Battle of Tannenberg

1914 -- The Battle of Tannenberg also refers to a decisive conflict between Russia and Germany that took place in the first days of World War I. The Russian 1st and 2nd armies and the German 8th Army fought between August 17 to September 2, 1914.

The Russian armies crossed into East Prussia with their goal as Koenigsberg. At first the battle appeared to go well for the Russians, with the German's first counterattack repulsed on August 20. General Prittwitz, commanding the German army was sacked.

While replacements were en route, the 8th Army's Chief of Operations, Max Hoffmann, redeployed the army. Hoffman left a screening force to delay the Russian 1st Army (under General Pavel Rennenkampf) which was approaching from the east, and set a trap for the Russian 2nd Army (under General Alexander Samsonov) which was moving up from the south.

Hoffman allowed the 2nd Army to advance, and then cut them off from their already tenuous supply route, forcing massive surrenders, resulting in the almost complete destruction of the 2nd Army near Tannenberg. This loss forced the Russians to fall back from their invasion attempt. This result was that the eastern front of World War I was stabilized until the end of the war.