Battle of Tannenberg

The battles of Tannenberg , (nowadays Stębark in Poland) of the August 17th to the armed September 2nd 1914 between VIIIe takes place German and 1st and 2nd Russian armies .

Introduction

The Russian armies invade the Eastern Prussia with Königsberg for objective. The fate of the weapons is initially favorable to the Russians. The first German counter-attack is pushed back the August 20th in Gumbinnen. After this defeat, the German commander of the sector Maximilian von Prittwitz orders the retirement on the the Vistula, thus conceding the totality of the Eastern Prussia with the Russians. For such an action of escape in front of the enemy, he will be dismissed. The August 23rd 1914, Paul von Hindenburg takes the command of the 8th army and takes again the offensive.

Having learned that the two Russian armies are separated and that the two generals hate themselves, the Germans leave a thin line of troops vis-a-vis the first army of Pavel Rennenkampf then they cut the lines of supply and retirement behind the second army, under the orders of Alexandre Samsonov, that they let advance towards North.

Battle plan

Russians

The strategy of the Russians consists in taking out of clippers of the 8th army of Hindenburg. In the East, Rennenkampf advances slowly towards the West and Samsonov closes again the trap while going up towards north starting from the " covering polonais" (located at the south of Eastern Prussia).

After the important victory with Gumbinen of Rennenkampf, the Germans are in rout on all the line. However, the troops of Rennenkampf are unable to continue the runaways. Indeed, the countryside in Eastern Prussia was assembled so quickly that big problems of logistics were not regulated: the rations and the ammunition pain to arrive at the face. The means of communication are very poor, and facilitate the task of the German decoders largely to bore the codes. Zhilinsky, ordering Prussian face, does not want to take from Samsonov the possibility of closing again the clippers. It slows down Rennenkampf not to hasten the German escape and asks the 2nd Army to sink towards North.

For Samsonov, it is imperative to establish the link with Rennenkampf on the right side. By doing this it disperses so much its forces, which it has of the sorrow to communicate. Always pushing towards North, it does not make that to be inserted of advantage in the German trap. In any moment, Rennenkampf does not turn to the South to come to assistance of Samsonov. It rather inclines its advance on Königsberg. Soon, the 2nd Army collapses under the weight of the Germans, increasingly more, who encircle it. The Russian reinforcements try well to come to him to assistance by tackling the German formation around Samsonov, but without success, they are thus folded up towards the Polish border, leaving Samsonov with its sad fate. The August 30th 1914, the 2nd Army is indeed entirely destroyed. 92.000 Russian soldiers are made prisoners.

Germans

On arrival of Hindenburg at the general headquarter of the 8th Army, the August 23rd, there is no really strategy. The retirement towards the the Vistula however is stopped in front of Rennenkampf. The general German is quite conscious that it is impossible for him simultaneously to face the forces of Samsonov and Rennenkampf, this is why it puts into practice the principle of Schlieffen: it disengages the most troops possible opposite Rennenkampf and directs them towards the South thanks to a excellnt network railway. Thus, it will lay out of more than forces to face Samsonov. This one demolishes, it will be able then to be turned over against Rennenkampf.

The latter, misled by what he believes being a retirement of the enemy on Königsberg, turns to North to continue this phantom army. The Germans benefit from it to send three army corps to the South against the 2nd Russian Army. Leaving only some troops to keep the backs of the 1 Russian Army, they close again the clippers thus.

A first message intercepted by the Germans assure them that Rennenkampf goes up towards Koenigsberg and is too far to help Samsonov. Another message second watch that this last still believes that the Germans are in retirement towards the the Vistula and that it is continuing the German rear-guard. Hindenburg does not have whereas to close the trap around the 2nd Army.

The ceaseless advance of Samsonov is such as it is inserted itself in the clippers and facilitates the work of the Germans. Once finished surrounding, it does not remain any more that to exterminate the remainder of the 2nd Army. The August 29th, before even as the battle is not finished, Ludendorff prepares already the attack in North against Rennenkampf which still did not move.

Involved forces

Each Russian army count 400 000 men while the Germans have only 200 of it; 000 at the beginning of the battle, reinforced it is true, then by the two bodies coming from the West.

Battle order

Russians

First Army (Rennenkampf)

Body III, IV and XX
5 brigades of fusiliers
5 divisions of cavalry
1 brigade independent of cavalry

Second Army (Samsonov)

Body I, II, VI XIII, XV, XXIII and Garde
1 brigade of fusilier
3 divisions of cavalry (4,6,15)

The Russians must cross Poland, often hostile in their connection. They must leave units to keep the transportation routes. This is why the army corps are well in on this side their normal manpower. One estimates that it misses 18% of them, only for the infantry

Germans

Eighth Army (Hindenburg)

Body I, XVII, XX
1st body of reserve
Garrisons of the fortresses (in particular Koenigsberg)
1 division of cavalry

Ratios of inferiorities vis-a-vis the Russians:

1:1.7 for the infantry
1:2.7 for the cavalry

Assessment

This victory makes it possible to the Germans to fight in strong position the Russian army of Rennenkampf and to overcome it later one week with the lakes Mazure. The Russian offensive is broken and the face is maintained until in 1917 This victory proves to be vital for the continuity of the war since no troop is present between Tannenberg and Berlin, leaving the possibility to the Russians then of taking Berlin before the end of the month and to complete the war.

Sources

Alexandre Soljenitsyne, the red wheel. August 14 , Beech
Brissaud, Andre, “Schlieffen (A. von)”, Encyclopedia Universalis version 7,2001, CD-ROM
Churchill, Winston S, The Unknown War, The Eastern Face, Toronto, The Macmillan Company off Canada Ltd.
Golovine, Nicolai NR., The Russian Campaign off 1914, London, Hugh Rees Ltd, 1933,
Hindenburg, Gert von, Hindenburg 1847-1934, Soldier and Statesman, London, Hutchinson & Co, 1935,
Ironside, Edmund, Tannenberg, the First Thirty Days in East Prussia, London, William Blackwood and Ltd Sounds., 1933,
Ludendorff, Erich, My War Memories 1914-1918, London, Hutchinson & Co.
Neame, Philip, German strategy in the Great War, London, Edward Arnold & Co, 1923,
Rutherford, Ward, The Russian Army in World War I, London, Gordon Cremonesi, 1975

See too

Monument of Tannenberg
Paul von Hindenburg gave this name to the battle to erase the memory of the Bataille of Grunwald in 1410 lost by the teutonic Chevaliers. This battle was previously known in the German Historiographie under the name of: Battle of Tannenberg

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