The Battle of Tannenberg is considered the single most brilliantly conducted .
The German official history of war asserts that Tannenberg .
was the greatest battle of encirclement in world history. Historians consider Tannenberg a .
spectacular and complete German victory of World War One. It was here, Tannenberg, .
where the Germans had demonstrated skilled planning, swift movement, and considerable .
daring to lure the Russian Second Army into encirclement and annihilate them. The .
Germans had ended Russia's invasion of East Prussia before it had begun. Beginning on .
August 26-31, the Germans led a quick and skillful six day victory over the Russians .
during the first month at war in the summer of 1914. Throughout this paper, I will be .
discussing the German and Russian commands, their battle plans, the battle alone, and .
then conclude with the results of the battle. .
The German command consists of three key military officials, Ludendorff, .
Hindenberg, and Hoffmann. The three worked closely together on a plan that would lead .
them to victory. .
General Ludendorff was a very conservative and nationalistic. He was very .
ambitious, determined, ruthless, and serious. He was also very patriotic. He grew up .
learning to be proud of the Fatherland and its great men. "Love of country, loyalty to my .
Sovereign, appreciation of the truth that the duty of everyone is to devote his life to his .
family and the state," says Ludendorff. With his devotion, dedication to his work, and his .
ability, Ludendorff was appointed chief of staff of the eighth army in East Prussia. He .
was called from Liege to attend to conditions in the East against a Russian threat of .
invasion. General von Moltke wrote a letter to Ludendorff stating, "You have before you .
a new and difficult task I know no other man in whom I have such absolute trust. .
The Kaiser to has absolute confidence in you." Ludendorff was greatly honored and .
accepted the offer.