1st Army (Russian Empire) facts for kids

The Russian First Army was a group of soldiers and their leaders from Russia. They were a special type of army called a field army, which means they were ready to fight in battles. This army fought for two years during World War I on the Eastern Front.

August 1914: The Start of the War

When World War I began in 1914, the Russian First Army was led by General Paul Rennenkampf. They were part of Russia's plan to invade East Prussia, which was a part of Germany at the time. Another army, the Second Army, led by General Alexander Samsonov, joined them. The idea was to trap the German army using a special military move called a Pincer movement. This is like two arms closing in on an enemy from different sides.

On August 17, the First Army fought the Germans at a place called Stallupönen. They fought again on August 20 at Gumbinnen and won that battle. General Rennenkampf believed that General Samsonov's Second Army could finish off the Germans. Because of this, the First Army did not move quickly enough to help the Second Army. In late August 1914, the German army and the Russian Second Army met at Tannenberg. The Second Army was completely defeated and destroyed.

September 1914: Retreat and Defense

After the defeat at Tannenberg, the Germans, now led by General Paul von Hindenburg, moved north. They attacked the Russian First Army at the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes in September 1914. The Russian soldiers fought very bravely. However, they were forced to retreat back to the Russian border. General Rennenkampf managed to keep his troops organized as they pulled back. They then set up strong defensive lines along the Russian border.

November 1914: A New Commander

After another battle near Silesia on November 11, General Rennenkampf was removed from his command. He was replaced by General Litvinov. The First Army continued to fight. They were involved in battles at Thorn and Lódź, but neither side won a clear victory.

December 1914: Winter and the Northwestern Front

In December 1914, the First Army left Lódź and returned to their own lines. They stayed there for the rest of the winter. For the remainder of the war, the First Army served on the Northwestern front.

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