Military districts (also called military regions) are formations of a state's armed forces (often of the Army) which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.
Navies have also used a similar model, with organizations such as the United States naval districts. A number of navies in South America used naval districts at various points in time.
By country
Algeria Algeria is divided into six numbered military regions, each with headquarters located in a principal city or town (see People's National Army (Algeria)#Military regions). Before the Algerian revolution, French Algeria was the 10th Military Region of France.
This system of territorial organization, adopted shortly after independence, grew out of the wartime wilaya structure and the postwar necessity of subduing antigovernment insurgencies that were based in the various regions. Regional commanders control and administer bases, logistics, and housing, as well as conscript training. However, commanders of army divisions and brigades, air force installations, and naval forces report directly to the Ministry of National Defence and service chiefs of staff on operational matters.
Military region commanders in 2003 included Brahim Fodel Chérif (1st Military Region), Kamel Abderrahmane (2nd Military Region, Abcène Tafer (3rd Military Region), Abdelmadjid Sahed (4th Military Region, Chérif Abderrazak (5th Military Region) and Ali Benali (6th Military Region).
Australia Between 1911 and 1997, the Australian Army had an official system of between six and eight military districts, based on the boundaries of Australian states and territories.
From 1911: 1st Military District (1MD) – Queensland and the 12th Battalion area, including Casino, Lismore, Grafton, the Northern Territory. (The Territory of Papua and Territory of New Guinea were added to 1MD after World War I.) 2nd Military District (2MD) – New South Wales (excluding: the 12th Battalion area as above; Broken Hill, Torrowangee and Silverton; and the 44th Battalion area, including Corowa, South Corowa, Mulwala, Moama, Mathoura, and Deniliquin) and the 57th Battalion area of Victoria, including Wodonga, Barnawartha, Chiltern and Tallangatta. 3rd Military District (3MD) – Victoria (excluding the 57th Battalion area as above), including the 44th Battalion area as above. 4th Military District (4MD) – South Australia and Broken Hill, Torrowangee, and Silverton in New South Wales. 5th Military District (5MD) – Western Australia. 6th Military District (6MD) – Tasmania.
In 1939, an additional two districts were created. 7th Military District (7MD) – Northern Territory and the Kimberley region. 8th Military District (8MD) – Territories of Papua & New Guinea
During World War II, the military districts were temporarily replaced by a system of operational commands.
China
Republic of China
There were 76 northern military districts or military regions (軍區), or war areas, which were the largest formations of the National Revolutionary Army, under the Military Affairs Commission, chaired by Chiang Kai-shek during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. During the Second Sino-Japanese War the National Revolutionary Army eventually organized itself into twelve Military Regions.
People's Republic of China
The military regions (originally eleven, then seven) of the People's Liberation Army were divided into military districts (usually contiguous with provinces) and military sub-districts, under the command of the Central Military Commission.
In February 2016, the 7 military regions were changed to 5 theater commands:
Eastern Theater Command Southern Theater Command Western Theater Command Northern Theater Command Central Theater Command
France
Third Republic Under the Third Republic, a military region comprised several departments which supported an army corps. For many years up to 21 military regions were active.
On 24 July 1873, the French Parliament passed a law which created 18 military regions in metropolitan France.Musee du Genie, "Le redressement militaire de la France 1871-1914 Cette évocation s’appuie sur les collections du musée du Génie." A 19th Army Corps was created in Algeria in September 1873 (see ). In 1905, the strength of the Troupes coloniales stationed in the 19 military districts of metropolitan France was reported at 2,123 officers and 26,581 other ranks. In 1946, following the Second World War ten military regions were created or recreated, in accordance with a decree of 18 February 1946. They included the 1st (Paris); 2e (Lille); 3e (Rennes); 4e (Bordeaux); 5e (Toulouse); 6e (Metz); 7e (Dijon); 8th (Lyon); the 9th (Marseille), and the 10th in Algeria. The 10th Military Region (France) supervised French Algeria during the Algerian War.Charles R. Shrader, The First Helicopter War: Logistics and Mobility in Algeria, 1954–1962, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999, 28–31.
Fifth Republic With the evolution of administrative organization, France was divided into regional administrative districts (circa 1963) (administrative region dependent of a prefect of the region). The military organisation then combined the administrative organization and in each CAR corresponded a territorial military division (TMD). On the defence side, these military divisions have been grouped into military regions. Their number varied depending on the period. The current number is six.
The Défense opérationnelle du territoire supervised reserve and home defence activities from 1959 to the 1970s. However, by the 1980s the number had been reduced to six: the 1st Military Region (France) with its headquarters in Paris, the 2nd Military Region (France) at Lille, the 3rd Military Region (France) at Rennes, the 4th Military Region (France) at Bordeaux, the 5th at Lyons and 6th at Metz. Each supervised up to five division militaire territoriale – military administrative sub-divisions, in 1984 sometimes supervising up to three reserve regiments each.
In the twenty-first century, under the latest thorough reform of the French security and defence sector, there are seven each with a territorial ground army region: Paris (or Île-de-France, HQ in Paris), Nord (HQ in Lille), Ouest (HQ in Rennes), Sud-Ouest (HQ in Bordeaux), Sud (HQ in Marseille), Sud-Est (HQ in Lyon), Est (HQ in Strasbourg).Code de la défense – Article R1211-4 legifrance.gouv.fr
Germany
German Reich
From 1919 until 1945, Germany used the system of military districts () to relieve field commanders of as much administrative work as possible and to provide a regular flow of trained recruits and supplies to the Field Army. The method they adopted was to separate the Field Army (Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres) from the Home Command (Heimatkriegsgebiet) and to entrust the responsibilities of training, conscription, supply and equipment to that command.
The Commander of the Infantry Corps with the identical number also commanded the Wehrkreis in peacetime, but command of the Wehrkreis passed to his second-in command at the outbreak of war.
In peacetime, the Wehrkreis was the home to the Infantry Corps of the same number and all subordinate units of that Corps.
Federal Republic of Germany
Until 2013 the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) had four military districts – Wehrbereichskommando (WBK) as part of the Streitkräftebasis or Joint Service Support Command. Each WBK controlled several Landeskommandos (State Commands) due to the federal structure of Germany who have taken over functions carried out by the Verteidigungsbezirkskommandos (VBKs) or Military Region Commands (Defence District Commands) as. These command authorities are in charge of all military facilities. Now the Landeskommmandos are led by the National Territorial Command called Kommando Territoriale Aufgaben der Bundeswehr (KdoTerrAufgBw).
Indonesia
The Indonesian Army operates with military districts, known as Komando Daerah Militer (Military Region Command) abbreviated Kodam. It was created by General Soedirman as a system initially called "Wehrkreise", adapted from the German system during World War II. The system was later ratified in "Surat Perintah Siasat No.1" (No.1 Strategy Command Letter), signed in November 1948.
The Military regional commands function as a means of circle of defense, or regional defense, to defend the designated islands/provinces under Indonesian territory. Each Kodam is commanded by a Major General and has full authority to commence operations with the force under his jurisdiction. The commander (known as Panglima Kodam abbreviated Pangdam) reports to the Chief of Army Staff (KSAD) and is responsible for territorial defence during times of war and development and supervision during times of peace. He is also responsible for ensuring security and protection for VVIP visiting his territory, e.g Presidential visits, etc.
Kazakhstan
A Regional Command (, Aımaqtyq qolbasshylyq; , Regional'noe komandovanie) in Kazakhstan operates in a similar fashion to Russian military districts.
The Kazakh Ground Forces are divided into four regional commands:
Regional Command "Astana" headquartered in Astana Regional Command "East" headquartered in Semey Regional Command "West" headquartered in Atyrau Regional Command "South" headquartered in Taraz
Poland
Initially, right after the First World War, Poland had five military districts (1918–1921): Kraków Military District (Krakowski Okręg Wojskowy), HQ in Kraków Łódź Military District (Łódzki Okręg Wojskowy), HQ in Łódź Lublin Military District (Lubelski Okręg Wojskowy), HQ in Lublin. Poznań Military District (Poznański Okręg Wojskowy), HQ in Poznań Warsaw Military District (Warszawski Okręg Wojskowy), HQ in Warsaw.
In 1921, due to reorganization, the military districts were replaced with Dowództwo Okręgu Korpusu (DOK – Corps District Command). In the Second Polish Republic there were ten DOKs: I – Warsaw II – Lublin III – Grodno IV – Łódź V – Kraków VI – Lwów VII – Poznań VIII – Toruń IX – Brześć nad Bugiem X – Przemyśl
Each DOK consisted of four large units (three infantry divisions and one cavalry brigade).
For district arrangements after World War II see Polish Land Forces. The Kraków Military District disbanded in 1953. From 1999 Poland has been divided into two military districts, the Pomeranian Military District and the Silesian Military District, both were disbanded by the end of 2011.
Russia and Soviet Union Russian Empire
The Russian Empire's military district (, voyenny okrug) was a territorial association of military units, formations, military schools, and various local military establishments. This territorial division type was utilized in Imperial Russia, USSR and is currently in use in Russian Federation.
Such territorial division provided convenient management of army units, their training and other activities regarding the country's readiness to defend itself.
Soviet Union
In the USSR, the military districts continued to perform the same role they had done in the Russian Empire, with first six military districts (Yaroslavsky, Moskovsky, Orlovsky, Belomorsky, Uralsky, and Privolzhsky) were formed on 31 March 1918 during the Russian Civil War.
This increased to 17 military districts of the USSR at the beginning of July 1940 shortly before the USSR was invaded by Germany and entered the Second World War, and were used to create combat Fronts after commencement of the German invasion of the USSR.
During the war the districts were further divided into geographic regions for logistic reasons, these being:
North and North Western districts West and Central USSR districts South and South Western districts Siberian and Central Asian districts Far Eastern districts