Alexander Samsonov Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Aleksandr Vasilyevich Samsonov

Born	(1859-11-14)14 November 1859 Andreevka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)
Died	30 August 1914(1914-08-30) (aged 54) Willenberg, East Prussia (now Wielbark, Poland)
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1877–1914
Rank	General of the Cavalry
Commands held	Warsaw Military District (1906–?) Second Army (1914)
Battles/wars	Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War Battle of Mukden World War I Battle of Tannenberg
Awards	See Honours

Aleksandr Vasilyevich Samsonov (born November 14, 1859 – died August 30, 1914) was a Russian general. He was a skilled officer in the cavalry, which is a part of the army that fights on horseback. He served in important wars like the Russo-Japanese War and World War I.

During World War I, he led the Russian Second Army. This army faced a big defeat at the Battle of Tannenberg. This battle was one of the first major fights of World War I. After the loss, Samsonov died while trying to escape the battlefield.

Early Military Life
- Experience in Asia
World War I
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Military Life

Aleksandr Samsonov was born in a place called Kherson Governorate in the Russian Empire. This area is now part of Ukraine. When he was 18, he joined the Imperial Russian Army. He had just finished his training at a special cavalry school.

Samsonov fought in the Russo-Turkish War from 1877 to 1878. After this war, he continued his studies at a military academy in St. Petersburg. He worked in various military roles, gaining experience.

Experience in Asia

Later, Samsonov commanded a cavalry unit during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. This was a conflict in China. He also served in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). In this war, he led a cavalry brigade. After a Russian defeat, he was promoted to lead all Russian cavalry forces in one of the main army groups.

His troops helped protect the Russian army during the Battle of Liaoyang. Samsonov became known as an energetic and clever leader. However, some people thought he wasn't strong enough at planning large-scale army movements. He had never commanded an army as big as the one he would lead later.

In 1906, Samsonov became the chief of staff for the Warsaw Military District. Later, in 1909, he became the Governor-General of Russian Turkestan. He also commanded the military forces in that region.

World War I

Leading the Russian Second Army

When World War I began, General Samsonov was given command of the Russian Second Army. His job was to invade East Prussia, which was defended by the German Eighth Army.

Samsonov's army moved slowly into East Prussia. His plan was to meet up with the Russian First Army, led by General Paul von Rennenkampf. However, there were problems with communication between the two Russian armies. They also struggled to communicate with their main command. This made it hard for them to work together.

Some stories say that Samsonov and Rennenkampf did not get along. They supposedly had a public argument during the Russo-Japanese War. This personal dislike might have stopped them from helping each other. However, this story comes from a German officer named Max Hoffmann. He claimed to know about their feud. But other facts suggest Rennenkampf was injured at the time of the supposed argument. Hoffmann might have spread this story to convince German commanders that Rennenkampf would not help Samsonov. This would mean the German army could focus all its power on Samsonov's army without fear.

The Battle of Tannenberg

General Rennenkampf's Russian First Army was the first to fight the German Eighth Army. The Russians won a battle called the Battle of Gumbinnen. This defeat caused the German commanders to be replaced. General Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff took over.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff decided to attack Samsonov's army with all their strength. They were helped by intercepted Russian radio messages. These messages showed that Rennenkampf's army could not arrive in time to help Samsonov. They also knew Samsonov's army movements.

The battle began on August 22. For six days, the Russian army, which had more soldiers, had some success. But by August 29, the Germans had surrounded Samsonov's Second Army. This happened in the forests between Allenstein and Willenberg.

The terrible defeat that followed was named the Battle of Tannenberg by Hindenburg. He chose this name to remember a German defeat by Polish and Lithuanian forces at the same place many centuries before.

Retreat and Death

Samsonov tried to lead his army in a retreat. But his army was trapped by the Germans. Most of his soldiers were killed or captured. Only about 10,000 of 150,000 Russian soldiers managed to escape. Over 92,000 Russian troops were taken prisoner. The Germans also captured many Russian guns. More than 30,000 Russian soldiers were either dead or missing.

Samsonov and a small group of officers tried to escape. They first rode horses, then walked through swampy areas in the dark night. Samsonov was heard saying, "The Tsar trusted me. How can I face him after such a disaster?" They reached the town of Willenberg late at night. But they found German soldiers there.

Around 1 a.m. on August 30, Samsonov left his group and went into the forest. A shot was heard. His companions could not find his body in the dark. They eventually made it to safety.

A German search party later found Samsonov's body in the forest. He had a gunshot wound to his head and a revolver in his hand. The Germans buried him in Willenberg. In 1916, with help from the Red Cross, his body was returned to his widow. She was able to bury him in Russia.