Battle of Tannenberg

Death/Casualty Rates

Germany took 92,000 Russian Prisoners

Russia lost 30,000 (killed and wounded)

13,000 German casualties

Rennenkampf

Commander of the 1st Russian Army

Battle of Tannenberg

Russian 1st Army defeats Germans

20 August 1914

Gumbinnen

Summary 20-26 August

The Battle Zone

On August 20th Rennenkampf's 1st Army attacked the German 8th army, and defeated them. Samsonov's Army approached Eastern Prussian to threaten the other German armies in the area. The outlook was good for the Russians at this point. On August 23, Von Hindenburg attacked Samsonov's left flank. The Germans then found and uncoded a Russian message that they were in “no hurry” to attack. The Germans then sent soldiers to the right flanks leaving only the cavalry to directly attack.

There was also a lack of communication between the two Russian Generals who disliked each other. This situation gave the Germans an upper hand going to the battle that began on August 26th.

29 August 1914

Tannenberg

Russian 2nd Army outflanked

Germans

Russians

By Nick Dowling and Matt Bailey

Summary:20-26 August

Summary: 26-30 August

With great pressure of Germany on the western front, Russia, allied with Britain and France, agreed to help with an offensive attack in East Prussia. The 1st Russian army, lead by Rennenkampf, and the 2nd army, lead by Samsonov, were outnumbering the Germans two to one. On August 26, Ludendorff 8th Army flanked Samsonov and forced a retreat of the Russians. The German forces were in hot pursuit of the Russian army. A Russian offensive allowed for the two army corps to escape and give some time before continued pursuit. On August 29, the remaining Russians were surrounded and tired from battle. General Samsonov shot himself. The Battle of Tannenberg was an amazing success for the German army and proved their risky tactics worked.

By the end of the Russian East Prussian offensive, ended around September, over 250,000, and a vast amount of military hardware. On the positive side it did distract the German forces long enough for the French to counter attack.

Ludendorff

Commander of the 8th German Army

On august 20th Rennenkampf's First Army attacked the German 8th army, and defeated them. Samsonov Army was approach the Eastern Prussian to threat the other German armies in the area. The outlook was good for the Russian at this point. On August 23, von Hindenburg attacked Samsonov left flank. The Germans then found and uncoded a Russian message that they were in “no hurry” to attack. The Germans then sent soldiers to the right flanks leaving only the cavalry to directly attack.

There was also a lack of communication between the two Russian Generals who disliked each other. This situation gave the Germans an upper hand going to the battle that begun on August 26th.

Samsonov

Commander of the 2nd Russian Army

Citation

BBC. "Battle of Tannenberg." BBC

News.BBC, 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.

HistoryLearningSite. "The Battle

of Tannenberg." The Battle of Tannenberg. History Learning Site, 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.

Simkins, Peter, Geoffrey Jukes,

and Michael Hickey. The First World War: The War to End All Wars. Oxford: Osprey, 2003. Print.