Battle of Tannenberg

The Battle of Tannenberg (1914) took place during World War I. The German strategy at the beginning of the war was to concentrate the bulk of their forces in the west, and to defeat France in a quick campaign. Meanwhile, they left a small holding force in the east to repel a Russian invasion. The battle was fought in what was then called East Prussia, now part of Poland.

The Germans managed to attack while the Russian forces were divided by lakes and swamps in a wilderness area. They used interior lines and the excellent German railroad system to quickly transfer forces, and won a stunning victory.

This resulted in a long war and was the beginning of the end for Czarist Russia.

Political importance

General Prittwitz commanded the German army at the outset of the battle, and devised the plan where Rennenkampf was delayed and then the Germans would shift the bulk of their forces south to face Samsonov. Orders were already underway to make this maneuver when Hindenburg and Ludendorff took over command of the Germans. They claimed a huge success, eventually using the political capital from this battle to gain command of the entire German army in World War I, which they managed disastrously. After the war, Hindenburg's reputation helped get him elected as German president, and both he and Ludendorff were used as pawns by the Nazis.