2nd Infantry Division (Russian Empire)
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| 2nd Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| 2-я пехотная дивизия | |
| Active | 1806–1918 |
| Country |  Russian Empire |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
| Type | Infantry division |
| Part of | XXIII Army Corps (by 1914) |
| Garrison/HQ | Brest-Litovsk (1903) Novogeorgievsk (1913) |
| Engagements | World War I |
The 2nd Infantry Division (Russian: 2-я пехотная дивизия, 2-ya Pekhotnaya Diviziya) was an infantry formation of the Imperial Russian Army that existed from 1806 until the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1918.[1] Prior to World War I, it was garrisoned in Novogeorgievsk.
World War I
The division was originally formed in 1806 as the 5th Infantry Division and was renumbered as the 2nd Infantry Division in 1820.
At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the 2nd Infantry Division was part of the XXIII Army Corps under General Kiprian Kondratovich, which in turn belonged to General Alexander Samsonov's 2nd Army.[2] The division was commanded by Lieutenant General Iosif Feliksovich Mingin.
During the Russian invasion of East Prussia, the division was heavily engaged in the Battle of Tannenberg (late August 1914). As the German 8th Army encircled Samsonov's forces, the 2nd Infantry Division suffered catastrophic casualties. On 26 August, the division's 7th Revel Infantry Regiment was virtually annihilated; out of an establishment of roughly 4,000 men, it lost approximately 3,000 soldiers (three-quarters of its strength) and ceased to exist as an effective combat unit.[1] In the subsequent chaotic retreat, large portions of the XXIII Corps were destroyed or forced to surrender, and the division had to be completely rebuilt later in the war.