Weak Germany took advantage of the Mansurian Lakes in the borderlands to defeat strong Russia in 1914.
It seems to me that we have a very different view of what is a weak Germany and strong Russia.
Weak Germany took advantage of the Mansurian Lakes in the borderlands to defeat strong Russia in 1914.
It seems to me that we have a very different view of what is a weak Germany and strong Russia.
The German 8th Army had 166,000 men and was all Germany had in the East at the time. The Russian 1st Army had 210,000 men and the 2nd Army had 206,000. So in 1914 in the east Germany was weak and Russia was strong, but Germany fortified the gaps between lakes and was able to use trains in the rear areas.
The German 8th Army had 166,000 men and was all Germany had in the East at the time. The Russian 1st Army had 210,000 men and the 2nd Army had 206,000. So in 1914 in the east Germany was weak and Russia was strong, but Germany fortified the gaps between lakes and was able to use trains in the rear areas.
In a discussion about natural borders/borderlands yes, a single battle can define strength and weakness. On an open plain 166,000 Germans could not defeat 416,000 Russians despite being probably twice as good unit for unit. But the lakes and hills of the Tannenburg area meant that the Russians ability to maneuvre was limited and the Germans could deploy by foot and train behind the difficult borderland terrain to do battle where the odds were only 2:1 against and defeat them in detail.
Which in my opinion was just an excuse for conquering their neighbours. If France would have reached the rhine I have no doubt suddenly the IJssel, the Ems, the Elbe or the pacific Ocean would have become the French natural border. As I said Napoeon got the Rhine Border in 1809 and a couple of months later he annexed the rest of the Netherlands and a big part of Germany.
I didn't say Germany was weak, Germany was the most powerful country in Europe in 1914. But this is a discussion about natural borders, and my point is that the defensive strength of the Tannenburg region allowed Germany to have only 1 of its 8 armies there and not just hold the line but win a smashing victory against 2 much larger forces.
Pfft ! What makes you think we would have wanted to keep the Netherlands ? We have all the cheese we need already !
In your Francophobic rant, there's something true, though.