was still in existence at the end of the war in the 5th Army, Heeresgruppe Gallwitz on the Western Front.
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:
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