Battle of Masurian Lakes
The Battle of Masurian Lakes, fought in September 1914 during World War I, was a significant engagement between the German Eighth Army and the Russian First Army. Following a decisive German victory at the Battle of Tannenberg, the German forces, led by Generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, aimed to exploit their momentum by advancing northeast to encircle the Russians. The German First Corps, under General Hermann von François, initiated attacks on the positions held by Russian General Pavel Rennenkampf on September 7. Despite fierce fighting, Rennenkampf's forces began a withdrawal on September 9, and by September 14, the area was cleared of Russian troops.
Although the Germans did not achieve their goal of fully encircling the Russian First Army, they successfully repelled the invasion of East Prussia. The campaign resulted in significant casualties for the Russians, with around 227,000 soldiers lost, mostly due to capture, while the Germans incurred relatively lighter losses of about 30,000 men. The battle underscored the effectiveness of German tactics and marked a pivotal moment in the early stages of the Eastern Front during World War I.
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Battle of Masurian Lakes
Type of action: Ground battle in World War I
Date: September 9-14, 1914
Location: East Prussia (later Mazury region, Poland)
Combatants: 145,000 Germans vs. 200,000 Russians
Principal commanders:German, General Paul von Hindenburg (1847–1934), General Erich Ludendorff (1865–1937); Russian, General Pavel Rennenkampf (1854–1918)
Result: Russian withdrawal ending invasion of East Prussia
Following its stunning defeat of the Russian Second Army at the Battle of Tannenberg in the end of August, 1914, the German Eighth Army, commanded by Generals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, advanced northeast against the Russian First Army, which had remained inactive during Tannenberg. The German plan was to turn the Russian left flank and, sweeping around behind the Russians, trap them against the Baltic coast and annihilate them.
German general Hermann von Franois’s First Corps began to attack General Pavel Rennenkampf’s southern positions on September 7. Following fierce fighting and fearing encirclement, Rennenkampf began withdrawing on September 9. By September 14, East Prussia had been cleared of Russian troops.
Significance
While failing to trap the Russian First Army, the Germans were ultimately successful in repelling the Russian invasion of East Prussia. In only one week, the German Eighth Army killed, wounded, or captured 125,000 men in Rennenkampf’s First Army and captured 150 of his guns and most of his transports, while losing a relatively light 15,000 men. Overall in the one-month campaign in East Prussia, the Russian First and Second Armies lost 227,000 soldiers, the majority of them captured (Russian casualty figures at Tannenberg are unrecorded), along with 650 guns captured by the Germans. The German Eighth Army suffered only around 30,000 casualties.
Bibliography
Clark, Alan. Suicide of the Empires: The Battles on the Eastern Front, 1914–1918. New York: American Heritage Press, 1971.
Stone, Norman. The Eastern Front, 1914–1917. Reprint. London: Penguin, 1998.