General Staff (Denmark)

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The General Staff of Denmark was a top authority in the Royal Danish Army and was responsible for war preparations (training and education), studies and planning.[1]

AbbreviationCH.f.Gst.
Reports toMinister of War (1848–1932)
Chief of the General Command (1932–1950)
Term lengthNot fixed
Formation20 January 1808
Quick facts Chief of the General Staff, Abbreviation ...
Chief of the General Staff
Chefen for Generalstaben
Longest serving
Frantz Bülow [da]
20 January 1808–30 December 1839
 Royal Danish Army
AbbreviationCH.f.Gst.
Reports toMinister of War (1848–1932)
Chief of the General Command (1932–1950)
Term lengthNot fixed
Formation20 January 1808
First holderFrantz Bülow [da]
Final holderErik C.V. Møller [da]
Abolished30 September 1950
SuccessionChief of the Army Command
Close

Additionally, the Staff also wrote the regulations and historical works. Following the placement under the General Command in 1932, it took over its daily administration.[2] There were two departments within the General Staff, the Command department which stood for the daily administration, and the General Staff department responsible for war preparations.[2]

In times of war, General Staff personnel would join command staffs and serve as advisors during military operations.[2]

History

The idea behind of the General Staff appeared around the ending of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, as there was an increased need for organization within the army.[3] Previously, general staffs were only created in times of war and field commanders were handed staff officers, who lacked proper staff training.[4] On 20 January 1808, the General Adjutant and General Quartermaster Staff was established with Frantz Bülow [da] as Adjutant General and its overall chief.[5] As such, there were two staffs directly below the highest commanding general:[3][4]

  • The General Adjutant Staff, which was responsible for personnel, questions regarding the operations and administrative cases.
  • The General Quartermaster Staff, which stood for providing topographical and statistical information regarding terrain and population, supervision of constructions, education, administrate accommodation and rations.

Initially, staff officers were selected on the basis on who was considered best, without any preparatory education. However, in 1830, following the creation of the Royal Military College, the graduation exam became an admission condition.[3] Education of officers were focused on military history & tactics, and technical and scientific subjects.[6] Slowly, the latter subjects became more prevalent, with topographical work taking up the largest amount, causing internal friction.[7][8]

In 1839, following the dismissal of Bülow, the Adjutant Staff was drastically reduced, making the Quartermaster General the chief of the whole staff.[8][6] As part of the army organization plan of 1842, the Adjutant Staff was finally split from the organization and renamed as "His Majesty the King's Adjutant Staff".[6] Additionally, it was decided that of the 30 members of the General Staff, five would also serve in the Adjutant Staff and the three General Commands.[a]

Shortly before the outbreak of the First Schleswig War, the rations service and equipment administration was subjugated the newly established Ministry of War.[6]

In 1856, the disproportionally large Topographical Department caused so much in fighting, that it was moved to the Ministry of Finance.[9] However, all communication still had to go through the Chief of the General Staff. This created unnecessary bureaucracy, leading to the removal of the position of the Chief of the General Staff.[10][9] As a result, there were no chief during the Second Schleswig War, with the rest of the staff having a minor role during the war.[9]

Reestablishment

During the war, it was however made clear there was a high demand for young officers with formal General Staff training, since much of the training at the Royal Military College had been focused on the sciences.[9] As such, work was started to recreate the General Staff.[8] The Topographical Department was moved back into the staff, however there were structural changes which ensured there would not be a too large focus on the department.[11]

Following the appointment of Ludolph Fog [da], there were an increased focus on gaining more influence within the army's leadership.[12] The General Staff therefore produced a complete mobilization plan and began regularly holding "General Staff exercises".[12]

World Wars

During World War I, the General Staff joined with the 1st General Command's staff, to form the Supreme Command Staff as to support the Supreme Command.[13] After the war, cuts to the army resulted in the closure of the General Commands, and the creation of a peacetime supreme command. While the General Staff kept its special status under the Ministry of War, everything that pertained to the preparation for the overall land defense were subjugated the Chief of the General Command.[14]

Following the 1932 Defence Agreement, the General Staff ceased to be an independent institution below the Ministry. The General Staff was instead place as a subordinate to the General Command and served as its staff.[13] This new organization, meant the role of the General Staff was codified in peace and war.[14]

A few days after the occupation of Denmark, the General Staff began to establish illegal contact with the SOE, as to provide intelligence.[14] After Operation Safari, operations were forced moved to Sweden under the "Small General Staff".[14]

After the war, the General Staff was responsible for the rebuilding of the Army, while ensuring it was modernized. The 1951 Defence Agreement meant major restructuring for the army and the General Staff was renamed the Army Staff.[15]

List of chiefs

More information No., Portrait ...
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term of office Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1
Frantz Bülow [da]
Bülow, FrantzLieutenant general
Frantz Bülow [da]
(1769–1844)
as Chief of the General Adjutant and General Quartermaster Staff		20 January 180830 December 183931 years, 344 days[5]
2
Pierre-Frédéric Steinmann [da]
Steinmann, PeterLieutenant general
Pierre-Frédéric Steinmann [da]
(1782–1854)		30 December 18393 June 185212 years, 2 days[10][16]
3
Carl Julius Flensborg [da]
Flensborg, CarlMajor general
Carl Julius Flensborg [da]
(1804–1852)		3 June 185223 July 1852 †50 days[17][18]
–
August Baggesen [da]
Baggesen, AugustColonel
August Baggesen [da]
(1795–1865)
Acting		23 July 18522 April 18541 year, 253 days[19]
4
August Baggesen [da]
Baggesen, AugustMajor general
August Baggesen [da]
(1795–1865)		2 April 185426 June 18584 years, 85 days[20][21]
Position of Chief of the General staff abolished[8][9][10]
1858–1867
–
Heinrich Kauffmann [da]
Kauffmann, HeinrichColonel
Heinrich Kauffmann [da]
(1819–1905)
Acting		2 December 18641 April 1865120 days[22][23]
–
Frederik Stiernholm [da]
Stiernholm, FrederikLieutenant colonel
Frederik Stiernholm [da]
(1822–1879)
Acting		1 April 186526 September 18672 years, 178 days[24][25]
5
Frederik Stiernholm [da]
Stiernholm, FrederikGeneral[b]
Frederik Stiernholm [da]
(1822–1879)		26 September 186721 April 187911 years, 207 days[24][25]
6
Ludolph Fog [da]
Fog, LudolphGeneral
Ludolph Fog [da]
(1825–1897)		21 April 18794 October 18878 years, 166 days[26][27]
7
Johannes Zeuthen Schroll [da]
Schroll, Johannes ZeuthenMajor general
Johannes Zeuthen Schroll [da]
(1831–1916)		5 October 188726 November 18969 years, 52 days[28]
8
Marius Hedemann [da]
Hedemann, MariusMajor general
Marius Hedemann [da]
(1836–1903)		27 November 189619014–5 years[29]
9
Georg Zachariae [da]
Zachariae, GeorgMajor general
Georg Zachariae [da]
(1835–1907)		190119031–2 years[30]
10
Arnold Kühnel [da]
Kühnel, ArnoldMajor general
Arnold Kühnel [da]
(1850–1908)		19034 November 19051–2 years[31]
11
Vilhelm Gørtz [da]
Gørtz, VilhelmMajor general
Vilhelm Gørtz [da]
(1852–1939)		5 November 190519 August 19093 years, 287 days[32]
12
Anders Ludvig Hansen
Hansen, AndersMajor general
Anders Ludvig Hansen
(1856–1920)		August 190919122–3 years[33]
13
Palle Berthelsen [da]
Berthelsen, PalleMajor general
Palle Berthelsen [da]
(1857–1920)		19126 August 19174–5 years[34]
14
Ellis Wolff [da]
Wolff, EllisMajor general
Ellis Wolff [da]
(1856–1938)		August 1917May 19189 months[35][36]
15
Edgar Castonier [da]
Major general
Edgar Castonier [da]
(1866–1934)		5 May 1918December 19191 year, 7 months[37][38]
16
Louis Nielsen
Nielsen, LouisMajor general
Louis Nielsen
(1865–1936)		December 1919November 19222 years, 11 months[39][40]
[41][42]
17
Peter Lauritz Martin Birke
Birke, PeterMajor general
Peter Lauritz Martin Birke
(1865–1941)		23 November 19229 July 19307 years, 7 months[43][44]
18
Johan Christian Lund
Lund, JohanMajor general
Johan Christian Lund
(1871–1931)		July 19305 April 1931 †9 months[45][46]
19
William Wain Prior
Prior, WilliamMajor general
William Wain Prior
(1876–1946)		April 193131 October 19376 years, 6 months[47]
20
Ebbe Gørtz [da]
Gørtz, EbbeMajor general
Ebbe Gørtz [da]
(1886–1976)		1 November 193731 May 19413 years, 6 months[48]
21
Hans Rolsted [da]
Rolsted, HansMajor general
Hans Rolsted [da]
(1884–1966)		1 June 194119453–4 years[49]
22
Erik C.V. Møller [da]
Møller, ErikMajor general
Erik C.V. Møller [da]
(1896–1972)		194530 September 19504–5 years[50]
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Notes

  1. [a]
    1st, 2nd and 3rd General Command.
  2. [b]
    Part of the Army Reform of 1867 removed ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel and kept only a single "General" rank.[9]

References

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