26:
675:
411:, which had been leading the northwestern thrust, to the southwest in an attempt to reinforce the 2nd Army's left flank but the decision came too late and like the right flank, the left flank was now exposed. Late on the 28th Samsonov finally realised the grave situation the 2nd Army was in with both flanks exposed. With the centre also facing critical supply shortages the assault was halted before an order to retreat to the southeast was given. Samsonov then requested that the 1st Army break-off its assault on Königsberg and assist the 2nd Army by covering its retreat.
423:
658:
373:, but with little to no effective communication there was little coordination between the two armies. While sluggish due to supply shortages, poor logistics, and misuse of railway lines, the 2nd Army's advance was relatively unopposed until 22 August when it encountered German forces all along its front. A number of successful thrusts were conducted, pushing the Germans back. On 23 August they succeeded in driving the German
47:
390:
their positions and threaten the now exposed left and right flanks of the 2nd Army. With no communication between the two
Russian armies, unsafe broadcasting of orders and the decision to change his direction of attack, the 2nd Army would find itself outflanked and cut off from mutual support from the 1st Army.
415:
Army's right flank, cutting off the 2nd Army's route of retreat and pocketing it around
Tannenberg. Throughout the 29th German artillery pounded the Tannenberg pocket and at some point on the 29th Samsonov shot himself. The shattered remnants of the 2nd Army surrendered on 30 August with some 90,000 Russian
414:
The order to retreat and the request for assistance came too late to rescue the 2nd Army. The German I Corps had proceeded to move due east after breaking through the 2nd Army's left flank and had met the German XVII Corps that had continued in a southwesterly direction after breaking through the 2nd
389:
Unbeknown to
Samsonov, the German command, who had been receiving intercepted Russian orders involving troop movements, had already shifted forces to the south to check his advance and when further orders were intercepted with news that he had changed his direction, German forces were able to adjust
357:
Following the failed German counterattack at the Battle of
Gumbinnen and the subsequent German withdrawal, the 1st Army did not press on, allowing the 2nd Army to catch up but due to a breakdown in communication (partly due to the animosity of the two commanders) the 2nd Army was not made aware of
377:
back to a defensive line. A second push against the XX Corps on the 24th failed but the
Germans withdrew to avoid being cut off. Samsonov saw this as a perfect opportunity to pursue and cut the XX Corps off and so began moving the 2nd Army in a northwesterly direction, changing his direction of
358:
this and so it continued to march on, a fatal move that would eventually expose the right flank of the 2nd Army. The 2nd Army was also experiencing severe supply shortages and along with the 1st Army a worsening communication situation as both armies had outrun their secure
397:
unopposed as the German forces had identified the 2nd Army as a more immediate threat and had withdrawn to the south in order to engage it. The VI Corps, whom
Samsonov had left on its own to seize the objective of Seeburg, was met by the German
402:
around
Seeburg and Bischofstein and was routed, exposing the 2nd Army's right flank and supply lines. Unaware that his right flank was now exposed, Samsonov pressed the 2nd Army on and repeatedly engaged the XX Corps. On the 27th the German
434:
in early
September, 1914. It continued to participate in the fighting on the Eastern Front until the dissolution of the Imperial Russian Army in early 1918. In March 1916 the 2nd Army was responsible for conducting the
1501:
426:
Map showing the operations on the
Eastern Front during 1915, showing the Second Army located just to the west of Warsaw at the start of the year, and then just north of Minsk at the end of the year
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624:
1521:
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attack and not informing
Rennenkampf in the process. Seeing this opportunity and feeling safe on his flanks, he transferred the bulk of his force to the northwest, leaving a single corps,
1457:
1452:
335:
Between 7–9 August 1914 first the 1st and then the 2nd Army crossed the border into East Prussia, meeting little to no resistance. The 1st Army would engage the Germans at the battles of
888:
1560:
1483:
1478:
1368:
1347:
281:, the 2nd Army had been intended to be a reserve formation, held back until either of the formations engaged against Germany and Austria-Hungary required reinforcements.
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equipment. The result was that the Russians were now broadcasting their orders on unsecure lines, which were being intercepted and translated by German operators.
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The field headquarters of the 2nd Army was formed from the staff of the Warsaw Military District in July 1914. Towards the end of 1917, the staff was based in
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1550:
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173:
369:
The 2nd Army was to continue its advance south of the 1st Army and German 8th Army before swinging north towards its objective of
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1389:
844:
431:
883:
878:
741:
1404:
1199:
1194:
1189:
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1169:
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725:
295:, who was facing a powerful German invasion force in the west, it was decided that the 2nd Army would join the
25:
500:
208:
311:. The combination of the 1st and 2nd Armies had a fatal flaw; Samsonov and the commander of the 1st Army,
606:
382:, to simultaneously hold the right flank and swing north to the objective of Seeburg and a single corps,
352:
330:
181:
111:
106:
116:
1516:
826:
821:
816:
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However, not all of its units were destroyed, and the army remained in the line, participating in the
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806:
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in August 1914. However, it was rebuilt soon thereafter and fought until almost the end of the war.
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engaged the Russian I Corps on the 2nd Army's left flank and threw it back. Samsonov diverted the
336:
1290:
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Following the outbreak of war it was mobilised in early August and placed under the command of
662:
436:
292:
165:
62:
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312:
8:
1384:
1363:
340:
419:
being captured and with them the Russian 2nd Army ceased to exist as an effective unit.
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408:
288:
145:
544:
121:
379:
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while the 2nd Army had remained unengaged, advancing to the south of the 1st Army.
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278:
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657:
52:
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Prior to the outbreak of war, in which Russia would likely have to face both
394:
172:. It was formed just prior to the outbreak of hostilities from the units of
854:
839:
177:
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101:
864:
439:, which was unsuccessful and in which the army suffered heavy losses.
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lines, were short of experienced telegraph operators and lacked
315:, had had an antagonistic and hostile relationship since 1905.
217:
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84:
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In the beginning of World War I, the army included the
180:
in August 1914. The army was effectively destroyed at
607:"The Victories and Defeats of the Russian Army: 1914"
1561:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1918
1556:Military units and formations established in 1914
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604:
557:Infantry General Nikolai Alexandrovich Danilov
640:
307:where it would participate in the upcoming
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633:
24:
234:Near the end of 1917, the army included:
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759:
346:
325:Russian invasion of East Prussia (1914)
1543:
1551:Field armies of Russia in World War I
628:
393:On 26 August the 1st Army approached
231:, VI, XIII, XV and XXIII army corps.
207:2nd Army Aviation Detachment of the
164:) was an army-level command of the
13:
432:First Battle of the Masurian Lakes
224:. It was dissolved in early 1918.
14:
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291:. Under pressure from their ally
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695:Stavka of the Supreme Commander
605:Patrick Murphy (6 March 2006).
485:Sergei Mikhailovich Scheidemann
187:
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471:Alexander Vasilyevich Samsonov
1:
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570:Aleksei Konstantinovich Baiov
531:Nikolai Alexandrovich Danilov
517:Anthony Andreyvich Veselovsky
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36:July 1914 – beginning of 1918
545:Pyotr Dmitryvich Telezhnikov
501:Vladimir Vasilyevich Smirnov
209:Imperial Russian Air Service
7:
609:. MilitaryHistoryOnline.com
353:Battle of Tannenberg (1914)
331:Eastern Front (World War I)
10:
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690:Imperial Main Headquarters
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309:invasion of East Prussia
174:Warsaw Military District
117:Second Battle of Bolimów
264:III Siberian Army Corps
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250:42nd Infantry Division
683:Senior administration
437:Lake Naroch Offensive
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245:5th Infantry Division
166:Imperial Russian Army
63:Imperial Russian Army
347:Battle of Tannenberg
313:Paul von Rennenkampf
255:9th Cavalry Division
200:Headquarters of the
193:Field headquarters (
182:Battle of Tannenberg
582:Officer A. Kiseylov
568:Lieutenant General
543:Lieutenant General
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299:as part of General
204:artillery inspector
514:Lieutenant General
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409:Russian XIII Corps
305:Northwestern Front
289:Alexander Samsonov
146:Alexander Samsonov
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560:20 November 1917
529:Infantry General
489:12 December 1914
480:14 September 1914
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122:Battle of Smorgon
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579:21 December 1917
565:20 November 1917
498:Infantry General
483:Cavalry General
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380:VI Russian Corps
301:Yakov Zhilinskiy
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700:Ministry of War
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549:22 August 1917
494:5 December 1914
475:30 August 1914
468:Cavalry General
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384:I Russian Corps
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279:Austria-Hungary
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238:Grenadier Corps
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667:Russian Empire
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241:IX Army Corps
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53:Russian Empire
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1511:Miscellaneous
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664:
663:Ground forces
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540:6 August 1917
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521:12 July 1917
520:
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505:8 April 1917
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364:cryptographic
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319:Eastern front
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153:Military unit
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107:Eastern Front
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1385:Czechoslovak
771:
752:Field armies
732:Southwestern
718:Northwestern
611:. Retrieved
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526:12 July 1917
510:8 April 1917
464:19 June 1914
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261:L Army Corps
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188:Organization
161:
160:(2-я армия,
157:
156:The Russian
155:
1255:Terek-Kuban
1143:40th – 50th
1082:30th – 39th
1021:20th – 29th
960:10th – 19th
671:World War I
613:7 September
337:Stallupönen
170:World War I
102:World War I
98:Engagements
1545:Categories
865:Army corps
592:References
459:Dismissed
443:Commanders
400:XVII Corps
395:Königsberg
351:See also:
329:See also:
323:See also:
139:commanders
132:Commanders
112:Tannenberg
1522:Feldjäger
1517:Gendarmes
1378:Volunteer
1357:Ukrainian
1310:Turkestan
904:1st – 9th
889:Grenadier
456:Commander
453:Appointed
448:2nd Army
360:telegraph
341:Gumbinnen
178:mobilized
1502:Combined
1467:Caucasus
1421:Numbered
1400:Georgian
1395:Armenian
1390:Romanian
1264:Siberian
1213:Caucasus
850:Caucasus
760:Numbered
742:Caucasus
737:Romanian
722:Northern
375:XX Corps
297:1st Army
176:and was
158:2nd Army
79:Field HQ
19:2nd Army
1414:Cavalry
1405:Serbian
855:Special
840:Dobruja
726:Western
669:during
665:of the
405:I Corps
371:Seeburg
286:General
275:Germany
269:History
222:Belarus
197:staff)
143:General
137:Notable
41:Country
1497:Guards
1474:Native
1331:Polish
873:Guards
845:Danube
710:Fronts
293:France
218:Slutsk
90:Slutsk
85:Warsaw
59:Branch
50:
33:Active
897:Army
724:and
615:2012
585:???
417:POWs
339:and
277:and
73:Army
69:Type
1348:III
303:'s
229:1st
168:in
1547::
1343:II
1200:50
1195:49
1190:48
1185:47
1180:46
1175:45
1170:44
1165:43
1160:42
1155:41
1150:40
1134:39
1129:38
1124:37
1119:36
1114:35
1109:34
1104:33
1099:32
1094:31
1089:30
1073:29
1068:28
1063:27
1058:26
1053:25
1048:24
1043:23
1038:22
1033:21
1028:20
1012:19
1007:18
1002:17
997:16
992:15
987:14
982:13
977:12
972:11
967:10
827:13
822:12
817:11
812:10
220:,
202:2A
195:2A
162:2А
1484:2
1479:1
1458:7
1453:6
1448:5
1443:4
1438:3
1433:2
1428:1
1369:2
1364:1
1338:I
1322:2
1317:1
1301:7
1296:6
1291:5
1286:4
1281:3
1276:2
1271:1
1250:7
1245:6
1240:5
1235:4
1230:3
1225:2
1220:1
951:9
946:8
941:7
936:6
931:5
926:4
921:3
916:2
911:1
884:2
879:1
807:9
802:8
797:7
792:6
787:5
782:4
777:3
772:2
767:1
728:)
648:e
641:t
634:v
617:.
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