A recent WWI reenactment has been staged in Poland, paying homage to one of the conflict’s key battles. The battle in question took place when the Russian Second Army invaded German territories. The German Eighth Army retaliated, and were ultimately led to victory. Since the battle took place early on in the First World War, the beginning days of the centenary formed the perfect time for such a WWI reenactment, which took place just a few weeks before the one hundredth anniversary of the battle.
The Battle of Tannenberg was an important victory for Germany, as it helped to establish their military prowess at an early stage of the conflict. It was also an important battle for Commander Paul von Hindenburg, who became one of the nation’s top war heroes at the time. The WWI reenactment was attended by at least two hundred participants, who were able to catch a glimpse of what the battle might have looked like at the time it was fought. The event took place at Szkotowo, an area well-suited for such an occasion with its open and empty fields. It also happens to be the exact spot at which the Battle of Tannenberg.
Of course, the landscape has changed drastically over the one hundred years since the First World War. Although the site of the battle may now be in Poland, it was originally in Prussia. This is why the WWI reenactment could technically not take place on German land without sacrificing the some faithfulness to the original battle. On top of that, since the First World War is a controversial subject in Germany, it is not as likely that the event would have been heavily attended were it to take place in another locale.
In the Battle of Tannenberg, Russia lost tens of thousands more men than Germany. While the Germans had the home field advantage, this was still a massive victory for them. It is worth of note that in the real battle which inspired the WWI reenactment, Germany had suffered heavy losses before making a turnaround. Russia had two invading forces, and Germany took the upper hand when they managed to corner one of them away from the other, the Mail Online reports.
Most of those who attended the WWI reenactment in Poland were fans of military history, or even of history in general. Similar to the Civil War buffs who host comparable events in the American South, a number of them were highly familiar with military protocol, clothing, and equipment. This further gave the WWI reenactment a sense of realism.