The Battle of Tannenberg was one of the first in WW1 and was fought between the German empire and the Russian empire.The battle lasted four days from 26thAugust to 30thAugust 1914.
The battle actually took place closer to the city of Allenstein for propaganda reasons.
The leaders of the Russian Army; Alexander Samsonov (commander of the Second Army) and Paul von Rennenkampf (commander of the First Army).
The leaders of the German Army were Paul von Hindenburg, Erich Ludendorff, and Max Hoffman. It was Colonel Max Hoffman who proposed the risky battle plans that helped the Germans to win the battle.The Germans suffered fewer than 20,000 casualties and captured over 500 guns.
Rennenkampf was largely responsible for the Russian defeat because he did not coordinate his movements with Samsonov, leaving Samsonov to fight the Germans alone.
Rather than report the loss of his army to Tsar Nicholas II, Samsonov (in command of the second army) committed suicideby shooting himself in the head on 29 August 1914.
The German Eighth Army now faced only the Russian First Army and forced it back over the pre-war border. Russian forces would not again march on German soil until the end of World War II.
Russian Second Army falling apart would have been embarrasing for Russia and suicide of Samsonov reflected lack of communication and Tsar's weakness.
By the time the battle ended on 30 August, the Second Army was destroyed, with 92,000 Russian troops captured, another 78,000 killed or wounded, and only 10,000 escaping.
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The Battle of Masurian Lakes
Fought in September 1914 and was the second defeat for the Russian Army in World War One at the hands of the German army ( the previous month had seen the destruction of the Russian Second Army at the Battle of Tannenburg)
The Germans started their attack on September 7th 1914. By September 9th, Rennenkampf, his army outnumbered by 3 to 1, ordered an orderly withdrawal. Two divisions were left behind to slow down the German advance and to allow the Russians the opportunity to withdraw unhindered. 1st attack-German offensive on the eastern front during early WW1 (7th sep). The Germans pushed the Russian 1st Army back out of German but could not push back any further beacuse of the arrival of the Russian 10th Army on the Germans left side.
Hindenberg knew the Russians may attck on the swampy lands of East Prussia cost the Russian First Army 125,000 men and 150 artillery guns. The Germans lost 40,000 men.The Geramns could read the Russian messages
The Russians put little attention into the attack- norail transport and limited ammunition just lots in numbers
Hindenburg used frontal attacks to hold the Russians while his armies tried to surround the Russian trenches.
Using a counterattack to hide his moves, Rennekampf moved his army back to prevent them being surrounded but over a period of days the Russian army lost ground.The Russians fought hard but were driven back to the Russian border- Rennekampf kept his troops in good order on retreat.
Death of 125,000 soldiers and loss of about 150 artillery cannons
Showed weakness again for the Russians after the Battle of Tannenberg.
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