First Battle of the Masurian Lakes facts for kids
The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a big attack by the German army. It happened on the Eastern Front during the early part of World War I. This battle took place from September 7 to September 14, 1914.
It was the second major loss for a Russian army against the Germans. The first big defeat was at the Battle of Tannenberg. In this battle, the Germans pushed the Russian First Army out of Germany. They couldn't push them further because another Russian army, the Russian Tenth Army, arrived. The Russians lost about 125,000 soldiers and 150 cannons. They had to retreat.
How the Battle Happened
Paul von Hindenburg, who was a general for the German Eighth Army, knew the Masurian Lakes area very well. This area in East Prussia was swampy. He thought the Russians might attack there, so he made plans.
At this time, the Germans could read Russian messages. This meant they often knew what the Russians were planning. The Russians, however, didn't have much information about the area. They also didn't have rail transport to move their troops easily. They didn't plan well for food or ammunition. Their soldiers mostly moved with horses or on foot. But they had more soldiers and felt sure they could beat the Germans.
When two Russian armies first moved into East Prussia, they planned a pincer attack. This means attacking from two sides to trap an enemy. But General Hindenburg completely defeated the Russian Second Army at the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914. A German general named Hermann von François helped win that battle by attacking the Russian side even when he wasn't ordered to.
After that victory, Hindenburg moved his army north. He went to attack the Russian First Army at the Masurian Lakes in September. General François was important in this second victory too. His army group pushed back the Russian side. The Russian general, Paul von Rennenkampf, had his soldiers dig in. They used the lakes, rivers, and other natural things to help defend themselves.
Hindenburg used direct attacks to keep the Russians busy. At the same time, his armies tried to go around the Russian trenches. General Rennenkampf used a counterattack to hide his army's movements. He moved his army back to stop them from being surrounded. Over several days, the Russian army lost ground. They fought hard but were pushed back to the Russian border. Rennenkampf managed to keep his troops organized as they retreated.
What Happened After
The Russian army had about 800,000 soldiers. So, losing 125,000 soldiers was a big loss, but it didn't completely destroy their army. However, they also lost about 150 artillery cannons. These cannons were very important for the Russian army at that time. The Germans also had many casualties, meaning they lost many soldiers too.
This battle showed how helpful Germany's modern rail system was. It helped them supply and arm their soldiers quickly. Even with these victories, the Germans pushing into Russia later led to their defeat at the Battle of Augustov.
The wins at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes made Hindenburg a hero in Germany. Because he became so famous, he was made Chief of the German Staff in 1916.
