54th Corps (German Empire)
The 54th Corps was a corps formation of the German Army in World War I. It was formed in September 1916 and was still in existence at the end of the war.
Chronicle
The 54th Corps was formed in September 1916. With the onset of trench warfare, the German Army recognised that it was no longer possible to maintain the traditional Corps unit, that is, one made up of two divisions. Whereas at some times a Corps of two divisions was sufficient, at other times 5 or 6 divisions were necessary. Therefore, under the Hindenburg regime, new Corps headquarters were created without organic divisions. These new Corps were designatedGeneral Commands for Special Use.
By the end of the war, the Corps was serving on the Western Front as part of 2nd Army, Heeresgruppe Kronprinz Rupprecht with the following composition:
- 21st Reserve Division
- 22nd Division
- 4th Division
- 113th Division
- 239th Division
- 12th Reserve Division
- Jäger Division
- 185th Division
Commanders
| Commander | From | To |
| Generalleutnant Viktor Kühne | 4 September 1916 | 2 February 1917 |
| Generalleutnant Richard von Kraewel | 2 February 1917 | 25 February 1917 |
| General der Infanterie Eduard von Liebert | 25 February 1917 | 17 June 1917 |
| Generalleutnant Max von Müller | 17 June 1917 | 21 January 1918 |
| Generalleutnant Alfred von Larisch | 21 January 1918 | 11 November 1918 |
Glossary
- Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.
- Armee-Gruppe or Army Group in the sense of a group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.
- Heeresgruppe or Army Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.