1st Army (Russian Empire)


The 1st Army was an army-level command of the Russian Imperial Army created during World War I. The First Army, commanded by General Paul von Rennenkampf, Russian invasion of [East Prussia (1914)|invaded] East Prussia at the outbreak of war in 1914 along with the Second Army commanded by General Alexander Samsonov. After declaring war on the German Empire, the Russian Empire had been able to mobilize very quickly. All Russian forces were put under the command of Grand Duke [Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1856–1929)|Grand Duke Nikolai] and his Quartermaster General Yuri Danilov.
The invading forces made a determined and speedy attack on East Prussia. However, the First and Second Armies were stopped by the German Eighth Army, led by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg and his chief of staff, General Erich Ludendorff. The German and Russian armies met at Tannenberg (1914)|Tannenberg], where the Second Army was encircled and suffered complete destruction. Both the First and Second Armies suffered terrible casualties in one of the most comprehensive German victories of World War I. The First Army also suffered defeat at the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes in September 1914, which led to Rennenkampf's dismissal and replacement by Litvinov. First Army served under Northwestern front for the remainder of the war. Litvinov was replaced by Sokovnin in April 1917. Vannovski replaced Sokovnin in July and the army's final commander, von Notbek, took over in September 1917.

Order of battle on formation

The First Army consisted of the following units in August 1914:

Military Fronts in which the 1st Army participated

The 1st Army had the following commanders until it was demobilized in 1918.
FromUntilRankName
19 July 191418 November 1914General of the CavalryPaul von Rennenkampf
5 December 19142 April 1917General of the CavalryAleksandr Litvinov
12 April 191725 April 1917Lieutenant GeneralIlya Odishelizde
22 April 191730 July 1917Lieutenant GeneralMikhail Sokovin
31 July 19179 September 1917Lieutenant GeneralGleb Vannovsky
9 September 1917November 1917Lieutenant GeneralVladimir von Notbek