Editing Dresden (section)

====Military history====
[[File:Dresden photochrom2.jpg|thumb|right|Image of Dresden during the 1890s, before extensive World War II destruction. Landmarks include [[Dresden Frauenkirche]], [[Augustus Bridge]], and [[Katholische Hofkirche]].]]

During the foundation of the German Empire in 1871, a large military facility called [[Albertstadt]] was built.<ref>Rüdiger Nern, Erich Sachße, Bert Wawrzinek. ''Die Dresdner Albertstadt''. Dresden, 1994; ''Albertstadt&nbsp;– sämtliche Militärbauten in Dresden''. Dresden, 1880</ref> It had a capacity of up to 20,000 [[Soldier|military personnel]] at the beginning of the [[First World War]]. The garrison saw only limited use between 1918 and 1934, but was then reactivated in preparation for the [[Second World War]].

Its usefulness was limited by attacks on [[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|13–15 February]] and 17 April 1945, the former of which destroyed large areas of the city. However, the garrison itself was not specifically targeted.<ref name="Air Force Historical Studies Office">{{cite web|url=http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/PopTopics/dresden.htm|title=Historical Analysis of the 14–15 February 1945 Bombings of Dresden|publisher=[[United States Air Force|Air Force Historical Studies Office]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100817084455/http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/PopTopics/dresden.htm|archive-date=17 August 2010}} including a list of all bombings on the railway network (especially towards Bohemia).</ref><ref>Bergander, Götz. ''Dresden im Luftkrieg'': Vorgeschichte-Zerstörung-Folgen, p. 251 ff. Verlag Böhlau 1994, {{ISBN|3-412-10193-1}}</ref> Soldiers had been deployed as late as March 1945 in the Albertstadt garrison.

The Albertstadt garrison became the headquarters of the [[Soviet 1st Guards Tank Army]] in the [[Group of Soviet Forces in Germany]] after the war. Apart from the [[German Army|German army]] officers' school (''Offizierschule des Heeres''), there have been no more [[military unit]]s in Dresden since the army merger during German reunification, and the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1992. Nowadays, the Bundeswehr operates the [[Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr|Military History Museum]] of the Federal Republic of Germany in the former Albertstadt garrison.