Russian soldiers in training posing for a photograph with a Maxim M1910 MG, 1917.

Russian soldiers in training posing for a photograph with a Maxim M1910 MG, ca. 1917.

Today 109 years ago, on August 17, 1914, the Battle of Stallupönen began, the first major battle on the Eastern Front in the First World War.

Following their Schlieffen Plan of first defeating France in the west and then Russia in the east, the Germans only deployed their 8th Army into East Prussia on the Eastern Front, upon declaring war on Russia on August 1, 1914. Opposing them were the Russian 1st and 2nd Armies to the north and further south, vastly outnumbering the Germans in troops. 

The German 8th Army positioned themselves on a defensive line at Gumbinnen on the Angrapa river, 32 km from the Russian border. The plan was to retreat west to the Vistula river in case of a Russian attack.

Feeling confident in his forces and being reluctant to give up German territory, Hermann von François, Commander of the German 1st Army Corps of the 8th Army, decided to disobey orders and engage the Russians with 18,000 troops of the German 1st Infantry Division, marching over 40 km away east from the rest of the 8th Army.

On August 17, the Russian forces began their invasion of East Prussia, initially encountering little German resistance. The German 1st ID then counter-attacked the Russian 27th ID resting at Stallupönen (Nesterov today) in a furious frontal attack, catching them off guard and inflicting high losses, capturing 4,466 prisoners.

The Russian 27th ID began retreating eastwards and the Germans pursued them. Further north, the Russian 25th and 29th Divisions advanced west and began developing an encirclement maneuver on the Germans.

General von François was immediately ordered by his superior General Prittwitz to hault his advance and withdraw, but he had no intentions of doing so, famously responding: "Report to General Prittwitz that General von François will withdraw when he has defeated the Russians."

CONTINUE

However, due to the imminent threat of encirclement by the Russian forces to the north and persistent orders to withdraw westwards, General von François submitted and withdrew back to Gumbinnen on the night of August 17/18. The Russians recaptured Stallupönen in the morning of August 18.

In the Battle of Stallupönen, the Germans had suffered 1,297 casualties and had discovered the Russians could be beaten, despite their huge numerical advantage.

The Russians had suffered 7,467 casualties of whom 4,466 were prisoners, 2,382 were wounded and 619 were killed. The battle had delayed the Russian offensive ambitions, but did little to affect their overall timetable.

Being inspired by the success of General François when attacking the Russians, on August 20, the Germans would hastily attack again in the Battle of Gumbinnen, with a whole other outcome than at Stallupönen.