Eight hundred and seventieth chapters Americans have to start first
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Army's autumn offensive, at the beginning, the Russian 1st Army consisted of 3 (3rd, 4th and 20th Army), and was supported by 5 Cavalry Divisions and 5th Infantry Brigade. The 2nd Army consisted of 6 corps (
The 1st, 2613th, 5th and 23rd armies (the first two armies were later transferred to the 1st Group Army)
, and were supported by 3 cavalry divisions and the 1st Infantry Brigade. The strength of these two armies was 200,000 and 250,000 respectively. They had greatly exceeded the German 8th Army confronting them in number. However, the Russian army
The complete lack of preparation before the war was one of the decisive factors in this battle
Except for numbers, the German army was stronger than the Russian army in every aspect. The German army was commanded by General von Prittwitz and had four armies (the 11th, 17th and 20th armies and a reserve army) as well as various garrisons.
troops and the 1st Cavalry Division. The strength comparison between the German army and the Russian army is: 117 infantry and 17 cavalry, which is at a disadvantage. This numerical disadvantage is fully compensated by the excellent organization, management and leadership of the German army.
The German 8th Army had four outstanding senior officers. Under the leadership of the steady second commander General Hindenburg, they jointly won the victory of this battle. Chief of Staff Ludendorff was resolute, confident, smart, capable and energetic.
;Von = General Grunert is a very competent military commander
Minister; General Francois is a talented and adventurous military commander who achieved the most decisive tactical results; Colonel Max Hoffmann of the General Staff is both active and profound in thinking, and he likes to have fun.
, free and easy. He is perhaps the best among them.
Compared with the high-level German generals, the quality of Russian commanders is really low. Although Zhilinsky commanded a cavalry division, he did staff work most of the time, so he did not receive any recognition from his subordinates.
Trust. Lennenkampf and Samsonov were cited for
He won a high reputation for his outstanding command in the Sino-Russian War, but during that war, they had a quarrel with each other (it is said that it was at a train station). Some people think that this was Lennenkampf who fought in this battle.
The reason for the lack of cooperation between China and another group army commander.
Zhilinsky ordered the 1st Army to cross the border on August 17 and march towards the Insterburg-Angleburg line. Lennenkampf would use most of his cavalry to cut off the German left flank from Koenigsberg.
The general plan of the high command is to have the 1st Army in the
The 2nd Army moved forward in order to attract the German army, and then the 2nd Army attacked the German flank and rear. Therefore, Samsonov was scheduled to cross the border on August 19, and his first target was Rastenburg-
Fort Line is about 43 kilometers from the border.
Lennenkampf crossed the border on August 17 as specified. Soon, his 3rd Army came into contact with the German 1st Army. The battle that day was fought near Staruponen, and both sides
They suffered heavy casualties and made little progress. On the night of 1718, the German army retreated towards Gombinnen. The Russian army followed at a slow speed and reached Gombinnen on the evening of the 19th. The German army retreated from here at midnight that day!
In the early days of the battle, the poor command of the German 8th Army Commander Prittwitz and Chief of Staff Waldzer made it impossible for the German army to repel the Russian attack. In the end, Moltke dismissed both of them from their positions and replaced them with Feng =
General Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff served as commander-in-chief and chief of staff of the German Army on the Eastern Front respectively.
Hindenburg and Ludendorff arrived at Marienburg on the afternoon of August 23. The Germans found a document in the notebook of a killed Russian officer, which recorded the detailed plan for the Russian army to launch a concentrated offensive.
Hindenburg did not say when he received this information, but it is speculated that it was probably obtained when he arrived.
Obviously, the acquisition of this information made the German command unsure about Lunnankampf's movements. It was not until the 25th that, according to an intercepted wireless telegram, the German command clearly learned about Lunnankampf.
The enemy's movement was very slow, so Ludendorff decided to place only one cavalry division (less than one brigade) in front of it.
Samsonov's 2nd Army finally crossed the border lazily on August 21 and 22, a date well behind schedule. Under Zhilinsky's strict orders, his troops did not wait for the mobilization to be completed.
We set off. Due to incomplete transportation facilities, disorganized supply system, lack of food for the soldiers, and having to march on crowded sandy trails, the troops were in very bad condition.
At this time, the German army had already completed its counterattack and launched a counterattack on August 24! After several days of fierce fighting, the German army gained the advantage on the battlefield!
On August 29th and 30th, the three German armies launched a powerful offensive against the center of the Russian army, mercilessly driving them to the front of Francois's army waiting for them. Francois's army had blocked the Russian army.
The Russian army's retreat along the Knightenburg-Willenberg line. The Russian Second Army
Suffering a fierce attack by the German army, after two days of hard fighting, the second Russian group was captured. During this battle, the German army captured 920,000 prisoners, killed 70,000 Russian soldiers, and captured and destroyed the Russian army.
All artillery and transport, and they themselves suffered only 150,000 casualties.
Lennenkampf did not work hard to support the defeated Samsonov, but continued to move slowly and listlessly on the Werau-Geldaun-Angborg line. His end was coming soon. Later,
At the Battle of Lake Mazury, he was driven out of East Prussia and lost approximately 60,000 soldiers and 150 cannon.
The consequences of the disastrous defeat of the Russian Army's Autumn Offensive were very serious. The Allied Powers had placed great hopes on Russia's "steam roller". The rapid collapse of the Russian 2nd Army caused a great shock to the Allied Powers, and at the same time, it also
Let the Allies know that it will be very difficult to defeat Germany, or at least it will have to pay a huge price!
When Russia launched its Autumn Offensive, the United States also received a request for help from France. At the same time, Britain also asked the United States to fulfill its treaty obligations as soon as possible and send troops to participate in the war!
The demands of France and the United Kingdom put the United States in a very difficult position. The United States' general mobilization has been fully launched, and a large number of young people have been recruited into the army. However, the United States does not want to apply their military power to the European battlefield. They are faced with
Powerful threat from China!
On August 12, the French Ambassador to the United States once again asked to see U.S. President Taft, but he still did not receive a satisfactory answer!
"Gentlemen, the French ambassador just left here. The French suffered a disastrous defeat in the border battle that just ended. France hopes that the US Army can send an army to participate in the war against Germany. What do you think?" Taaffe
President Tuo asked.
"Your Excellency, our mobilization has not been completed. We cannot disperse our troops to Europe until we have solved the threat from China!" U.S. Secretary of War Jacob MM Dickinson first objected. Although, the U.S. Army's plan
He mobilized two million troops. But he did not have the confidence to rely on these two million troops to withstand China's attack. Therefore, he firmly opposed sending limited troops to Europe.
"Your Excellency, I also oppose it. China is our biggest enemy!" Vice President James S. Sherman also said!
"What about other people's opinions?" President Taft continued.
As a result, almost everyone's opinion is that they oppose soldiers going to Europe. From the perspective of Americans, the war in Europe has little to do with the United States. The reason why the United States joined the Allies is to deal with China. At present, the Chinese do not seem to have attacked.
trend, the United States should seize the time to accumulate combat power instead of intervening in the European war!
"Then, Your Excellency, Secretary of State, please reply to the French and British governments that the United States will do its best to hold China back so that China will have no extra energy to intervene in the European battlefield. I think this is also our greatest contribution to this war!"
President Fut said!
"Yes, Your Excellency, President!" Secretary of State Philander Cs Knox said.
"Gentlemen, the Chinese have not joined the war yet, but I can feel that their attack is coming soon. There is no doubt that we will be the first target of the Chinese attack. So,
What should we do?" President Taft asked. China is too great a threat to the United States. It can threaten the west coast of the United States from the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the West Coast of the United States.
It can attack the heart of the United States from Mexico. China's naval bases in Colombia and Ecuador will pose a serious threat to the Panama Canal controlled by the United States, and China's strongholds in the Lesser Antilles will harm the interests of the United States in the Caribbean. The United States
If you want to expand outward, you must first break the blockade set up by the Chinese around the United States!
"Your Excellency, the Navy believes that we cannot wait for the Chinese to attack us first, but should take the initiative! First, the Chinese military base on Guadeloupe must be destroyed. Our battleships have tried to pass through Panama several times
The canal entered the Pacific Ocean, but was discovered by Chinese warships, thus being attacked by the main force of the Chinese Pacific Fleet.
Interception. These warships are stationed in Guadeloupe. In addition, the Chinese military bases in Colombia and Ecuador must also be destroyed, so as to ensure the threat of the Panama Canal. If the main force of the navy enters the Pacific through the Panama Canal,
Only then can we defend the west coast!" Navy Minister Georg von Lengelke Meyer said.
"You mean, we want to provoke a war with the Chinese first? But, is the navy capable of defeating the Chinese navy? The Chinese's Tang-class battleships are already in service, and our Pennsylvania-class battleships are still on the slipway.