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. 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.
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).
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 After the war, the number was increased to 33 to aid in
demobilisation of forces, but by October 1946, they had been reduced to 21. By the end of the 1980s, immediately before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there were sixteen military districts, within three to five main strategic
Theatre groupings.
Russian Federation Military districts (,
voyenny okrug) in the Russian Federation operates under the command of the district
headquarters, headed by the district
commander, and is subordinated to the
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. (Previously under Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces General
Nikolai Kormiltsev, the military districts reported to the General Staff via the
Russian Ground Forces staff.) It is a territorial association of
military units,
formations,
military schools, and various local military establishments. This territorial division type was historically adopted, originally by Imperial Russia, to provide a more efficient management of army units, their training and other operations activities related to
combat readiness. From 1992 to 2010, the Armed Forces maintained a diminishing number of former
Soviet Armed Forces districts –
Leningrad Military District,
Moscow Military District,
Volga-Urals Military District,
North Caucasus Military District,
Siberian Military District,
Far East Military District. In 2009–2010, these districts were reorganised into 4 Military Districts comprising regional Joint Strategic Commands. In 2014 Northern Fleet was reorganized into separate Joint Strategic Command. From March 2024 onwards 5 military districts are active in the Russian Armed Forces: •
Leningrad Military District with headquarters in
Saint Petersburg •
Southern Military District with headquarters in
Rostov-on-Don •
Central Military District with headquarters in
Ekaterinburg •
Eastern Military District with headquarters in
Khabarovsk •
Moscow Military District with headquarters in
Moscow Sweden The military district (, usually abbreviated to
Milo) was an administrative division of the
Swedish Armed Forces, and was a higher regional level subdivision. The commander of a military district, the
Militärområdesbefälhavare (also
militärbefälhavare), commanded the
Swedish Army divisions stationed in the region, the regional naval command, the regional air defence sector as well as the lower regional level subdivision
defence districts that made up the military district. The commander answered directly to the
Supreme Commander. The military districts in the modern form were created in 1966, and each district was named according to the geographical area they covered. Several changes were made, such as creating or merging districts, until all military districts were disbanded in 2000. After the
Defence Act of 2000 the military districts were replaced by new military districts (, usually abbreviated to
MD). The new military districts corresponded geographically to the former military districts, however, they did not have the same territorial and operational tasks. In 2005, the military districts were replaced to some extent by four Security and Cooperation Sections (). In 2013, the Security and Cooperation Sections were replaced by four Military regions (Swedish: Militärregion, MR): Northern, Central, Western and Southern. A fifth military region, Gotland Military Region (Militärregion Gotland, MR G) was formed in 2019.
United Kingdom British Army regional districts have evolved slowly over the previous 150 years or so. For many years there were regional commands in the UK, including
Aldershot Command (from 1880),
Eastern Command,
Northern Command,
Scottish Command,
Southern Command and
Western Command (from 1905). By 1985 these were superseded by districts, and until the spring of 1991 there were nine of them.
Antony Beevor wrote in his revised edition of
Inside the British Army in 1991 that '..the first of the minor districts to be amalgamated were
North West District,
Western District, and Wales, to form a new Western District.'
HQ Northern Ireland remained separate and reported to
Headquarters United Kingdom Land Forces only on non-operational matters. From 1995, UK commands and later districts were replaced by regenerative divisions.
2nd Division,
4th Division, 5th Division and
London District acted as regional commands within the UK reporting to
Commander Regional Forces.
Scotland District was absorbed by 2nd Division in 2000. The divisions were responsible for training subordinate formations and units under their command for operations in the UK, such as
Military Aid to the Civil Community, as well as training units for overseas deployments. 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions were replaced by
Support Command on 1 November 2011.
United States The
military department was a military and administrative command of the US Army. The U.S. Army is in the mid-2020s divided into functional commands within the
Continental United States and regional commands abroad; the Navy has both functional and regional commands as well. Neither service has multiple formations responsible for "raise, train, and maintain" functions within a specific geographical
area of responsibility, as the old districts did.
Reconstruction military districts (1867–1870) In March 1867, Congress passed the
Reconstruction Acts, a series of acts that included the division of the former Confederate States (excluding Tennessee) into five military districts. These districts included: •
First Military District (comprising
Virginia) •
Second Military District (comprising
North Carolina and
South Carolina) •
Third Military District (comprising
Georgia,
Alabama and
Florida) •
Fourth Military District (comprising
Arkansas and
Mississippi) •
Fifth Military District (comprising
Texas and
Louisiana) Each of these districts were governed by former Union Army general officers, and was required to adopt a new state constitution and ratify the
14th Amendment under the Reconstruction Acts in order to rejoin the Union. the Tashkent Garrison was transformed into the Tashkent Military District. The following are a list of military districts in Uzbekistan: • Northwest Military District (HQ
Nukus) • Southwest Special Military District (HQ
Qarshi) • Central Military District (HQ
Dzhizak) • Eastern Military District (HQ
Ferghana) •
Tashkent Military District (HQ Tashkent) The replenishment of the ranks of divisions and units in wartime is done by order of the commanders of military districts.
Vietnam Vietnam People's Army has
8 Military Regions; each is directly under the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam: •
Hanoi Capital Command:Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending the capital. The headquarters is in
Hanoi. •
1st Military Region: Tasked to protect against foreign invaders; and to organize, build, manage and command forces in northeastern Vietnam. The headquarters is in
Thai Nguyen. •
2nd Military Region:Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending northwestern Vietnam. The headquarters is in
Viet Tri. •
3rd Military Region: Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending the
Red River Delta area. The headquarters is in
Hai Phong. •
4th Military Region: Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending north central Vietnam. The headquarters is in
Vinh. •
5th Military Region: Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending south central Vietnam, including the
western highlands and south central coastal provinces. The headquarters is in
Da Nang. •
7th Military Region: Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending southeastern Vietnam. The headquarters is in
Ho Chi Minh City. •
9th Military Region: Tasked to organize, build, manage and command armed forces defending the
Mekong Delta. The headquarters is in
Cần Thơ The
Army of the Republic of Vietnam originally had four
corps, for example
I Corps (South Vietnam). Later they were redesignated Military Regions 1–4. ==See also==