The Battle of Gumbinnen was the first major battle on the Eastern Front of World War 1 and occurred shortly after the Battle of Stalluponen. It was fought on August 20, 1914, between the German Eighth Army and the Russian First Army.
The German Eighth Army was commanded by General von Prittwitz. He was aware that the Russian Second Army was slowly moving northwards from the south, and he decided to attack the Russian First Army before it could be reinforced.
The Battle
The German attack was launched at 4 a.m. on August 20. It was initially successful, and the Russians were forced to retreat. However, the Russians rallied and counterattacked in the afternoon. The Germans were caught off guard, and they were forced to retreat.
The Battle of Gumbinnen was a tactical victory for the Russians. They inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans and forced them to retreat from East Prussia.
However, the battle was a strategic victory for the Germans. It showed that the Russian army was not as invincible as had been thought, and it gave the Germans time to prepare for the next battle.
After the Battle of Gumbinnen, General von Prittwitz was relieved of command. He was replaced by General Paul von Hindenburg.
Hindenburg and his chief of staff, Erich Ludendorff, went on to win a series of victories against the Russians, including the Battle of Tannenberg.