WWI GERMAN BUCKLE - ARMY The German army that fought in World War I was not in fact a single, unitary army. All the monarchies as a part of the German empire had its own armies. Since the unification of Germany in January 1871 most of them were under prussian command but, however, wear its own style of uniforms and insignias. The four German kingdoms that existed since the Napoleonic era - Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony and Württemberg - of course had its own armies until the end of WW I. The commander in chief in peacetime of each of these armies was the King. Prussia had the largest army of the four. After the unification and the formation of the German Empire, the Prussian army became the nucleus of the Armies of the German Empire (Deutsches Reichsheer). After the declaration of war, the emperor became the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces. By 1914 the German army fielded 50 active divisions and 48 Reserve-Divisions - until 1918 251 divisions had been created.

This is a WWI German belt buckle. As used by the Army during the war. Of steel construction. The design consisted of a smooth surface. Two ropes, one inside the other, form a circle in the center. A crown is placed inside the inner most circle. The space created between the two ropes is divided in two. The upper section has tightly placed ribbing. The bottom part contains a wreath. Very nice detailing.

The same basic pattern was employed during WWII. The crown was replaced by an eagle holding a swastika.

This is a view of the back of the German buckle. The catch is of the "Square" type. It is spot welded to the body of the buckle. There are no markings in this example. That is correct, some buckles were marked while others were not.

The prongs are attached to a cylindrical structure which swivels over 180 degrees. This allows the buckle to be attached to the belt.

The belt buckles of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were over 100 different types developed. Even the non-military belt buckles often displayed the swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party.

The high quality and intricate designs have made the German belt buckles of World War Two a desirable military collectible.

This belt buckle may currently be reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this buckle. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the belt buckle.

If you have an interest is seeing other belt buckles of the Third Reich, you can do so by going to our WWII German Belt Buckles identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force (Luftwaffe), political and civilian buckles.