The regiment was formally known as Infantry Regiment von Winterfeldt, Number 23 of the Prussian line, but was also referred to as 2nd Upper Silesian. This regiment was number 2 out of the four regiments that belonged to the 12th Division. The other three were the 62nd, 63rd, and the 157th. There were also cavalry, artillery, pioneer, medical, veterinary, and transportation regiments within the Division. The compostion of the 12th Division changed continually as the First World War progressed. The most notable change came in 1915, with the transfer of the 157th to a new formation, the 117th Division. The 11th and 12th Divisions constituted the 6th Army Corps, which was based at Breslau on the Oder River in Upper Silesia. In August 1914, the 6th Army Corps was an element of the 5th Army under the command of Kronprinz Friederich Wilhelm.
Silesia, a region that is now part of southwestern Poland, was originally taken from the Hapsburgs of Austria by Prussia under Frederick the Great in 1740. This region was later divided into two Prussian provinces. The region that straddled the upper water shed of the Oder River became known as Upper Silesia, and the adjacent region to the north was simply named Silesia. These two provinces supported prosperous farming, mining, and industrial communities. The region contained substantial populations at various trade centers, such as Breslau and Oppeln. These populations were more culturally and religiously diverse than those in other parts of Prussia.
Infantry Regiment 23 was founded in 1813 and was garrisoned in the city of Neisse. The regiment saw action in many of the conflicts that engaged Prussia through the 19th century. It was at the battle of Koniggratz, during the Seven Weeks War in 1866 and was also deployed in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. During the First World War, the 23rd fought with distinction at many of the crucial battles.
The 23rd's first engagement of the Great War took place at Rossignol les Bulles, Belgium, on August 22, 1914. The regiment entered France on August 24th. Through the course of the war the 23rd was moved to some of the most contested sectors of the Western Front, such as Champagne, Artois, and the Somme. On the 1st of July, 1916, their division bore the brunt of the British advance north of the Somme and suffered approximately 60% casualties. By November 14th, the Silesians were involved in fierce fighting at Beaumont-Hamel.
From January 2nd, through May 27th, 1917, the 12th Division was posted on the Russian front, where it encountered little resistance. They were then transferred back to the Western Front and then to the Italian front. The division was attached to the 14th Army Corps and participated with the Austian forces in the Tolmino Offensive on October 25th, 1917. The 23rd contributed to the victory at the Battle of Caporetto. By Christmas, the 12th Division was back in France.
The regiment arrived back on the Western Front just three days before the the great March offensive the 1918. It took part in the Battle of Picardy and the Battle of Lys. From the middle of July through November, the division was constantly involved in defensive fighting as it was pushed back from a position north of Douai across the Belgian border. When hostilities finally ceased on November 11th , the regiment was holding the line east of Joulain in Flanders. Infantry Regiment 23 proved throughout the First World War that it was a dedicated and proficient unit of the "Reichsheer."