Ober Ost

The Area of the Commander-in-Chief in the East (German: Gebiet des Oberbefehlshabers Ost), also known by its German abbreviation as Ober Ost, was an occupied territory encompassing German sections of the Eastern Front, during World War I (1914–1918). It was headed by the Commander-in-Chief of all German Forces in the East (German: Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten), one of the highest-ranking positions in the armed forces of the German Empire. Institutional development and territorial evolution of the Ober Ost was varying over the years, depending on political and military decisions related to governance over the occupied territories. After the creation of Government General of Warsaw in October 1915, the Ober Ost was encompassing former Russian provinces (governorates) of Courland, Grodno, Kovno, Suwałki, and Vilna. In 1917–1918, it was expanded further towards the governorates of Minsk, Livonia, Estonia, and other temporarily held regions to the east and north. It was governed in succession by field marshals Paul von Hindenburg and Leopold of Bavaria. It was abandoned after the end of World War I.