Formed: January 1940 from 4th Light Division
The 4th Light Division was established in April 1938 in Vienna, shortly after the Anschluss, which marked the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany. The division emerged from the transformation of a mobile division of the Austrian Bundesheer (the Austrian Army), reflecting Germany’s growing emphasis on the use of highly mobile and mechanized forces in preparation for future military campaigns.
In 1939, during the Invasion of Poland, the division operated on the right flank of Army Group South. Launching its offensive from Slovakia, it advanced rapidly, crossing the San River on September 10 and capturing the town of Krakowiec on September 12. It was reorganized into the 9th Panzer Division on January 3, 1940.
