First Battle of the Masurian Lakes
Part of Eastern Front (World War I)
Eastern Front to September 26, 1914
Date September 9 - September 14, 1914 Location East Prussia, present-day Poland Result German victory
Combatants
German Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders
Paul von Hindenburg	Paul von Rennenkampf
Strength
German Eighth Army	Russian First Army
Casualties
Less Than 40,000	125,000

The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a German offensive in the Eastern Front during the early stages of World War I. It pushed the Russian First Army back across its entire front, eventually ejecting them from Germany in disarray. Further progress was hampered by the arrival of the Russian Tenth Army on the German's left flank. Although not as devastating as the Battle of Tannenberg a week earlier, the battle nevertheless upset the Russian plans into the spring of 1915. Combatants German Empire Austria-Hungary Russian Empire Romania Commanders Paul von Hindenburg Erich Ludendorff Conrad von Hötzendorf Nikolay II Grand Duke Nicholas Constantin Prezan The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 775 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1242 × 961 pixel, file size: 175 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): First Battle of... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_German_Empire. ... Motto: Gott mit Uns (German: God with us”) Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz (unofficial) Territory of the German Empire in 1914, prior to World War I Capital Berlin Language(s) Official: German Unofficial minority languages: Polish (Posen, Lower Silesia,Upper Silesia, Masuria) French (Alsace-Lorraine) Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1871... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia_(bordered). ... Anthem: God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 April, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, known universally as Paul von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman. ... Russian General Paul von Rennenkampf, 1905. ... The German Eighth Army (German: ) was a World War I and World War II field army. ... The Russian First Army was a World War I Russian field army that fought on the Eastern Front for two years. ... Combatants German Empire Austria-Hungary Russian Empire Romania Commanders Paul von Hindenburg Erich Ludendorff Conrad von Hötzendorf Nikolay II Grand Duke Nicholas Constantin Prezan The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ... The Battle of Stalluponen was the first German victory on the Eastern Front in World War I. Brought on by the aggressive tactics of General Hermann von Francois in defense of the German province of East Prussia, the battle was completely unexpected by both sides, along with its outcome. ... Combatants Russian Empire German Empire Commanders Paul von Rennenkampf, Alexander Samsonov Maximilian von Prittwitz Strength I Army (200,000 men) VIII Army (150,000 men) Casualties  ? 6,000 prisoners The Battle of Gumbinnen, started by the Germans on August 20, 1914 was the first major offense in the Eastern Front... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Imperial Russia Austria-Hungary Commanders Nikolai Ivanov Conrad von Hötzendorf Strength 1,200,000 1,000,000 Casualties 255,000 300,000 The Battle of Lemberg was a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914 in which the... The first battle of Krasnik started on August 23rd, 1914 in the province of Galicia, in northern Austria, and ended two days later on the 25th. ... Combatants Russia Austria-Hungary Commanders Radko Dmitriev Andrei N. Selivanov Hermann Kusmanek Strength 300,000 PrzemyÅ›l Garrison (126,000) Casualties (40,000 casualties were sustained in the first few days of the siege) at least 16,000 dead, the remaining 110,000 surrendered The Siege of PrzemyÅ›l was... The Battle of the Vistula River, also known as the Battle of Warsaw, was a Russian victory against Germany on the Eastern Front during the First World War. ... Combatants Russia Germany Commanders Nikolai Ruzski August von Mackensen Strength Russian First, Second and Fifth Armies German Ninth Army Casualties 95,000 killed, wounded & captured 35,000 killed, wounded & missing The Battle of Łódź took place from November 11 to December 6, 1914, near the city of Łódź in Poland. ... Combatants German Empire Russian Empire Commanders August von Mackensen General Smirnov Vasily Gurko, VI Corps Strength German Ninth Army unknown Casualties unknown 40,000 casualties The Battle of Bolimov was an inconclusive battle of World War I fought on January 31, 1915 between Germany and Russia and considered a preliminary... The Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, also known as the Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes, was the northern part of the Central Powers offensive on the Eastern Front (World War I) in the winter of 1915. ... Combatants Russia Germany, Austria-Hungary Commanders Ratko Dimitriev August von Mackensen Strength III Army XI Army (Germany) IV Army (Austria-Hungary) Casualties 240,000 90,000 To allay Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians on the Eastern Front, and to inflict Russia a decisive blow, the German Chief of Staff... Poniatowski Bridge, blown up by the retreating Russian Army in 1915 only months after its grand opening. ... Combatants Russian Empire German Empire Commanders Alexei Kuropatkin Alexei Evert Hermann von Eichhorn Strength Parts of two army groups (350,000 men + 1,000 guns) Tenth Army (75,000 men + 400 guns) Casualties 120,000 20,000 The Lake Naroch Offensive (Russian: Нарочь; Belarusian: Нарач (Narač) was an inconclusive battle mainly fought... Combatants Russian Empire Austria-Hungary German Empire Commanders Aleksei Brusilov Conrad von Hötzendorf Alexander von Linsingen Strength 40+ infantry divisions (573,000 men) 15 cavalry divisions (60,000 men) 39 infantry divisions (437,000 men) 10 Cavalry divisions (30,000 men) Casualties 500,000+ men killed or wounded 975... Combatants Russia Germany, Austria-Hungary Commanders Aleksei Brusilov von Bothmer Strength XI, VII, VIII Armies South Army (A.H.-Germany) VII and III Army (Austria-Hungary) Casualties 400,000 ? The Kerensky Offensive (aka July Offensive or Galician Offensive) was the last Russian offensive in World War One. ... Combatants German Empire Austria-Hungary Russian Empire Romania Commanders Paul von Hindenburg Erich Ludendorff Conrad von Hötzendorf Nikolay II Grand Duke Nicholas Constantin Prezan The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nikolay II Aleksey Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert H. Asquith D. Lloyd George Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna... The Russian First Army was a World War I Russian field army that fought on the Eastern Front for two years. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Background

The Russian offensive in the east had started well enough, with General Rennenkampf's 1st Army (Army of the Neman) forcing the Germans westward from the border towards Königsberg. Meanwhile the Russian 2nd Army approached from the south, hoping to cut your butt off in the area around the city. Instead, Colonel Max Hoffmann developed a plan to attack the Second while it attempted to move north over some particularly hilly terrain, culminating in the complete destruction of the Second Army between August 26 and 30th. Russian General Paul von Rennenkampf, 1905. ... Kaliningrad (Russian: ), until 1945 known by its German name Königsberg, then briefly as Kyonigsberg (), is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. ... Max Hoffmann Max Hoffman (one n) is the name of an Austrian-born car importer in 1950s New York - see Hoffmann for others. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ...

The offensive was only possible due to the personal animosity between the Russian Generals; the commander of the Second, Alexander Samsonov, had publicly criticized Rennenkampf some years earlier, and the two had once come to blows over the matter. Rennenkampf was in no hurry to close the gap between the two armies, leaving Samsonov isolated miles to the southwest. When the nature of the German counteroffensive became clear, Rennenkampf had his troops move as quickly as possible to help, but they were simply too far to be of any use. Russian General Aleksander Samsonov, 1913. ...

By the heha, a Russian religious celebration, ended on the 30th, the closest of Rennenkampf's units, his II Corps, was still over 45 miles from the pocket. In order to get even this close his units had to rush southward, and were now spread out over a long line running southward from just east of Königsberg, facing the wrong way. An attack by the German Eighth Army from the west would flank the entire army. Of course the Germans were also very far from him, but unlike the Russians, the Germans could easily close with his armies using the extensive rail network in the area.

On August 31, Tannenburg lost, Rennenkampf had been ordered to stand his ground in case of a German attack, which was expected. Realizing his forces were currently spread out enough to be open to attack, he ordered a withdrawal to a line running from Königsberg's defensive works in the north, to the Masurian Lakes near Angerburg in the south, anchored on the Omer River. Bolstering his forces were the newly-formed XXVI Corp, which he placed in front of Königsberg, moving his more experienced troops south into the main lines. His forces also included two infantry divisions held in reserve. All in all, he appeared to be in an excellent position to wait the arrival of the Tenth Army, forming up to his south. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... Sailing on Lake MikoÅ‚ajki. ...

The Battle

Mopping up the remains of the 2nd Army were essentially complete by 2 September, and Paul von Hindenburg immediately started moving his units to meet the southern end of Rennenkampf's line. He was able to ignore the Russian right (in the north), which was in front of the extensive defensive works outside of Königsberg. Adding to his force were two newly arrived Corps from the Western Front, the Gd.R and the XI. For the first time since the opening of the war, the Germans now had numerical superiority. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, known universally as Paul von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman. ...

Like Rennenkampf, Hindenburg fed his newest troops into the northern end of the line, and planned an offensive against the south. But unlike Rennenkampf, Hindenberg had enough forces not only to cover the entire front in the Insterburg Gap, but had additional forces "left over". He sent his most capable units, the I and XVII Corps, far to the south of the lines near the middle of the Lakes, and send the 3rd Reserve Division even further south to Lyck, about 30 miles from the southern end of Rennenkampf's line.

Hindenberg's southern units started their advance on 5 September, initially meeting no resistance. It was not until the 7th that the forces met in any sort of battle, and the battle proper not opening until the next day. Throughout the 8th the German forces in the north hammered at the Russian forces facing them, who were forced to make an orderly withdrawal eastward. In the south, however, things were not going so well. The German XVII Corp had met their counterpart, the Russian II, but were at this point outnumbered. The II maneuvered well, and by the end of the day had managed to get their left flank into position for a flanking attack on the Germans, potentially encircling them.

All hopes of a victory vanished the next day on 9 September when the German I Corps arrived beside the XVII, now on the Russian's own flank. Meanwhile the 3 Reserve Division had met the XXII even further south, and after a fierce battle forced them to fall back southeastward; its commander wired Rennenkampf he had been attacked and defeated near Lych, and could do nothing but withdraw. Rennenkampf ordered a counteroffensive in the north to buy time to reform his lines, managing to push the German XX Corp back a number of miles. However the Germans did not stop to reform their own lines, and instead continued their advances in the south and north. This left the victorious Russian troops badly isolated, but they were nevertheless able to reach the new lines being set up.

Now the battle turned decisively in the Germans' favor. By the 11th the Russians had been pushed back to a line running from Insterburg to Angerburg in the north, with a huge flanking maneuver developing to the south. It was at this point that the threat of encirclement appeared possible. Rennenkampf ordered a general retreat toward the Russian border, which happened rapidly under the protection of a strong rear guard. It was this speed that allowed the Russian troops to prevent Hindenburg's snare from closing on them. The German commander had ordered his wings to quicken their march as much as possible, but a trivial accident, rumors of a supposed Russian attack, made his men lose about half a day, and thus the Russians managed to escape.

The Russians reached Gumbinnen the next day, and Stalluponen on the 13th. With no end in sight, the Russians retreated over the border to the safety of the guns of their border forts. The Russian Tenth Army was also forced to retreat eastward to continue forming up in safety. The city of Gusev (Гусев, prior to 1946 - Gumbinnen, Lithuanian: Gumbinė) in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia (formerly East Prussia, Germany) has about 20,000 inhabitants. ...

Outcome

The Eighth Army had now completed one of the most astounding victories in history, completely destroying the Second Army, badly damaging the 1st, and ejecting all Russian troops from German soil.

Meanwhile new German Corps under von Der Goltz was able to use this movement to safely move his own troops into position to harass the remains of the 2nd Army, while far to the southwest the new German Ninth was forming up. It would not be long before they were able to face the Russians in a position of numerical superiority.

Even better, the "main" battles of the Eastern Front were taking place between Austria-Hungary and Russian far to the south. Like the Germans, the Austrians collapsed the Russian lines, and appeared to be in a good position to push them out of Poland entirely. This battle would soon be reversed, however, and the initial victories in the east would bog down. Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...