History of Warfare Summary 9 - World War I 7 The Eastern Front and Russia's War

While the fighting on the Western Front became deadlocked, on the Eastern Front, Germany and Austria-Hungary were fighting the Russian army. Russia attacked German East Prussia and Austro-Hungarian territory faster than Germany expected. However, in August 1914, in the Battle of Tannenberg, the German army heavily defeated the Russian army, inflicting massive casualties. Subsequently, Russia succeeded in an offensive against Austria-Hungary in the Galicia region, occupying some territory. The Eastern Front saw much greater movement of fronts than the Western Front, with large-scale forces moving across vast areas. The Russian army had a large troop size but suffered from problems with weapons, ammunition, railways, and supply systems. Austria-Hungary, also an empire composed of various ethnic groups, faced difficulties in waging war. Germany had to support Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front, and Russia's continued participation in the war placed a growing burden on Germany's troop deployment. The war on the Eastern Front would later have a significant impact on the Russian Revolution and Germany's major offensives.