The 2nd Army Corps () was first formed before World War I. During World War II it fought in the Campaign for France in 1940 and during the 1944âÂÂ45 campaigns in southern France, the Vosges Mountains, Alsace, and southwestern Germany. It was active under the First Army for many years after World War II.
The II Corps of the Grande Armée was a French military unit that existed during the Napoleonic Wars. At its formation in 1805, General Auguste de Marmont was appointed commander of the II Corps.
Batavian Division, commanding officer Général de Division Count Jean-Baptiste Dumonceau
The corps participated in the Ulm campaign before advancing southeast to serve as a flank guard. Still under Marmont, the troops then served as the garrison of the Illyrian Provinces until 1809 when they became the Army of Dalmatia and later XI Corps.
Meanwhile, a parallel II Corps was created in 1809 to fight against Austria. The formation was led first by Marshal Nicolas Oudinot, then by Marshal Jean Lannes who was fatally wounded at Aspern-Essling. Oudinot then took over II Corps again and won his marshal's baton at Wagram in July 1809.
Still commanded by Oudinot, the corps took part in the invasion of Russia in 1812, at which point its size was roughly 40,000 men.
6th Division (Legrand)
8th Division Jean-Antoine Verdier
9th Division (Swiss) Pierre Hugues Victoire Merle
Corps Cavalry
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The II Corps was reorganized in Germany in 1813, with Marshal Claude Victor-Perrin appointed to lead it.
The corps was headed by General Honoré Charles Reille in 1815 and took part in the Battle of Waterloo.
2<sup>e</sup> Corps was one of five corps of the Fifth Army and upon mobilization consisted of the 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions. 2 Corps headquarters in 1914 was in Amiens. Commanders were:
2<sup>e</sup> Corps received credit for participation in these battles:
In 1940, the 2 Corps d'Armée Motorisé (2nd Motorized Army Corps) was one of three corps of the Ninth Army. During the Battle of France, its commander, General Jean Bouffet, was killed in action. Following the collapse of the front, the Corps was dissolved on 26 May 1940.
After Operation Torch, the French troops in North Africa joined the allies, and a new 2nd Army Corps was created in Algeria on 16 August 1943. In November 1943, units of the 2nd Army Corps were used to create the French Expeditionary Corps (1943âÂÂ44), which fought in Italy.<br> In September 1944, the 2nd Army Corps landed in the Provence and later liberated Lyon, Autun, Dijon and Chaumont. After having taken over the Vosges and Alsace, the 2nd Army Corps victoriously defended Strasbourg against the German counter-attack in January 1945. In April and May the Corps took part in the German campaign and captured Stuttgart.
In 1944âÂÂ45, the 2nd Army Corps was subordinated to the First Army. During the campaigns in France and Germany, many divisions served with the corps but the 1st March Infantry Division, the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division, and the 9th Colonial Infantry Division spent several months under 2nd Army Corps command.
The 10th Infantry Division spent its last active months in the French occupation zone in Germany under the command of the 2nd Army Corps.
In 1984-5 and 1989, 2nd Army Corps was headquartered in Baden-Baden, Germany, and controlled the 3rd and 5th Armored Divisions, as well as the 15th Infantry Division.
Corps troops in 1985 included 32 and 74 Regiments de Artillerie, with the Pluton SSM; two regiments of 155mm self-propelled guns; a target acquisition regiment; 51 and 53 Regiments de Artillerie with Roland; two regiments of engineers; 3e Regiment de Hussards, a reconnaissance unit; and two helicopter units.
Major General Sengeisen (Jean, Pierre) was appointed Deputy General Commanding the 2nd Army Corps and Commander-in-Chief of the French forces in Germany as of October 1, 1991.
The corps was disestablished on 31 August 1993 at a ceremony at Puységur, Oos, Baden-Württemberg, a part of Baden-Baden. The last commander was General Michel Cavaillé.
With the end of the Cold War, the French Army underwent significant reorganization and no longer has any numbered corps headquarters.