THE GENERAL STAFF IN THE ARMY CORPS
There remain as the general's special province the communication with
the army headquarters and the direction of the troops as fighting
bodies; the regulation of marches, halts, and combats; the
reconnaissance of the country with a view to these operations; the
collection and sifting of news about the enemy; and the compilation of
reports for the information of the higher commanders and for the
records of the army corps.
The bureau or department which assists the general in these matters is
the general staff of the army corps. It consists of a colonel or
lieutenant-colonel as chief, one field officer, and two captains.[1]
The functions of the general staff of a division or army corps during
war may be summarised under the following heads:[2]--
(1) Elaboration in accordance with the situation from time to time of
all arrangements concerning the fighting, marching, repose, and safety
of the troops.
(2) Communication of these arrangements in the form of orders.
(3) Collection, sifting, and appreciation of all information about the
enemy.
(4) Maintenance of the efficiency of the division or army corps and of
an uninterrupted knowledge of its condition in every respect.
(5) Keeping record of all operations.
(6) Reconnaissances.
The peace duties of the bureau are a preparation for those of war.
They embrace the elaboration of the arrangements for mobilization,
which require periodical, almost continuous revision, all arrangements
for marching and quarterings, the selection of a site and all other
preparations for the autumn manoeuvres, and the superintendence of the
railway and telegraph service of the army corps.
The chief of the general staff of the army corps is authorized to
represent the general in his absence and to issue in his name such
orders as will admit of no delay. Accordingly he has a general
supervision over the whole staff and may control not merely his direct
subordinates, but the adjutants, the intendant, and the auditeur.
It is one of the duties of the general staff to attend to the material
well-being of the troops, so as to secure their being at all times in
condition to march or to fight. The heads of the several departments
specially concerned with this care can work efficiently only in so far
as they are kept in touch of the military situation. They must know,
for example, when an advance or retreat is contemplated, or a battle is
in prospect, so as to make their arrangements accordingly. For this
purpose the chief of the general staff of the army corps is the organ
of communication between them and the commanding general. All the
orders for the movement of the troops and for their distribution in
quarters pass through his hands, and he is also responsible for the
collecting and sifting of information concerning the enemy. His three
assistants relieve him from too much absorption in mechanical detail.
He is thus a sort of confidential secretary to the general, preparing
for him all important correspondence and serving as an _alter ego_. He
knows the general's views and intentions and can therefore see with the
general's eyes. He is familiar with the methods and ideas of the army
headquarters, for he has been trained in the great general staff at
Berlin under the personal influence of its chief. He is familiar with
the working of the army corps, for he has held his post during years of
peace before the war, and has been responsible for the arrangement of
the corps manoeuvres. Thus his training and experience peculiarly
qualify him to be the general's right-hand man, to translate the
general's wishes into detailed orders, and to submit for his approval
at any time such suggestions as will meet the situation.
The system here described provides as effectively as may be for the
judicious employment of the army corps. Each branch of administration
is so organized as to centre in a competent special manager whose
decisions, though they must be submitted to the general, will seldom
require to be revised or reversed. The general, while in this way in
touch with all that is done in and for his corps, can give his main
attention to the military operations. These also are prepared for him
and the details elaborated by a group of officers specially trained and
practised in this particular branch: the art of command.
[1] In peace there is usually only one captain. The lieutenant-general
commanding a division has the assistance of a single officer of the
general staff, usually a captain or a major. In the smaller units,
comprising only a single arm, the general staff is not represented.
[2] Bronsart von Schellendorf, _Der Dienst des Generalstabes_, vol. i.,
p. 4.