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Admin moved page Why did the Germans win the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914? to Why did the Germans win the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914
==The Battle==
[[File: Tannenbergschlacht.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px| Von Hindenburg at the Battle of Tannenberg]]
The Germans planning was very much helped by their intelligence services. On August 26, the Germans intercepted wireless communications between the Russian First and Second Army. This allowed them to know the positions and intentions of the two Russian army commanders. They also had aerial recognizance photographs. Based on the intelligence reports, the Germans decided to launch a surprise attack. The German army moved forward to meet the Russians near Allenstein. The Russian army was huge and slow-moving, and the commander was overconfident and arrogant.<ref> Harrison, Richard W., "Samsonov and the Battle of Tannenberg, 1914", in Bond, Brian, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/008040717X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=008040717X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=8ae3d51880ebc76b4b4fd8070c6f9f85 Fallen Stars. Eleven Studies of Twentieth-Century Military Disaster]</i>, London: Brassey's, pp. 13–31 </ref> Von Hindenburg and Ludendorff ordered the German Divisions to move forward. The forward units of the Russian army were soon sighted, but it was such a huge army that it would take some time for it to be in a position to attack the Germans. The German commanders then ordered a three-day artillery bombardment, which inflicted appalling casualties on the Russian Divisions. However, they continued to press forward. On the 26th of August, the Germans launched their attack. They placed their best divisions on the flanks, and they easily drove back the Russian flanks.
==Reasons for the German Victory==
[[File: Tannenberg Monument.jpg|thumbnail| 250px| left| Unveiling of the monument to the Battle of Tannenberg]]
The battle was a strategic victory for the Germans in the east. This was although they were outnumbered. One of the main reasons for the victory was the German guns' undoubted superiority and especially their heavy artillery. Ludendorff and Von Hindenburg had access to cannons made by Krupp’s and Skoda, and they were able to fire shells at a faster rate than the Russians.<ref> Harrison, p. 29</ref> These guns could also fire heavier shells.
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