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Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vilna Military District (Russian: Ви́ленский вое́нный о́круг) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army. The district was formed in 1862 as part of Russian military reforms and was responsible for parts of modern Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The district was disbanded at the beginning of the First World War in July 1914, and its headquarters were used to form another district farther to the rear.
| Vilna Military District | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Map of the district in 1912 | |
| Active | 1862–1914 |
| Country | Russian Empire |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
| Type | Military district |
| Garrison/HQ | Vilna |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
In the Russian Empire, military districts were first formed by Dmitry Milyutin in 1862–64 to replace the pre-existing Military Inspectorates. The military districts were organised to include civilian administration regions of gubernyas and uyezds. The Vilna Military District was created on 6 July 1862. The district headquarters were in Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania),[1] and were formed from the headquarters of the 1st Army Corps, which it replaced. In 1864, the district opened the Vilna Junker Infantry School to prepare non-commissioned officers.
In 1870, it had the second highest concentration of troops in the military district system after the Warsaw Military District, with 78,180 men. By 1871, the district's troops had been reduced to seven infantry divisions, a cavalry brigade, a demining brigade and four reserve battalions, an organization proposed in 1864. The district commander often simultaneously held the position of Governor-General of Vilna.[2]
On 17 July 1914, just before the beginning of the First World War, martial law was imposed in the district. After the outbreak of the war later that month, the district headquarters became the headquarters of the new Dvinsk Military District. Combat units stationed in the district at the time became part of the new 1st Army, under the command of district commander Paul von Rennenkampf.[1]
The Vilna Military District comprised the following gubernyas:[1]
The following units were based in the Vilna Military District upon the outbreak of the First World War in 1914:[3]
The district was commanded by the following officers:[1]
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