Corps facts for kids

A corps (pronounced "core") is a large group of people, often used in the military. It can be a big military unit that fights together, or a group of soldiers who do a specific job, like artillery or communications. Sometimes, "corps" also means a special military or semi-military group, like the United States Marine Corps.

What is a Military Corps?

In many armies, a corps is a very large military unit. It usually has about 60,000 soldiers. A corps is typically made up of three divisions, which are smaller military groups. A lieutenant general usually commands a corps. During big wars like World War I and World War II, many corps were combined to form even larger groups called armies and army groups.

Corps in the United States

The United States Army first officially created corps during the American Civil War on July 17, 1862. As of 2003, the U.S. Army had four main field corps. The way a field corps is set up can change. Different units are added to it as they are needed for a mission. On the battlefield, the field corps is the highest level of troops that directly plans and fights to win a war.

Corps in the United Kingdom

The British Army still uses corps headquarters to control its forces. For example, the British I Corps was renamed the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps in 1994. While it's no longer just a British group, the UK still provides most of the staff for its headquarters.

Corps in Canada

Canada first used a corps-sized group in World War I. This group, called the Canadian Corps, was special because its structure stayed the same throughout the war. It was made up of four Canadian divisions. After the war, Canada's peacetime military was planned with corps and divisions, but no full-time groups larger than a battalion were ever trained.

Corps in the Soviet Union

Before World War II, the Soviet Red Army had "Rifle Corps" that were similar to Western corps, usually with about three divisions. However, once the war began, the Soviet command structure changed. The corps and armies were reorganized into new, smaller "Armies" and then into "Fronts". Before and during World War II, Soviet armored units were also organized into corps.

Images for kids

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  The XVIII Airborne Corps command group returning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Cuerpo de ejército para niños