Francois’s Disobedience at Tannenberg

Columnist A H AMIN recounts how a German Corps Commander risked his career to win a battle during World War I.

Von Francois was one of the outstandingly genuine higher commanders of World War I. His “Magnum Bonum” achievement being his role in the famous “Battle of Tannenberg”.

Francois played a decisive role in “complete destruction” of the Russian Army at Tannenberg by disobeying General Ludendorf’s orders of attacking in a north easterly direction. Francois assessed that if he attacked northeastwards as he was ordered most of the Russian Army would escape. Thus Francois disobeyed Ludendorf’s orders and attacked south eastwards thus ensuring that the vast bulk of the Russian Army was encircled. Francois’s action resulted in a complete German victory but also ensured that Francois was not promoted to the rank that he deserved because Francois’s mission oriented disobedience of orders annoyed Ludendorf who made it a point that Francois was sidelined !

The Battle of Tannenberg

The Battle of Tannenberg was a classic battle in the history of warfare! Its significance did not lay in the fact that the Russians were decisively defeated  but in the fact that Germany was saved from instant defeat in 1914. Initially two Russian Armies invaded East Prussia which was defended by just one, much smaller German Army. The German Army Commander Prittwitz lost his nerve and wanted to withdraw east of Vistula River. This was refused by German General Staff and Hindenburg was sent as a replacement army commander. In the meantime  the brilliant staff officer Max Hoffman had formulated a brilliant plan (rehearsed in pre-war  games but forgotten once Prittwitz was exposed to the friction of actual operations!) to leave a cavalry screen opposite the Eastern Russian Army (Rennenkampf)  and concentrate the bulk of the German troops to destroy the Southern 2nd  Russian Army (Samsonov) in general area Tannenberg. It was a brilliant but highly risky plan but Hoffman took the calculated risk based on intercepted Russian telegraphic messages which indicated that Rennenkampf (who had earlier resorted to fisticuffs with Samsonov at Mukden railway station in Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5) was in no hurry to advance. Ludendorf arrived in the operational area as Chief of Staff with Hindenburg the new army commander. Hindenburg was a retired general and had been recalled for active military service. The duo were briefed by Hoffman the acting Chief of Staff and Hoffman’s plan was approved. Von Francois was commanding the corps which was to function as the right most corps in the attack on the Russian Army of Samsonov at Tannenberg. Francois was a highly independent minded commander. Francois assessed that if he attacked as he was ordered to by Ludendorf now firmly in seat as the chief of staff the bulk of Samsonov’s army would succeed in withdrawing southwards. Initially Francois’s 1st Corps had been ordered as per the plan evolved by Hoffman to attack south eastwards towards Neidenburg.1 Ludendorf was a man who lost his nerves at the last moment and vacillated and procrastinated. Once the Tannenberg battle started the German centre 20th Corps ran into difficulties. Ludendorf ordered Francois to “close northwards to Lahna”2. Francois disobeyed this modification in orders and continued advancing towards Neidenburg leaving a part of his corps to watch Lahna. Francois had a close understanding with Hoffman, kept Hoffman posted about his plans and on his own decided to divide his corps into two parts “left half where it was, and strung out the other in a screen of small posts  and patrols”.3  This was in direct disobedience to what Francois was ordered to do but Francois was a “Von” and the Prussian Army had the tradition of Seydlitz disobeying Frederick his king to win a battle! The result — Francois’s corps captured 60,000 out of the total 92,000 Russians which were captured at Tannenberg! 4

Analysis of Francois’s Disobedience of Orders at Tannenberg

Francois’s disobedience at Tannenberg led to a decisive victory while obeying orders would have merely resulted in pushing the Russians backwards!

While Francois’s disobedience did endanger the German 20th Corps, Francois was convinced that he must attack towards Neidenburg, which he did! There was a reason in Francois’s outward madness! Had there been a general of any of the British or the Indo-Pak armies in Francois’s place no victory would have been achieved! The Germans of that time were an altogether different breed! They thought in terms of “Envelopment”  “finding the true flank of the enemy” not about “what would happen in the next promotion board”! Francois was “competent” but he was also a “NOTORIOUSLY UNRULY SUBORDINATE”.5 Ludendorf knew this fact well and was all set to ensure that Francois obeyed his orders. Thus he made it a point to visit Francois to over insure that his orders were being obeyed. Francois proved sharper! He adopted a policy of “passive resistance”6. He outwardly obeyed Ludendorf but in reality went his own way i.e Neidenburg! Francois writes in his memoirs “On the 25th of August Hindenburg and Ludendorf called upon me at battle headquarters. I was instructed to make a frontal attack upon the hills of Usdau on the morning of 26th. I objected that by that time the bulk of my artillery and ammunition columns would still be on the way, and that consequently my corps would not be ready for action.To this Ludendorf replied  ‘In that case you must attack with the infantry alone’. There followed a somewhat acrimonius discussion which Ludendorf concluded by saying ‘The Corps must attack’. At the same time he referred the matter to Hindenburg saying ‘the final decision, however, rests with the C-in-C. The latter made no remark and both left my battle headquarters. At 8.30 p.m, I received orders in writing, signed by Hindenburg, instructing me to attack the lines of Usdau, on the 26th not later than 10 a.m. Once more I voiced my objection, but once more was overruled. To attack Usdau without artillery and ammunition would have been a tactical blunder which might have led to the annihilation of my corps, for the Russians were holding the position with three divisions”7. Francois then narrates the fateful incident about the Lahna affair i.e “a new order arrived instructing me to take the pursuit of the Russians in the direction of Lahna.Lahna is six miles north of Neidenburg and would have led me into wooded and hilly country where artillery would have been useless and the troops would have advanced very slowly. The gravest objection, however, was that such a movement would have afforded the Russians a golden opportunity of escaping towards the south. Consequently I did not change the orders I had already given and gave instructions to have this non-compliance with orders reported with my reasons to army headquarters”.8

Thus Francois pretended that he was attacking on 26th towards Lahna but in reality he delayed everything that anything to do with moving towards Lahna! This does not mean that Francois was selfish but simply that he was mission oriented! Francois took the precaution of asking the German 20th Corps on the night of 25th “whether they were really so hard pressed that he must make an attack without artillery support (having deliberately delayed his artillery deployment!) and before he was ready, in order to save them!” 9 The 20th Corps  “replied reassuringly that they were alright  and that there was no need for him to compromise his preparations.”10 Ludendorf only realized on the evening of 26th that he had been fooled by Francois!11  Thus while Tannenberg was a great German victory, it also sealed Francois’s future advancement! But Francois was a blue blooded Prussian Junker for whom self- advancement in rank was not as important as for a man with a middle class or more humble origin! Here comes the difference in the British and German tradition! The British generals waited for orders while the Germans were mission oriented! The Indians who the British commanded were worse since they were mercenaries!

Ludendorf took Francois disobedience to heart and started actively gunning for Francois. Francois was naturally cheesed off and unfortunately for German Army only partially disobeyed Ludendorf’s orders at the Battle of Masurian Lakes as a result of which the German victory was not as complete as it could have been!12

The Aftermath of Tannenberg

Ludendorf was a highly self-centred man and claimed the entire credit for Tannenberg. Hindenburg his army chief during Tannenberg was a large hearted man and did not take any credit. It was only after the war once Hoffman’s two volume memoirs were published that the world came to know about Francois’s role at Tannenberg. Ludendorf and Hindenburg had not aimed at making the Tannenberg battle an encirclement battle! They were happy that the Russians were checked thus they sent a signal  to the German Supreme Headquarters on the night of 28th “The battle is won; pursuit will continue.The surrender of the two Russian Corps may well not be achieved”.13  In reality Francois’s disobedience which cost him his advancement, his service achieved surrender of both the Russian Corps. Samsonov being a man of honour despite not being from a subcontinental martial race chose to commit suicide with his military revolver in a remote part of the East Prussian forests rather than surrender! Churchill’s verdict is not wrong when he states “The credit of the victory belongs in large measure to General Hoffman, but its glory must be associated with General Von Francois, who though commanding only a single corps acted with that rare alternation of prudence and audacity which is the characteristic of true soldierly genius”.14 Francois’s true contribution was realized some two decades after the battle when Hindenburg, by then  elected President of Germany, to make Francois sit in the centre while sitting on his right in the group photograph of the decennial celebrations of the Battle of Tannenberg.15

Carl Tschupik after the war defended Ludendorf and criticized Francois asserting that Francois did nothing extraordinary! Tscuppik went on to compare Francois with General Steinmetz who had been sacked by Moltke the Elder for disobedience in the Franco German War of 1870-71. The exact occasion being the Battle of Saint Privat which the French may have won because of Steinmetz’s blunder!16 Thus the sacking of Steinmetz! The comparison was fallacious since the Commander German 1st Army’s Steinmetz’s disobedience had led to a serious operational failure while that of Francois had led to a great victory! Tschupik’s line of thought was not supported by biographer of  Hindenburg Emil Ludwig who also thought that Ludendorf did lose his nerve at the critical moment in the Battle of Tannenberg and changed the original orders of advancing towards Neidenburg!17

Conclusion

Its an irony of history that Tannenberg was the foundation of Ludendorf’s fame and future rise in the German military hierarchy as the principal staff officer who made all critical decisions of WW One! On the other hand the real hero was sidelined! Many years earlier, while serving in the Tactical Wing of the School of Armour Nowshera, I had a discussion with then Colonel Naeem (now Major General) on this topic. Naeem observed that in the Indo- Pak scenario mission oriented orders would lead more to retrogade and negative results than positive and offensive movements as had happened in Francois’s case! May be Naeem had a point! The army was not just a career like WAPDA for the Germans of Francois’s generation! Those men were the product of a historical process in which the Fatherland was more important than personal self-advancement. Fear of forfeiture of rank had little meaning for men of that breed!

End Notes

 1Page-286-Tannenburg-The First Thirty Days in East Prussia-Major General Sir Edmund Ironside -William Blackwood and Sons Limited-Edinburgh and London-1933.

2Ibid.

3Page-218-Great Military Battles-Edited by Cyril Falls-George Weidenfeld and Nicholson Limited-London-1964.

4Ibid.

5Page -197-The World Crisis-The Eastern Front- Rt Hon Winston.S. Churchill-Thornton Butterworth Limited-15 Bedford Street-London-1931.

6Ibid.

7Pages-15 & 16-Quoted in Ludendorf-The Tragedy of a Specialist-Karl Tschupik-George Allen and Unwin Limited-London-1932.

8 Page-17-Ibid.

9 Page-197-Winston Churchill -Op Cit.

10Ibid.

11Ibid.

12Page-254-Ibid.

13Page-205-Ibid

14Page-206-Ibid.

15Ibid.

16Page-102-A Genius for War- Col T.N Dupuy-Macdonald and Janes-London-1977.

17Page-62-Hindenburg- Emil Ludwig-Windmill Press-Kingswood -Surrey-1935.