General Staff (Denmark)

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]

Chief of the General Staff
Chefen for Generalstaben
Longest serving
Frantz Bülow
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
Final holderErik C.V. Møller
Abolished30 September 1950
SuccessionChief of the Army Command

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 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.[lower-alpha 1]

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, 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]

Word 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
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term of office Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1
Bülow, FrantzLieutenant general
Frantz Bülow
(1769–1844)
as Chief of the General Adjutant and General Quartermaster Staff		20 January 180830 December 183931 years, 344 days[5]
2
Steinmann, PeterLieutenant general
Pierre-Frédéric Steinmann
(1782–1854)		30 December 18393 June 185212 years, 2 days[10][16]
3
Flensborg, CarlMajor general
Carl Julius Flensborg
(1804–1852)		3 June 185223 July 1852 †50 days[17][18]
4
?23 July 18522 April 18541 year, 253 days–
5
Baggesen, AugustMajor general
August Baggesen
(1795–1865)		2 April 185426 June 18584 years, 85 days[19][20]
Position of Chief of the General staff abolished[8][9][10]
1858–1867
–
Kauffmann, HeinrichColonel
Heinrich Kauffmann
(1819–1905)
Acting		2 December 18641 April 1865120 days[21][22]
–
Stiernholm, FrederikLieutenant Colonel
Frederik Stiernholm
(1822–1879)
Acting		1 April 186526 September 18672 years, 178 days[23][24]
6
Stiernholm, FrederikGeneral[lower-alpha 2]
Frederik Stiernholm
(1822–1879)		26 September 186721 April 187911 years, 207 days[23][24]
7
Fog, LudolphGeneral
Ludolph Fog
(1825–1897)		21 April 18794 October 18878 years, 166 days[25][26]
8
Schroll, Johannes ZeuthenMajor general
Johannes Zeuthen Schroll
(1831–1916)		5 October 188726 November 18969 years, 52 days[27]
9
Hedemann, MariusMajor general
Marius Hedemann
(1836–1903)		27 November 189619014–5 years[28]
10
Zachariae, GeorgMajor general
Georg Zachariae
(1835–1907)		190119031–2 years[29]
11
Kühnel, ArnoldMajor general
Arnold Kühnel
(1850–1908)		19034 November 19051–2 years[30]
12
Gørtz, VilhelmMajor general
Vilhelm Gørtz
(1852–1939)		5 November 190519 August 19093 years, 287 days[31]
13
Hansen, AndersMajor general
Anders Ludvig Hansen
(1856–1920)		August 190919122–3 years[32]
14
Berthelsen, PalleMajor general
Palle Berthelsen
(1857–1920)		19126 August 19174–5 years[33]
15
Wolff, EllisMajor general
Ellis Wolff
(1856–1938)		August 1917May 19189 months[34]
16
Major general
Edgar Castonier
(1866–1934)		May 1918December 19191 year, 7 months[35]
17
Nielsen, LouisMajor general
Louis Nielsen
(1865–1936)		December 1919November 19222 years, 11 months[36][37]
[38][39]
18
Birke, PeterMajor general
Peter Laurids Martin Birke
(1865–1941)		November 1922July 19307 years, 8 months[40][41]
19
Lund, JohanMajor general
Johan Christian Lund
(1871–1931)		July 19305 April 1931 †9 months[42]
20
Prior, WilliamMajor general
William Wain Prior
(1876–1946)		April 1931November 19376 years, 7 months[43]
21
Gørtz, EbbeMajor general
Ebbe Gørtz
(1886–1976)		November 19371 October 19413 years, 11 months[44]
22
Rolsted, HansMajor general
Hans Rolsted
(1884–1966)		1 October 194119453–4 years[45]
23
Møller, ErikMajor general
Erik C.V. Møller
(1896–1972)		194530 September 19504–5 years[46]

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

References
Citations
  1. Prior 1935, p. 101.
  2. Prior 1935, p. 102.
  3. Prior 1935, p. 103.
  4. Klint 1965, p. 5.
  5. Hedegaard 1976.
  6. Klint 1965, p. 6.
  7. Klint 1965, pp. 6, 7.
  8. Prior 1935, p. 104.
  9. Klint 1965, p. 7.
  10. Vesterdal 1971.
  11. Prior 1935, p. 105.
  12. Klint 1965, p. 8.
  13. Prior 1935, p. 106.
  14. Klint 1965, p. 10.
  15. Klint 1965, p. 11.
  16. Richter 1977a, p. 177.
  17. Rockstroh 2011a.
  18. Richter 1977a, p. 123.
  19. Rockstroh 2011b.
  20. Richter 1977a, p. 17.
  21. Rockstroh 2011c.
  22. Richter 1977a, p. 221.
  23. Bjerg 2011a.
  24. Richter 1977b, p. 178.
  25. Rockstroh 2011d.
  26. Richter 1977a, p. 125.
  27. Richter 1977b, p. 156.
  28. Bjerg 2011b.
  29. Bjerg 2011c.
  30. Bjerg 2011d.
  31. Rockstroh 2011e.
  32. "Kraks Blå Bog - H - Han-Han". Project Runeberg (in Danish). 3 July 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  33. Rockstroh 2011f.
  34. Clemmesen 1982, pp. 7-3, III-4.
  35. Clemmesen 1982, p. III-1.
  36. Olsen 1985, pp. 10, 16.
  37. Clemmesen 1982, p. III-3.
  38. Grøn & Clemmesen 2014, p. 99.
  39. Prior 1936.
  40. Olsen 1985, pp. 10, 43.
  41. Larsen 2011.
  42. Olsen 1985, p. 43.
  43. Olsen 1985, pp. 43, 75.
  44. Olsen 1985, pp. 75.
  45. Rolsted 2015, p. 145.
  46. Wolff 2011.
Bibliography
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  • Bjerg, Hans Christian (17 July 2011b). "Hans Hedemann". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3 ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  • Bjerg, Hans Christian (17 July 2011c). "Georg Zachariae". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3 ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  • Bjerg, Hans Christian (17 July 2011d). "Arnold Kühnel". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3 ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  • Clemmesen, Michael Hesselholt (1982). Jyllands landforsvar fra 1901 til 1940 (in Danish). Copenhagen: Det Krigsvidenskabelige Selskab. ISBN 87-981346-0-4.
  • Grøn, Ole; Clemmesen, Michael H. (2014). "Skyggerne på væggen: Et forsøg på delvis rekonstruktion af efterretningstjenesten i og fra Sønderjylland fra 1920 til ca. 1950". Dansk Militærhistorisk Kommissions Tidsskrift (in Danish). 1.
  • Hedegaard, E. O. A. (1 May 1976). "Ballonkrigen over Øresund 1809". Krigsvidenskab.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 29 August 2018.
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  • Larsen, Helge (17 July 2011). "Martin Birke". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3 ed.). Gyldendal. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
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  • Prior, William Wain (1935). "Generalstaben". In Boeck, Hector; Johnstad-Møller, S.E.; Hjalf, C.V. (eds.). Danmarks Hær (in Danish). 1st. Copenhagen: Selskabet til Udgivelse af Kulturskrifter. pp. 101–106.
  • Prior, William Wain (25 August 1936). "Generalmajor Louis Nielsen". Det Krigsvidenskabelige Selskab (in Danish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  • Richter, Volhelm (1977a). Den Danske Landmilitæretat 1801-1894: I. Bind (in Danish). Copenhagen: Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag.
  • Richter, Volhelm (1977b). Den Danske Landmilitæretat 1801-1894: II. Bind (in Danish). Copenhagen: Dansk Historisk Håndbogsforlag.
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  • Rockstroh, K. C. (17 July 2011b). "August Baggesen". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (3 ed.). Retrieved 22 August 2018.
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