The 33rd Reserve Division began the war on the Western Front, where it fought in the Battle of the Frontiers and advanced to the Verdun region.
From September 1914 to August 1916, it occupied the line in the region between the Meuse and Moselle Rivers.
In late 1916, it suffered heavy losses in the later phases of the 1916 Battle of Verdun.
It returned to the Western Front in January 1918, where it fought in several engagements, including the Aisne and the Champagne-Marne offensives against French and American forces, after which it was disbanded and its troops distributed to other divisions.
Over the course of the war, other changes took place, including the formation of artillery and signals commands and a pioneer battalion.