Battle of Tannenberg

In one of the most decisive battles of World War I, German generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff exploited poor Russian coordination to encircle and destroy the Russian Second Army. Nearly 92,000 Russian soldiers were captured and 78,000 killed or wounded, while German losses were minimal. The defeated Russian commander, General Samsonov, shot himself in the aftermath. Tannenberg secured East Prussia and made Hindenburg a national hero.