If the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) joined in accordance with their Allied treaty, they would fill the left flank. From a strategic point of view, the battle, which was to become known as the Battle of Tannenberg, was not a key event on the Eastern Front during WWI, neither leading to the final defeat of the Russian Empire, nor even to an end to the Russian occupation of East Prussia. [29] In Hindenburg's words "It was now apparent that danger was threatening from the side of Rennenkampf. The two corps (I and VI) that had not been caught in the cauldron had been severely bloodied and were retreating back to Poland. The defeat bore a heavy toll on Russia’s forces in the west. A fourth-generation combat Veteran, Kyle retired from the United States Army in 2010. The defeat at Grunwald left a long-lasting humiliation that remained part of the Prussian identity until the German victory on the nearby ground at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. Battle between Russian Empire and Germany during World War I, For the 1410 battle at the same location, see, Sanitätsbericht über das deutsche Heer im Weltkriege 1914/1918, III. He was replaced in the Northwest Command and sent to liaise with the French. Required fields are marked *. Perhaps the most spectacular and complete German victory of the First World War, the encirclement and destruction of the Russian Second Army in late August 1914 virtually ended Russia's invasion of East Prussia before it had really started. Battle of Tannenberg: August 26-August 30, 1914. Ludendorf insisted the attack must go forward as planned, since more trains were expected beforehand. They could not push the Russians back further because of the arrival of the Russian Tenth Army on the Germans' left flank (side). [6]:64,113, Communications would be a daunting challenge. Ludendorff had delayed their marches for a day to rest while remaining in … The battle is at the center of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novel August 1914, published in 1971. Getting their men to the front would itself take time because of their relatively sparse and unreliable railway network (for example, 75% of the Russian railways were still single-tracked). To their surprise, Germany encountered the Russian army with great fury using fast troops movements through railways. However, it was blown up in World War II by the Germans during their retreat from Prussia in January 1945.[45]. These two armies formed the Northwestern Front facing the Germans, under the command of Yakov Zhilinsky. The battle would be an important turning point for Field Marshal Paul von … In an attempt to send reinforcements, Blagoveschensky split the 16th Infantry Division between Bischofsburg and Ramsau. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. At Tannenberg, Hindenburg and Ludendorff achieved part of Germany’s strategic aim by providing time and a much-needed victory for the empire. Germany entered World War I largely following the Schlieffen Plan. [15], However, by the next morning, 21 August, Eighth Army staff realized that because Samsonov's II Army was closer to the Vistula crossings they must relocate most of their forces to join with XX Corps to block Samsonov before they could withdraw further. The Battle of Tannenberg completely destroyed the Russian Second Army by a remarkable flanking maneuver. He specializes in military operations from 1945-Present and has written extensively regarding the future of asymmetrical warfare. Klyuev received orders from Samsonov to retreat towards Kurken. [17], After the battle at Gumbinnen, Rennenkampf decided to keep his First Army in position to resupply and to be in good positions if the Germans attacked again, but he lost contact with the German Army which he incorrectly reported was retreating in haste to the Vistula. By the end of August, Russias ambitious advance in East Prussia in August 1914 had achieved at least one of its goals, albeit at a tremendous cost: two German corps had been removed from the Western to the Eastern Front in order to confront the Russian menace. "[6]:184–191, On 29 August, von François' cavalry regiment reached Willenberg by evening, while his 1st Infantry Division occupied the road between Neidenburg and Willenberg. The Russians had lost 350 big guns. XVII Corps and I Reserve Corps would march towards the left of XX Corps. The battle was orchestrated by the two masterminds of German Strategy/Tactics in WWI, Gen. Hindenburg and Gen. Ludendorff (that they will become, after the exit of Russia from the war, commanders in the west). His brief in August 1914 was to invade East Prussia along with General Rennenkampfs First Army. Their pre-war organization and training had proven themselves, which bolstered German morale while severely shaking Russian confidence. We overcame the inward crisis, adhered to our original intention, and turned in full strength to effect its realization by attack." The Battle of Tannenberg was one of the greatest victories of the First World War. 1 Surname Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course: Date: Battle of Tannenberg Looking back at the history of The weapons used during this battle ranged from the machine gun, grenade launchers, altillery, and much more. The Southwestern Front, facing the Austro-Hungarians in Galicia, was commanded by Nikolai Iudovich Ivanov. Mackensen's 36th Infantry Division, on the right, and his 35th infantry Division, on the left, advanced towards Bischofsburg. [10], The First Army commander was Paul von Rennenkampf, who in the Russo-Japanese War had earned a reputation for "exceptional energy, determination, courage, and military capability. Basil Gourko, commanding the Russian First Army Cavalry Division (and from 1916 to 1917 chief of the general staff), was told later that Samsonov did not know what was happening on his flanks because he was observing the action from a rise in the ground a distance from his wireless set and reports were not relayed to him. The modern battle took place nearly 20 miles from the original Battle of Tannenberg (1410), but would share the original title as a way to avenge the Teutonic defeat from centuries before. [20] For the moment Samsonov would be opposed only by the forces he was already facing, XX Corps, mostly East Prussians who were defending their homes. Little had been achieved during the day, when they had intended to spring the trap. Allied with France and Britain, Grand Duke Nicholas, the Russian commander, agreed to help relieve the French, under attack from Germany, with an offensive in East Prussia. (In 1910 Slavs had commemorated their triumph on the old battlefield. In the center the Russians continued to strongly attack the German XX Corps and to move northwest from Allenstein. It is surprising that misgivings filled many a heart, that firm resolution began to yield to vacillation, and that doubts crept in where a clear vision had hitherto prevailed? [6]:145,154–155, Hindenburg summarized his strategy, "We had not merely to win a victory over Samsonov. Look for more information regarding the German campaign on the Eastern Front in World War I in the upcoming Strategy & Tactics issue #301 article “Ober Ost: World War I on the Eastern Front” and join the conversation on Facebook! It brought considerable prestige to Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and his rising staff-officer Erich Ludendorff. The German 1st Cavalry Division and some garrison troops of older men would remain as a screen just south of the eastern edge of the Königsberg defenses, facing Rennenkampf's First Army. The battle is particularly notable for fast rail movements by the Germans, enabling them to concentrate against each of the two Russian armies in turn, and also for the failure of the Russians to encode their radio messages. However, Samsonov was ordered by Zhilinski to attack northwest with Martos' XV Corps, and Klyuev's XII Corps, while I Corps protected the left flank, and VI Corps was positioned on the right at Bischofsburg. The Russians suffered a defeat and retreated losing about 125,000 men and 150 guns. Their Russian allies in the East would have a massive army, more than 95 divisions, but their mobilization would inevitably be slower. [21], Zhilinskiy had agreed to Samsonov's proposal to start the Second Army's advance further westward than originally planned, separating them even further from Rennenkampf's First Army. The telegram relieving their former commanders came later. The Second Army also was hampered by incompetent staff work and poor communications. )[25], Aided by Russian radio intercepts, a captured map of Russian positions, and information from fleeing German civilians of Rennenkampf's slow progress, Hindenburg and Ludendorf planned the encirclement of the Russian Second Army. Prittwitz excitedly but inconclusively and repeatedly discussed the dreadful news with Moltke that evening on the telephone, shouting back and forth. Hoffmann is not mentioned in Hindenburg's memoirs. Their artillery was devastating until they ran out of ammunition, then the Russians retired. Back at headquarters Hindenburg told the staff, "Gentlemen. The Second Army railway ran from Warsaw, Poland, to the border 165 km (103 mi) southwest of Königsberg. On their far left they knew that XVII Corps and I Reserve Corps were coming into action, but headquarters had learned little about their progress. Hindenburg and Ludendorff watched from a hilltop, with only a single field telephone line; thereafter they stayed closer to the telephone network. The Germans suffered just 12,000 casualties out of the 150,000 men committed to the battle. The Russians were driven back and lost 3,000 men as prisoners, but I Corps was ordered by Prittwitz, who had not authorized the attack, to pull back to Gumbinnen to concentrate his forces. I Corps was moving by the rail line, and Ludendorf had previously counter-ordered it further east, at Deutsch-Eylau, where it could support the right of XX Corps. His problems were compounded because an intercepted wireless message disclosed that the Russian II Army included five Corps and a cavalry division, and aerial scouts saw their columns marching across the frontier. Despite reports the Germans were marching on the Second Army, the commander of the Russian First Army, Gen. Paul von Rennenkampf, continued his march toward Konigsberg (the capital of East Prussia). XVII Corps and I Reserve Corps would march towards the left of XX Corps. Though his 41st Infantry Division was badly mauled by Martos' Russian XV Corps, it held its ground, while the German 37th Infantry Division reached Hohenstein by the end of the day. [6]:192–194 On 29 August the troops from the Russian Second Army's center who were retreating south ran into a German defensive line. Apparently not pleased by this, he later gave tours of the area, noting, "This is where the Field Marshal slept before the battle, this is where he slept after the battle, and this is where he slept during the battle." Dubbed the Battle of Tannenberg by the victorious Germans in revenge for the 1410 conflict in which the Poles crushed the Teutonic Knights, this would be the country’s … Ludendorff announced that the attack on the Second Army must be broken off. The Russian official inquiry into the disaster blamed Zhilinskiy for not controlling his two armies. The bulk of the Second Russian Army was still coming towards the front; if necessary, they would be allowed to push further into the province while the German reinforcements assembled on the flanks, poised to encircle the invaders—just the tactics instilled by Schlieffen. On 22 August, Samsonov ordered XV Corps to advance towards Hohenstein, which they did on 23 August pushing Friedrich von Scholtz's XX Corps out of Lahna. Von Below's German I Reserve Corps engaged Klyuev's Russian XIII Corps west of Allenstein, and became isolated. Rennenkampf retreated hastily back over the pre-war border before they could be encircled. Rennenkampf was exonerated, but was retired after a dubious performance in Poland in 1916. With time, Germany successfully counter-attacked both Russian armies and turned it into a nightmare for Russia. On 22 August Samsonov's forces encountered Germans all along their front and pushed them back in several places. The 16th Infantry division was ordered to move towards Allenstein, while the 16th Infantry Division was split between Lautern and Gross-Bössau. [9], According to Prit Buttar, "In addition to the fortifications amongst the Masurian Lake District, the Germans had built a series of major forts around Königsberg in the 19th century and had then modernised them over the years. [23], Samsonov saw a wonderful opportunity because, as far as he was aware, both of his flanks were unopposed. Armies from both sides gathered near the plains between the villages of Grunwald, Staebark and Ùodwigowo. The First Army would use the line that ran from Vilnius, Lithuania, to the border 136 km (85 mi) southeast of Königsberg. Russia’s invading force was split into two Armies – the First Army under General Rennenkampf, which would invade north-east Prussia, and the Second Army under General Samsonov, which would concentrate its efforts further south. Von François' I Corps resumed his assault on the Russian I Corps, taking Soldau by late morning, and then advancing onto Neidenburg, as the Russian I Corps became an ineffective force in the battle. Unhappy with the outcome, the German Army Chief of Staff, Helmuth von Moltke, ordered Gen. Maximilian von Prittwitz back to Berlin, and replaced him with Field Marshal von Hindenburg. Von François' I Corps patrols linked up with Mackensen's German XVII Corps, who had advanced to Jedwabno, completing the encirclement. Fearing encirclement, the Eighth Army retreated to the Vistula River. "[6]:43, The Russians would rely on two of their three railways that ran up to the border; each would provision an army. Władysław II Jagiełło referred to the site in Latin as in loco conf… After receiving intelligence, the Germans learned the Russian First Army was to march toward the Masurian Lakes. However, by then Moltke had already decided to replace both Prittwitz and his chief of staff, Alfred von Waldersee. However, this decision was opposed and, contrary to the plan of Schlieffen, who, due to the unfavorable development of events on the Eastern Front, demanded a retreat to the heartland of Germany; but in no case withdraw troops from the Western Front, in order to assure the defeat France and avoid a war on two fronts. The German commander facing Samsonov, Maximilian Prittwitz, was sacked by Helmuth von Moltke, Germanys Chief of Staff, for ordering his Eighth Army to retreat as Samsonovs Second Army advanced. A series of follow-up battles (First Masurian Lakes) destroyed most of the First Army as well and kept the Russians off balance until the spring of 1915. Battle of Mons, (August 23, 1914) engagement between the British Expeditionary Force and the German army at Mons, Belgium, during the Battle of the Frontiers in the opening weeks of World War I. I Corps was moving over more than 150 km (93 miles) of rail, day and night, one train every 30 minutes, with 25 minutes to unload instead of the customary hour or two. The battle was fought in the territory of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Order, on the plains between three villages: Grünfelde (Grunwald) to the west, Tannenberg (Stębark) to the northeast, and Ludwigsdorf (Łodwigowo, Ludwikowice) to the south. Von Below, to the right of Mackensen, advanced to cut the road between Bischofsburg and Wartenburg. Rennenkampf’s forces were only expelled from the province in the autumn of 1914, and in the winter of 1914/15 a second brief incursion ensued. German film director Heinz Paul made a film, Tannenberg, about the battle, shot in East Prussia in 1932. Russian General Samsonov led his Second Army from the southwest, while General Rennenkampf marched the First Army through the northeast. Rennenkampf's First Army crossed the frontier on 17 August, moving westward slowly. The first defeat was at the Battle of Tannenberg. These armies had mobilised and advancedmuch farther than the Germans had expected, and the bulk of the German armies were concentrated in the west against the French and the British. "[6], The French army's Plan XVII at the outbreak of the war involved swift mobilization followed by an immediate attack to drive the Germans from Alsace and Lorraine. The Russian’s planned a two-prong assault into East Prussia, with the Second Army pushing into the southwest corner of the enclave, while the First Army would attack the northeastern corner. Ludendorff had delayed their marches for a day to rest while remaining in place should Rennenkampf attack. [28] Hoffmann, who had been an observer with the Japanese in Manchuria, tried to ease their nerves by telling how Samsonov and Rennenkampf had quarreled during that war, so they would do nothing to help one another. The start of the campaign went well for Russia. [6]:153–159, The new commanders arrived at Marienburg on the afternoon of 23 August; they had met for the first time on their special train the previous night and now they rendezvoused with the Eighth Army staff. Strategy & Tactics Press was founded in 1991 with the purchase of Strategy & Tactics, the longest running military history magazine (since 1967). 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