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Beginning of the Russian invasion of East Prussia – the first offensive of Russian troops during the World War I
August 4 (17), 1914 the Russian invasion of East Prussia began. It was the first offensive undertaken by the Russian army during the First World War.
At the request of France, and according to the Franco-Russian military convention of 1892, even before the end of the mobilization and deployment of its armies, the Russian command decided to go into action in the Eastern European theater to prevent the offensive of the main forces of Germany against France. The immediate objective of the Russian invasion of East Prussia was the conquering of East Prussia by two armies of the North-Western Front for the subsequent invasion deep into Germany.
Two armies were formed as part of the Russian North-Western Front: the 1st (Neman) army under the command of Lieutenant General P. K. Renennkampf and the 2nd (Narevsky) army under the command of General of Cavalry A. V. Samsonov. The first army included 6.5 infantry divisions and 5.5 cavalry divisions, with 492 light guns; the second one - 12.5 infantry and three cavalry divisions, with 708 light and 12 heavy guns. At the head of the front was cavalry general Ya. G. Žhilinsky. Joint action of the two Russian armies was confronted by the 8th German army (14.5 infantry and one cavalry division, about 1,000 guns) under the command of General M. Pritvits (from 10 (23) August the army was commanded by General P. von Hindenburg).
The offensive began on 4 (17) August by the invasion of East Prussia by several corps of the 1st Army. The 1st German corps was defeated and retreated 6 (19) August In the battle of Shtallupёnen. The next day, near the towns Gumbinnen and Goldap, a battle between the main forces of the 1st Russian and the 8th German army unfolded. German troops were defeated and began to retreat to the west. However, due to errors of the front command, which misjudged the situation, Russian troops did not take advantage of and did not develop their success near Gumbinnen by defeatung German forces. Two Russian armies were sent in divergent directions, due to which a huge gap formed between them. German troops took the advantage of it and struck the exposed flanks of the 2nd Army. Deprived of aid and assistance of the 1st Army, the 2nd Army was encircled and 13-17 (26-30) August was defeated. The commander of the army cavalry general A. V. Samsonov, not wanting to be captured, shot himself. The surviving forces of the 2nd Army were forced to retreat to the river Narew.
After the defeat of Samsonov's army, all the forces of the 8th German Army were concentrated against the 1st Army of the General P. K. Rennenkampf. 7 (20) September the last, decisive battle of the entire East Prussia operation began – the Battle of the Masurian Lakes. By 9 (22) September, German troops repulsed the 1st Russian army behind the river Neman. The attempt to encircle the army of Rennenkampf failed. 10 (23) September, Russian troops were ordered to retreat from East Prussia.
The offensive of the North-Western Front in East Prussia failed. The total losses of the parties in this battle are indicated differently in various sources; on average, they were as follows: Germany - about 50, 000 men, Russia - about 160, 000 men. General Žhilinsky was dismissed from his post of the commander of the North-Western Front, and was replaced by General N. V. Ruzsky.
At the same time, a successful offensive of the Russian armies in the first phase of the operation forced the German High Command to transfer two army corps and one cavalry division from France to the Russian front, which ensured in many respects the victory of the French at the Battle of the Marne. Fighting in East Prussia diverted German army from the battle in Galicia and Poland, which allowed the forces of the Southwestern Front defeat the Austro-Hungarian forces in the Battle of Galicia.
Lit.: Головин Н. Н. Из истории кампании 1914 года на русском фронте (Начало войны и операции в Восточной Пруссии). Прага, 1926; Зайончковский А. М. Мировая война 1914-1918 гг. Т. 1: Кампании 1914-1915 гг. М., 1938; Олейников А.В. 1914-й год на Русском фронте Первой мировой войны в контексте военно-оперативных потерь русской армии и её противников [Электронный ресурс] // Российское военно-историческое общество. Б. д. URL: http://histrf.ru/ru/biblioteka/book/1914-i-ghod-na-russkom-frontie- piervoi-mirovoi-voiny-v-kontiekstie-voienno-opierativnykh-potier-russkoi-armii-i-ieie-protivnikov; Памяти героев Великой Войны 1914-1918 [Электронный ресурс] // Министерство обороны Российской Федерации (Минобороны России). Б. д. URL: http://gwar.elar.ru/; Таленский Н. А. Первая мировая война 1914-1918 гг. М., 1944.
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