1921-1934

At the conclusion of the Great War,  the Treaty of Versailles reduced Germany’s armed forces to just 100,000 men. However, concerns about external invasion were soon eclipsed by the more pressing threat of internal political upheaval, which imperiled the fledgling Social-Democratic government. A permanent military body was required in the capital city of Berlin, not just to safeguard against Revolution, but to also carry out ceremonial parades and guard duties. A new unit named Wachregiment Berlin (Guard Regiment Berlin) was founded in 1921, then disbanded in June of that year, followed shortly after by the raising of Kommando der Wachtruppe (Headquarters Guard Troop) which carried out its duties in the capital until 1934. Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the Kommando would change the guard in a simple public ceremony. On Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, however, the full Guard, accompanied by the Regimental Band, marched from Moabit Barracks, through Brandenburg Gate, and on to the War Memorial with all the pomp and ceremony of the more famous public duties at Buckingham Palace in London.

1934-1939

Troops for Kommando der Wachtruppe were drawn from across the seven divisions in Germany, each division represented by a company of the Guard. Each company served a three-month tour of duty before returning to their parent unit. In 1934, the unit was renamed Wachtruppe Berlin (Guard Troop Berlin), and by 1936 was raised from seven to eight companies, with an additional headquarters company to administer the unit. In June 1937, the unit was renamed back to Wachregiment Berlin. Postings to the new unit were no longer done on divisional lines. By 1936, the German Army had expanded greatly, and individual soldiers, or small groups, were now used to make up the Berlin Guard Regiment and served six-month tours. A depot company was also raised, and only half of the men were allowed to be returned to their former units at any one time.

By the mid-1930’s, Germany emerged from its political and economic destitution as a major player on the European continent. State visits and conferences as well as the 1936 Olympic Games placed her firmly in the world spotlight. Guards of Honour were continually furnished by Wachregiment Berlin, and a small detachment was formed to accompany Adolf Hitler on his foreign visits. Drawn from the Wachregiment, the new unit was called the Führerbegleit (Leader Escort).

While Germany in the early 1900’s had been more of a concept than a nation, with her forces still divided along regional lines (Prussians, Bavarians, Saxons, Württembergers, etc.), Hitler and the National Socialists envisioned a more united, centralized German state which encompassed all Germanic peoples—including, it was hoped, the many Germans who had been separated from the German state by the Treaty of Versailles. This united Germany would be known as Großdeutschland, or “Greater Germany”.

1939-1942

In the first week of 1939, Hitler ordered that Wachregiment Berlin be renamed to Infanterie-Regiment “Großdeutschland”. The new unit would be permanently staffed and no longer require men seconded from other divisions—and unlike all other regiments of the German Army, which were procured, trained, and employed in locally-based regiments, recruits of Großdeutschland would be drawn from all across the Greater German Reich. The official date for the birth of the new regiment was 14 June 1939, and the occasion was marked by a parade in Berlin.

The new regiment was distinguished by the addition of a unique cipher on their shoulder boards. While the former members of Wachregiment Berlin had been mocked because they lacked any distinguishing markings, the new Großdeutschland wore a monogram with the letters “GD” intertwined. The monogram would be proudly won until the end of the war in 1945. Also, a small number of new cuff titles were introduced. Cuff titles in the German armed forces were often the mark of an elite unit (and later would also be used as campaign awards), but the men of GD were unhappy with the new insignia, as the silver and green insignia looked too much like insignia worn by postal units. In 1940, new cuff titles in black, like those worn by the Waffen SS, were introduced—always worn on the right sleeve rather than on the left as the SS wore theirs. Several versions of this cuff title remained in use until the end of the war.

Großdeutschland was reorganizing from September – October 1939 and did not participate in the Polish Campaign, much to the disdain of the men who bore the nation’s name on their sleeves. It was not until the Invasion of France in May 1940 that the unit would first see combat. Placed in Panzergruppe Kleist attached to 10th Pz.Div.  under Guderian’s XIX Armeekorps, the regiment participated in the opening phases of the French Campaign, providing troops from III. Battalion for a special airborne operation in northern Belgium while the main body of the regiment fought its way through Luxembourg and southern Belgium. GD passed through the Ardennes Forest, crossed the Meuse, and was involved in heavy fighting against French armored forces near the town of Stonne where it proved its elite status in a series of grueling engagements. As German armored forces raced to cut-off unprepared Allied forces, Großdeutschland was rushed north towards the town of Dunkirk where it helped defeat the British counterattack at Arras. The regiment took part in holding the Dunkirk pocket before being transferred south to join in the attacks across the Seine River.

By the time of the French surrender in June 1940, GD had fought its way south to Lyon. After a stopover in Paris to participate in the German victory parade, the regiment was then sent north to Alsace to prepare for Operation Sealion: the invasion of Great Britain that would never come to fruition. When the operation was canceled, GD was moved back to Southern France to prepare for Operation Felix: the invasion of Gibraltar; however, this would also never be executed. Transferred to Romania in spring of 1940, GD would aid in training of Romanian troops and the Yugoslav campaign. Then, the regiment was moved to occupied Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa: the invasion of the Soviet Union. It was on the Eastern Front that Großdeutschland would spend the majority of the war.

As part of Army Group Center, GD crossed the border at Brest-Litovsk on 27 June 1941, the regiment was involved in the fighting around Minsk and the creation of the Minsk pocket. GD then advanced over the Dnieper and struck towards Yelnya and Smolensk, before being diverted south to help encircle Soviet units east of Kiev. Finally, the regiment took part in the thrust towards Tula, where the stiff Soviet defenses and harsh winter weather ground the offensive to a halt.

GD spent the end of the year holding the Oka River Line near Orel. The Soviet counter offensive in the winter of 1941-42 cost Großdeutschland dearly. Casualties totaled 4,070 men by 6 January 1942 and the regiment’s two Grenadier battalions were reformed into a single, under-strength battalion in February. After over 9 months of brutal fighting, Großdeutschland was pulled from the line for rest and refit near the city of Orel.

1942-1943

On 1 April 1942, while licking their wounds at Orel, the regiment was reorganized and expanded to become Infanterie-Division “Großdeutschland”. The existing infantry regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment“Großdeutschland” 1, and was joined in the new division by Infanterie-Regiment “Großdeutschland” 2. These regiments would later be renamed to “Grenadier-Regiment GD” and “Füsilier-Regiment GD” in October respectively. Supporting units in the form of a Panzer battalion, an assault gun battalion, increased anti-aircraft, artillery, and engineers were added with the upgrade to divisional status.

After its reorganization, the Großdeutschland Division was assigned to XLVIII Panzerkorps during the opening phase of Fall Blau—the renewed German offensive into southern Russia. The division took part in successful attacks across the upper Don River and the capture of Voronezh. In August, the division was pulled back to the north bank of the Donets and held as a mobile reserve before being redeployed near the town of Rzhev. It was at Rzhev that Großdeutschland would be heavily bloodied during the Red Army’s 1942 winter counteroffensive.

In the wake of the disastrous encirclement of the 6th Army in Stalingrad, Großdeutschland was rushed back to the south to aid in containing the Soviet breakthrough near Kharkov. After fighting many battles alongside the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions of the Waffen SS, Großdeutschland was pulled back and refitted. It was at this time that Panzer-Regiment GD received its first company of Tiger I tanks, and I./Grenadier-Regiment GD was equipped with Sd. Kfz. 251 halftracks. The Füsilier-Regiment would not receive SPWs until spring of 1944.

1943-1944

On 23 June 1943, the division was redesignated Panzergrenadier-Division “Großdeutschland”. The Grenadier- and Füsilier-Regiments were also renamed to Panzergrenadier-Regiment GD and Panzerfüsilier-Regiment GD respectively; however the unit would retain its white waffenfarbe instead of the meadow green used by Panzergrenadier units.

The newly re-equipped division was attached to Generaloberst Hoth’s 4. Panzer-Armee in preparation for Operation Citadelle—the offensive into the Kursk salient. Großdeutschland would receive its first Panther tanks during this period of buildup. When Citadelle finally launched, the division was immediately involved in heavy fighting in the southern flank of the salient. The new Panthers did not perform well, suffering from engine fires that rendered many inoperable before even reaching the battle. After finding themselves unable to break through the well-prepared Soviet positions, the division was pulled back to the village of Tomarovka on 18 July 1943.

After the failure at Kursk, Großdeutschland was transferred back to XLVIII Panzerkorps and resumed its role as a mobile reserve. GD would spend the remainder of 1943 engaged in a fighting retreat from eastern Ukraine, taking part in battles around Kharkov, Belgorod, and along the Dnieper River. The Red Army soon established bridgeheads across the Dnieper, resulting in a general withdrawal of German forces into the Ukrainian heartland.

Through the winter of 43-44, Großdeutschland would continue its role as a quick response unit at this time, earning it its nickname “Die Feuerwehr” (The Fire Brigade) for how it was rushed to wherever the fighting was most desperate. In January 1944 the unit received R&R. By March 1944, the Red Army had begun its drive into eastern Romania, targeting the Ploiești oil fields, which Germany still heavily relied on. It was at this point that Großdeutschland delivered a heavy blow to the Soviet forces near the town of Târgu Frumos, bringing their advance into Romania to a halt. The division was battered by several armored Soviet breakthrough attempts—including the first combat debut of the ferocious IS-2 heavy tank—but they stubbornly held the line.

While GD was not present on the Western Front at this time, men of the unit did participate in the fighting. The Führer Begleit (drawing men from Infantry Regiment GD) was expanded to battalion status early in the war. Eventually, a Führer Grenadier Battalion was formed from this unit as well (also drawing men from GD replacement units), sending detachments to the Eastern Front to gain combat experience. In 1944, the Führer Begleit Battalion and Führer Grenadier Battalion units saw action against the Americans in the Battle of the Bulge, with both employing veterans of GD.

In late July, the division was quickly transferred to Lithuania where it fought around Podul to relieve the encircled forces of Army Group North. Operation Doppelkopf would only delay the inevitable demise of Army Group North, and after a brief rest in July, Großdeutschland was transferred to East Prussia in August.

1944-1945

In November 1944, while the division retained its status as a Panzergrenadier division, several attached units were expanded to divisional status, and Panzerkorps “Großdeutschland” was formed. The new corps was made up of primarily two divisions: Großdetuschland and the Brandenburg Division, which had its origins strongly linked to GD. The Korps fought in many desperate battles in East Prussia in early 1945, ending up encircled in the Memel bridgehead. In March, the remaining 4,000 men of Panzergrenadier-Division “Großdeutschland” escaped the Memel bridgehead by ferry, landing at Pillau, where they were thrust straight back into combat. By 25 April 1945, the division effectively ceased to exist, having been ground to dust in the battles around Pillau. Of the survivors, only a few hundred were able to make their way to Schleswig-Holstein where they surrendered to British forces. The majority of the men left behind were forced to surrender to the Red Army, where their post-war fate would be uncertain.