The 1st Mountain Division (German: 1. Gebirgs-Division) was an elite formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II, and is remembered for its involvement in multiple large-scale war crimes. It was created on 9 April 1938 in Garmisch Partenkirchen from the Mountain Brigade (German: Gebirgs Brigade) which was itself formed on 1 June 1935.

It began the war on border guard duty in the mountainous region between Austria and Yugoslavia with the primary mission of training reservists and replacements for the regular mountain divisions.

It was formed in 1941 from both Reich Germans and Volksdeutsche – ethnic German volunteers and conscripts from the Banat, Independent State of Croatia, Hungary and Romania. The division surrendered on 11 May 1945 to Yugoslav Partisan forces, with thousands of stragglers surrendering by the 15th near the Austrian border.

On 20 April Gebirgsjäger scaled the northeast face of Roc Belle attacking the French force by surprise and the Germans were able to take the position. After some further fighting, the division assembled and withdrew from their positions to march toward Milan and surrender.

The Gebirgsjager were German mountain troops. The first units were formed in 1915, recruited from Bavaria and Wurttemberg and included a young Erwin Rommel, fighting on the Italian front. A small core were retained after the war and reformed in 1935 as the Gebirgs Brigade and then the Ist Gebirgs Division in April 1938.