4th Division (German Empire)

4th Division (German Empire)

Franco-Prussian War: Gravelotte, Metz, Paris
World War I: 1st Marne, Race to the Sea, Lemberg (1915), Verdun, Spring Offensive, Lys

The 4th Division (4. Division) was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was formed in Torgau on September 5, 1818. The headquarters moved to Stargard (now Stargard Szczeciński, Poland) in 1820, where it stayed until 1852. In 1852, the headquarters moved to its final destination, Bromberg (now Bydgoszcz, Poland). From the corps' formation in 1820, the division was subordinated in peacetime to the II Army Corps (II. Armeekorps). The 4th Division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I.

The 4th Division and its regiments fought in the Austro-Prussian War against Austria in 1866, including the Battle of Königgrätz. The division then fought in the Franco-Prussian War against France in 1870-71. It saw action in the Battle of Gravelotte, the Siege of Metz, and the Siege of Paris, among other actions.

In World War I, the 4th Division served initially on the Western Front, seeing action in the invasion of Belgium, the First Battle of the Marne and the Race to the Sea. The division was then transferred to the Eastern Front, where it fought in several campaigns, including the recapture of Lemberg in 1915. It then returned to the Western Front, where it saw action in the Battle of Verdun. After Verdun, it occupied various positions on the line on the Western Front. In 1918, it took part in the German Spring Offensive, including the Battle of Picardy and the Battle of the Lys (also known as the Lys Offensive or the Fourth Battle of Ypres).