Bataillons

Bataillons is the German term for a battalion, a mid-sized military formation that typically includes several hundred to around a thousand soldiers and is commanded by a lieutenant colonel or major. In many armed forces, a battalion is organized into several companies and serves as the primary maneuver unit within a brigade or regiment.

The term originated in French as bataillon, a word that was borrowed into other languages, including German. The English word battalion shares the same root and concept: a unit larger than a company but smaller than a regiment or brigade. Modern practice follows the same basic framework across diverse armed forces, with national doctrines shaping specific compositions and roles.

Organization and types: A battalion usually has a headquarters and headquarters company, plus three to four line companies and a support company. In armored or mechanized forces, a battalion may be composed of tank or infantry-mechanized elements; artillery and engineer battalions organize into batteries or troops rather than companies. The exact composition depends on doctrine and national armed forces.

Role and history: Battalions emerged as standardized tactical units in the early modern period and became central to European military organization by the Napoleonic era. In modern armies, the battalion operates under a brigade and can be augmented by supporting arms to perform assigned missions on the battlefield. The size, structure, and naming conventions of battalions vary by country, but the unit remains a common building block of military organizations.

See also: Regiment, Brigade, Company.