XVIII Corps (German Empire)

XVIII Army Corps
XVIII. Armee-Korps
Flag of the Staff of a Generalkommando (1871–1918)
Active1 April 1899 (1899-04-01)–1919 (1919)
Country German Empire
BranchArmy
TypeCorps
SizeApproximately 44,000 (on mobilisation in 1914)
Garrison/HQFrankfurt am Main/Untermain-Kai 19
Shoulder strap pipingLight Blue
EngagementsWorld War I
Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of Verdun
Insignia
AbbreviationXVIII AK

The XVIII Army Corps / XVIII AK (German: XVIII. 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, the XVIII Army Corps was set up on 1 April 1899 in Frankfurt am Main as the Generalkommando (headquarters) for the district of Wiesbaden and the Grand Duchy of Hesse.[1] It took over command of 21st Division from XI Corps and the previously separate 25th (Grand Ducal Hessian) Division. It was assigned to the VII Army Inspectorate,[2] but joined the 4th Army at the start of the First World War.

It was still in existence at the end of the war,[3] serving in the 17th Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht on the Western Front.[4]

  1. ^ German Administrative History Accessed: 12 May 2012
  2. ^ Cron 2002, p. 395
  3. ^ Cron 2002, pp. 88–89
  4. ^ Ellis & Cox 1993, p. 187