▁and ▁Lud endor ff ▁ordered ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁another ▁ 2 2 ▁divisions , ▁to ▁reach ▁ 1 7 9 ▁divisions ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁men ▁for ▁the ▁divisions ▁created ▁by ▁Fal ken h ay n , ▁had ▁come ▁from ▁reducing ▁square ▁divisions ▁with ▁four ▁inf antry ▁reg iments ▁to ▁tri angular ▁divisions ▁with ▁three , ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁net ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁army . ▁Tro ops ▁for ▁the ▁extra ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁expansion ▁ordered ▁by ▁H inden burg ▁and ▁Lud endor ff ▁could ▁be ▁found ▁by ▁comb ing ▁out ▁rear - area ▁units ▁but ▁most ▁would ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁drawn ▁from ▁the ▁pool ▁of ▁rep lac ements , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁de ple ted ▁by ▁the ▁losses ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁and ▁although ▁new ▁classes ▁of ▁cons cript s ▁would ▁top ▁up ▁the ▁pool , ▁cas ual ty ▁replacement ▁would ▁become ▁much ▁more ▁difficult ▁once ▁the ▁pool ▁had ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁larger ▁number ▁of ▁divisions . ▁By ▁calling ▁up ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁class ▁of ▁rec ruits ▁early ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁pool ▁was ▁increased ▁to ▁ ▁men ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁but ▁the ▁larger ▁army ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁was ting ▁asset . ▁Ernst ▁von ▁W ris berg , ▁Ab teilung sch ef ▁of ▁the ▁k ais er licher ▁Ober st ▁und ▁Land sk ne chts führ er ▁( head ▁of ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Ministry ▁of ▁War ▁section