Who can tell me about the Battle of Tannenburg?

Russia shares a common border with Germany and Austria-Hungary, which is more than 1 100 miles. At that time, a 250-mile-wide protrusion formed in Poland, a Russian province, protruding 200 miles to the west, bordering Germany in the west and northwest, and Austria-Hungary in the south. Its western border is only 180 miles from Berlin. To its north is East Prussia, an 80-mile-wide German territory sandwiched between Poland and the Baltic Sea. A successful large-scale attack by Russia can cut off its ties with Germany as a whole.

The Habsburg royal family also has a fragile province, Galicia, whose fertile land is separated from the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the Carpathian Mountains. The strategies of the eastern vassal States are all to adapt to these geographical conditions.

The Russian military plan made with the help of France prepared for two possibilities. If Germany attacks France first, Russia will attack both East Prussia and Austria's Galicia. The other plan is purely defensive and applies to Germany's initial forced push on Russia.

The Austrian army also has two plans. One plan is to imagine only fighting Serbia, attacking Serbia with three of Austria's six group armies, and the other three group armies blocking the Russian army in Galicia. Another plan is to fight against Russia and Serbia. In this case, only two army groups were sent to attack Serbia, and four army groups were stationed at the front line of Galicia.

East Prussia was guarded by fortresses to prevent Russian troops from crossing the Polish border. Strong fortresses were built in the upper reaches of the Vistula River and around the provincial capital of Konigsberg. Crossing the eastern border is the 50-mile-wide Mazuri Lake, which has become a natural obstacle to strictly limit the Russian invasion road. Austria used the Carpathian Mountains to build fortifications from Krakow via Rumberg (now Lviv) to the Romanian border. Between Russia and its Polish province, around the center of Pinske, there is Pripyat swamp, with 38,000 square miles of swamp, miscellaneous trees and several dirt roads.

Germany's railway system includes 17 routes to East Prussia, which can run 500 trains every day. Such a system can transport a huge army in a short time. A number of branch lines branch from the trunk line to several border areas to quickly mobilize troops to deal with emergencies. Austria has built seven railway lines to Galicia via Carpathian Mountains, with a daily transport capacity of 250 trains. Russia has only six railway lines from major inland cities to Warsaw, with too few branch lines and no military value.

In order to prevent the invasion from the west, the gauge of Russian railways is wider than that used in Germany. Border areas deliberately make it a semi-barren wasteland separated by forests and bushes, and unpaved roads become muddy in heavy rain. As a result, when the Russian army approaches these border areas, it moves as slowly as a carriage. This kind of transportation system makes the military machines that fail to turn infinitely nervous. With France insisting on relieving Germany's pressure on the western front, things will get worse if unprepared Russian troops invade East Prussia rashly.

General Ivan Gilinski, who served as the Chief of General Staff of the Russian Army to 19 13, assured the French that after two weeks of mobilization, 800,000 Russian troops would be ready for battle. By mid-August, more than 650,000 people were ready, which surprised and worried the Germans. Germany's early victory on the western front led the French to beg Russia to attack the enemy.

Only two days after the war broke out, French envoy Maurice Gulog urged his master to attack in East Prussia. Archduke Nicholas, the uncle and commander-in-chief of the czar, was a loyal pro-French person. He assured the ambassador, "I can even wait for all my troops to gather." Once I feel strong enough, I will attack. " However, the enthusiastic Russian neglected to prepare enough food, supplies and transportation for their army.

Gilinski's troops * * * include thirty infantry divisions and eight cavalry divisions, which are divided into two group armies under the command of General aleksandr samsonov and General Pavel Kampf. Kampf commanded the First (Werner) Army and samsonov commanded the Second (Warsaw) Army for years, both named after their city bases.

In order to invade East Prussia, the two army groups had to follow the fixed route on both sides of Mazuli Lake area. For several years, Kampf traveled along the northern border and crossed the border on August 17. Samsonov plans to follow suit in two days and occupy the southern border.

In the early years, Shi Ruiwen spent a lot of time in Mazuli Lake, considering the most effective measures to deal with this type of transfer. He ordered that enough troops be concentrated to deal with the first Russian army and then attack another army. This strategy was very simple, but General Max von Prithvis, who commanded the Eighth German Army in East Prussia, was afraid to make a decision. Cowardly and inaccurate information led him to disperse his troops wrongly, and then attacked the First Army of Kampf head-on instead of flank attack year after year. The campaign was launched on August 20th near Kampunan (now gusev). August von Mackensen's first 17 army bore the brunt. Kampf was worried about being surrounded for many years. When he was ready to retreat, he learned that the Germans had retreated. Samsonov arrived at the border that day, his troops and horses were exhausted from hunger, and his second army was obviously not suitable for immediate combat.

When samsonov's troops and their fatigue were reported to Prithvis, his suspicion was understandable. Later that day, he told two people: "gentlemen, I think, did you learn this new news from the southern front?" The army is breaking away from the fighting and retreating behind the Vistula River. "Although some people think that victory is certain, it is useless. Prithvis snapped that this was the final decision and he left. At the same time, Colonel Max von Hoffman drew up an attack plan for Count Waldsey, Prithvis's chief of staff, that is, attacking samsonov's left wing. Three divisions will be withdrawn from Gombinnan to strengthen the local troops.

Hoffman, who was appointed as the operational officer of the Eighth Army on the first day of mobilization, obviously did better than his colleagues. He is an expert on Russian issues in the General Staff. He can speak and read Russian fluently. Over the years, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about his enemies, especially the opposition between Kampf and samsonov. During the Russo-Japanese War, Hoffman was present as an official observer, when he inadvertently witnessed an unforgettable quarrel. On the platform of Shenyang Railway Station in Manzhouli, two glaring Russian commanders are cursing each other. Suddenly, they punched and kicked each other until one side knocked down the other. (The winner, samsonov, started the fight. When his exhausted Siberian Cossack was forced to give up a precious coal mine for the Japanese army, Kampf repeatedly ignored his orders that he should be supported by cavalry divisions. Hoffman guessed that CommScope would refuse to help samsonov again for many years, and this time he would stay in Kampunam.

The report that the Russians are transmitting unencrypted telegrams has aroused high suspicion among senior German officials. Only Hoffman thinks this is not a strategy-he has seen enough Russian idleness in Manchuria. The design route and deployment revealed in the document found on a dead Russian officer are consistent with the intercepted telecommunications. Russian field troops have no passwords and no cryptographers. The Russian high command seems to have never thought of the need to train operators for this kind of task.

A few hours later, Prithvis came back, listened to and approved Hoffman's plan; The order to retreat behind the Vistula River has been forgotten. The next day, samsonov's army stopped moving forward. Two days later, when Prithvis was busy adding the last details to his battle with samsonov, the news from the German high command in koblenz came as a bolt from the blue, which hit the Eighth Army. A telegram from Mao Qi informed Prithvis that he and Waldzer had been replaced by the new commander-in-chief General Paul von Hindenburg and the new chief of staff General erich ludendorff. Half an hour later, the second telegram informed numb Pritvits and Waldersee to retire, which seemed to be an afterthought.

The secret was soon solved. On August 20th, after Prithvis left his army, he called Mackensen to say that he wanted to retreat behind the Vistula River, and then called Mao Qi to report his decision. When he returned to the headquarters, he forgot to tell the staff that he had called. In this way, no one called Mao Qi and told him that Prithvis had decided to attack samsonov. Mao Qi has long wanted to get rid of Prithvis. The court darling's delicious habits are more famous than his military talents, so he is nicknamed "Fat Man". Prithvis's high position is the reward given by the Kaiser to this man who is good at telling stories and gossiping and obscenity.

Ludendorff was elected as the Chief of Staff of the Eighth Army in recognition of his success in Liege. He learned of his promotion on August 22nd, when he was in the Second Army of Bilo near Namur. Since the fall of Liege, Namur has been the strongest fortress city in Belgium. The German high command told him in a telegram of thanks: "You may be able to save the situation on the Eastern Front. I don't know anyone I trust completely. The Kaiser also trusts you completely. Of course, you are not responsible for what happened on the Eastern Front. "

Ludendorff immediately took a staff car and drove off to koblenz. On the way, he wrote in his diary: "I passed by Weihua. Yesterday it was a quiet town. Now, it is burning. Residents fired at our troops. " That night in koblenz, Kaiser and Mao Qi met him and gave him a brief introduction. Three hours later, he took a special train to the East Line. It is scheduled to stop at only one place, that is Hanover, where the new commander of the Eighth Army will meet him. General Paul von Hindenburg retired and returned to service at the age of 68. His age is similar to that of other active commanders.

Hindenburg was not invited to koblenz to brief him or ask for his advice. After accepting the appointment, he only knew from the telegram that he would take the train from ludendorff and arrive in Hanover before dawn. This procedure reflects the strict hierarchical concept of the German imperial army. Ludendorff was appointed to be in charge of the Eastern Front, but his middle and lower class background-as can be seen from the absence of the word "Feng" in front of his name-prevented him from being appointed as the commander.

Ludendorff almost aborted Hoffman's plan unconsciously, and he will adopt and develop it. Before leaving koblenz, he informed the commander of the Eighth Army that they could fight according to their own ideas, thus destroying Prithvis's final authority. The 17 reserve army of General Auguste von Mackensen and the 1 reserve army of General Otto von Bello fought in Kampot for many years. They slowed down their retreat to the west and stopped for one day. There was another delay when the headquarters of the Eighth Army moved from Tyne, arens, to Fort Marion, where Hindenburg and ludendorff were getting off.

On August 24th, General Friedrich von Scholz's 20th Army was defeated in a skirmish with samsonov's troops, and then a division retreated to a relatively solid defensive position. Samsonov mistakenly thought that this action was the general retreat of the Eighth Army and ordered a hot pursuit. His unencrypted telegram was intercepted by German signalmen. In fact, Schultz did not face a direct threat, because samsonov's troops were too tired to pursue. According to the intercepted radio, an army trudged through an ankle-deep dirt "road" in 12 days 150 miles.

Realizing that this was a decisive blow, Mackensen and Scholz retreated to the south, leaving only a symbolic cavalry division, which confronted 24 infantry divisions in Kampf for many years. Within two days, a large number of Germans were transported to the southwest more than 100 miles away by efficient railway, and nine divisions regrouped on the 70-mile arc line facing southeast. Samsonov walked to the deliberately weakened center and continued to pursue the enemy's "retreat". When samsonov entered the weak, retreating center, the German flank had been strengthened, and he was about to be shocked by his two flanks.

Russian cavalry reconnaissance report said that the German army hinted that there was a flank attack ahead, which slowed down samsonov's pursuit. He sent a telegram to Gilinski suggesting a time-out. Gilinski was convinced that the Germans were retreating according to Priwitz's plan, and regarded samsonov's warning as cowardice. Sitting safely in Warwick Volcker's headquarters, nearly 200 miles from the front, he ordered samsonov to stop "playing the role of a coward and continue to attack".

On the night of August 25th to 26th, samsonov's right wing, which was advancing towards the German center, left the rest of the troops for about 30 miles, and made contact with two Germans who set out from Gombinnan. Tired but full, the Germans faced a sleepy and half-starved Russian army. After a short and chaotic battle, the Russian army staggered back, while the German army was relieved, exhausted and unable to pursue.

Several companies of a Russian division, with their backs to Bosho Lake, were dizzy and turned to groundwater, and some people drowned. German propagandists turned it into a legend, saying that Hindenburg drove samsonov's army into a swamp and killed tens of thousands of people. When it comes to his reputation, ludendorff, who always pays attention to keeping accurate records, dismisses this as a "myth … there is no swamp nearby".

The dawn of August 27th was the end of the world for Russian troops. At that time, the first army of General Ermenc von Fran? ois shelled samsonov's left wing in Usdow. German signalmen intercepted samsonov's distress telegram, but for many years, Gilinski and Kampf ignored his distress. The hungry and demoralized Russian army inevitably broke up and fled in panic. Although his troops were in danger, samsonov ordered his Central Army to attack, which caused temporary anxiety among the Germans. But the hungry and confused Russian army rounded them up like sheep. Germans who stretch for 40 miles only need to show these brave people the captive circle. They have fought to the limit of their patience. All losses of the Russian Second Army; Of the five army commanders, two were captured and three were immediately dismissed for incompetence. Samsonov did not suffer their fate. On the night of August 28, he broke into the forest alone, raised his pistol at his temple and pulled the trigger. His body buried by the Germans was handed over to his wife through the Red Cross in 19 16 and buried in his motherland.

This battle is a victory for Germany and a disaster for Russia. More than 92,000 people were captured. It is estimated that 30,000 people are dead and missing. About 500 guns of the Second Army were destroyed or captured. Worried about the fate of samsonov, for many years, Gilinski ordered Kampf to find the location of the Second Army, which no longer exists. But year after year, Kampf turned around and fled, because the winning Eighth Army concentrated its fire on his troops. In the battle of Mazuri Lake two weeks later, the Germans wiped out all the Russian troops in East Prussia.

Compared with the German casualties of 10,000 people, the casualties of CommScope troops have reached145,000 people year after year. Kampf, who had been hysterical about this disproportionate loss for many years, abandoned his army and quickly fled back to Russia. Gilinski was furious at his cowardice and telegraphed Dagong, urging him to be fired immediately. According to Noskov, the garrison commander of Petrograd, "Kampf ... interrupted his March for several years to avoid helping samsonov. He was even accused of collaborating with the enemy:' He is German, what can you expect him to do?' "Commander-in-chief not only demoted Kampf for many years, but also removed Gilinski," because he lost his mind and could not master the operation ".

Mao Qi carefully chose the time to announce the victory news to make up for his failure in Marne. As soon as the news came out, Hindenburg became an idolized figure in the carnival country overnight. Hoffman, who really deserves the honor of this victory, has been ignored, but ludendorff, who has carefully studied Hoffman's strategy, shared some praises. However, Hoffman's talent is not completely unknown. He was promoted to major general, replacing ludendorff as the chief of staff of the Eastern Front, but he was still dissatisfied with Hindenburg. After Hindenburg went to the German high command, Hoffman pretended to be in awe and told the people who came to visit the battlefield: "This is where the marshal sleeps before the battle; This is where he slept in the battle; This is where he sleeps after the battle. "

Hoffman also realized the value of the appeal of the hero's name. On August 28th, ludendorff led the masses to a small village called flaig Nau. He issued an order in the name of this village a few hours before samsonov was defeated. He and Hindenburg thought that this campaign should be named after this village. Less than two miles from here is the small village Tannengburg. Hoffman suggested that there was no better name, because it was the battle scene of 140 1 year, when the Teutonic Knights were defeated by Poles and Lithuanians. This is how Tannengburg is remembered.

When Mao Qi informed ludendorff that two armies and a cavalry division sent from the western front were on their way to the eastern front, victory was just around the corner. Influenced by Prithvis's worries, Mao Qi weakened its right wing and provided unnecessary support to deal with Russia. This decision gave the Allies enough strength to win in the Marne.