![]() The lone photo of Samsonov at the location came courtesy of a signboard. The pyramid shaped structure made of natural stone looked like it belonged here. The monument’s relative remoteness must have discouraged acts of vandalism or use as a hang out for youths imbibing alcohol. There was nothing ominous about the monument or the immediate area, no trash or debris to be found. Tree branches and their blooming leaves filtered the light. Nature was apparent everywhere except for the road which fronted the monument. The forest was fragrant with the smell of spring. Keeper of the Flame – Tablet in Polish at the Samsonov Monument One might think that any place associated with a suicide would be creepy or sinister, perhaps both. Now the question suddenly became, “What next?” After scrutinizing the monument, noting its condition, the cemetery candles sitting at its base, and the shiny plaque affixed to the front, it was time to soak in the atmosphere surrounding the monument. A long-awaited goal had finally been achieved. This had more to do with the experience, rather than the place. ![]() The Russian failure at the Battle of Tannenberg was so devastating the Russian Army that it did not invade Germany again for the rest of World War I.Arriving at the Samsonov Monument felt anti-climactic. As well, Rennenkampf’s army failed to assist Samsonov’s due to a failure in communication, and were eventually forced out of East Prussia. Furthermore, Samsonov killed himself after realizing that his army was destroyed. In fact, of Samsonov’s Second Army, 92,000 were captured, 78,000 were killed and only about 10,000 escaped. ![]() Although Samsonov tried to order a retreat, the German attack proved to be too much for the Russian forces and led to the Battle of Tannenberg being a major defeat for Russia. During the battle, Samsonov and the Russian Second Army were effectively surrounded and bombarded with German artillery fire. As such, the German command used this to its advantage and on the 26th of August the German Eighth Army began its surprise attack against Samsonov’s forces. This was problematic, as the two were unable to communicate effectively. During the Russian attack into East Prussia, Rennenkampf’s army advanced northeast while Samsonov’s army advanced southwest. The Russian forces were divided into two armies – the First Army commanded by Paul von Rennenkampf and the Second Army, which was commanded by Alexander Samsonov. More specifically, the German Eighth Army, which was commanded by Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, was able to surprise attack and overwhelm the Russia forces that had attempted to invade East Prussia. In general, the Battle of Tannenberg was one of the most significant battles of World War I, and an important victory for the German Army. The battle took place in East Prussia on the eastern half of the German Empire. The Battle of Tannenberg took place from August 26th to August 30th in 1914 and was fought between Germany and Russia. As such, the Battle of Tannenberg was a significant aspect of Germany’s overall plan of attack at the start of World War I. While Germany was primarily concerned with the major battles of the Western Front, the first important battles of World War I that they participated in was the Battle of Tannenberg, which occurred on the Eastern Front. As a result, Germany sent almost all of its Army divisions to the Western Front and much less to the Eastern Front. The Schlieffen Plan was based on the idea that Russia would take much longer to mobilize and therefore not be ready for war until after the first two weeks. Essentially, the goal was for Germany to knock France out of the war as quickly as possible and then to refocus its attention onto Russia in the east. The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s response to this problem and at its heart, the Schlieffen Plan was designed to prevent Germany from being forced to fight a two-front war. Since Germany was facing both France and Russia in World War I, Germany would have to deal with a two-front war and the possibility of its total armed forces being split to fight on both its western and eastern borders. ![]() He had been asked to design a plan of attack to help ensure German victory at the outbreak of war in Europe. The Schlieffen Plan was the German plan of attack at the beginning of the war and was designed by and named after the former Germany Army Chief of Staff, Alfred von Schlieffen. ![]()
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