Battle of Tannenberg

22-30 August 1914

Much to the surprise of German commanders, who had expected to be able to knock France out of the war before Russia had mobilised sufficiently to mount an attack on Germany's eastern front, the Russian First Army under Alexander Samsanov advanced into East Prussia within days of the declaration of war. Initially, Samsanov's army advanced without meeting significant resistance but on 22 August it encountered German troops under General von Hindenberg and his chief of staff General Ludendorf, near the Masurian Lakes. By the 27th Ludendorf wanted to fall back ahead of the 150,000 strong Russian forces but Hindenberg, and it particular General François, pressed on with a plan to encircle the Russian army. On the 28th François even disobeyed a Ludendorf order to turn to a less well defended part of the front, and on the following day Samsanov was surrounded.

Of the 150,000 Russian soldiers, only 10,000 escaped; 95,000 of the unwounded and 30,000 wounded were taken prisoner and the rest had died in the fighting. Samsonov committed suicide rather than face the humiliation of the defeat.

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