High Command of Coastal Defence Küstenverteidigung
Flag of the Staff of an Armee Oberkommando (1871–1918)
Active	15 April 1916 – 1 November 1918
Country	German Empire
Type	Army
Engagements	World War I

High Command of Coastal Defence (German:Küstenverteidigung) was anarmy level command of theGermanArmy inWorld War I. It served in Germany throughout its existence.

The High Command of Coastal Defence was set up on 14 April 1916, with headquarters in Hamburg, to guard against the possibility of an attack on the German coast (North Sea or Baltic Sea) or mainland Denmark. It was to maintain the coastal defences in a state of readiness and to assemble a defensive army if needed.^[1] It took command of all Deputy Corps Commanders bordering the sea (I Corps District,II Corps District,IX Corps District,X Corps District) andXVII Corps District.^[2][3] From September 1916, it also commanded those bordering the Netherlands (VII Corps District andVIII Corps District). On 18 September 1918, the post of Supreme Commander was discontinued; on 1 November 1918, the High Command was taken off active status and was dissolved on 24 January 1919.

High Command of Coastal Defence had the following commanders during its existence:^[4]

• Armee-Abteilung or Army Detachment in the sense of "something detached from an Army". It is not under the command of an Army so is in itself a small Army.^[5]
• Armee-Gruppe A group within an Army and under its command, generally formed as a temporary measure for a specific task.^[6]
• Heeresgruppe orArmy Group in the sense of a number of armies under a single commander.^[7]

• Cron, Hermann (2002).Imperial German Army 1914–18: Organisation, Structure, Orders-of-Battle [first published: 1937]. Helion & Co.ISBN 1-874622-70-1.

• Ellis, John; Cox, Michael (1993).The World War I Databook. Aurum Press Ltd.ISBN 1-85410-766-6.

• Field armies of Germany in World War I
• Military units and formations established in 1916
• Military units and formations disestablished in 1918

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