Second Army (Russian Empire)
| 2nd Army | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | July 1914 – beginning of 1918 |
| Country |
 Russian Empire
|
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
| Type | Army |
| Field HQ | |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
General Alexander Samsonov |
The Russian 2nd Army (2-я армия, 2А) was an army-level command of the Imperial Russian Army in World War I. It was formed just prior to the outbreak of hostilities from the units of Warsaw Military District and was mobilized in August 1914. The army was effectively destroyed at Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914. However, it was rebuilt soon thereafter and fought until almost the end of the war.
The field headquarters of the 2nd Army was formed from the staff of the Warsaw Military District in July 1914. Towards the end of 1917, the staff was based in Slutsk, Belarus. It was dissolved in early 1918.
In the beginning of World War I, the army included the 1st, VI, XIII, XV and XXIII army corps.
Near the end of 1917, the army included:
Prior to the outbreak of war, in which Russia would likely have to face both Germany and Austria-Hungary, the 2nd Army had been intended to be a reserve formation, held back until either of the formations engaged against Germany and Austria-Hungary required reinforcements.
Following the outbreak of war it was mobilised in early August and placed under the command of General Alexander Samsonov. Under pressure from their ally France, who was facing a powerful German invasion force in the west, it was decided that the 2nd Army would join the 1st Army as part of General Yakov Zhilinskiy's Northwestern Front where it would participate in the upcoming invasion of East Prussia. The combination of the 1st and 2nd Armies had a fatal flaw; Samsonov and the commander of the 1st Army, Paul von Rennenkampf, had an antagonistic and hostile relationship since 1905.
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