The Northwest Army Group, which was to strike into East Prussia, consisted of two armies — Rennenkampf's and Samsonov's — under the command of General Zhilinsky, ap pointed through the favoritism of the Minister of War Sukhomlinov. The ultimate disaster at Tannenberg was due in no small degree to ZhilinsIcy's failure to co-ordinate the operations and protect Samsonov's left flank. His two subordinates, however, were men of unques tioned ability, with brilliant military records. Rennenlcampf in charge of the most northern army, with h'is base on Kovno, was -to drive straight west across the frontier of East Prussia toward Koenigsberg. Samsonov fur ther west, with his base on Warsaw, was to march north along the line of the Warsaw Dantzig Railway, strike the flanlc of the Ger mans who would be retreating before Rennen kampf's superior forces, and then unite with Rennenkampf for a victorious advance to the banks of the Lower Vistula. This invasion of East Prussia would deprive Germany of one of her richest agricultural regions and spread consternation in the minds of the Junkers whose great estates lay in East Prussia.
The Southwest Army Group, destined for the invasion of Galicia, was placed under the command of General Ivanov, with his base on Kiev. His chief-of-staff was General Alexeiev, later to be famous throughout the world as chief-of-staff to Nicholas II, after the tsar took over the supreme command from the Grand Duke Nicholas in September 1915. Alexciev, after receiving his first baptism of fire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, did not enter the Military Academy at Petrograd until several years later. But when he did so, he at once distinguished himself. He had already served as chief-of-staff to Ivanov 10 years before in the Japanese War. He there orked out the strategical plans which won honor for them both and fitted him for the high duties he was to undertake later on. His character was of the highest. Even in the supreme position of practical commander-in chief after 1915, he retained an unusual mod esty, simplicity and accessibility, which en deared him to all who had to deal with him directly. Though he might have dined daily at the tsar's table it was characteristic of him that he usually preferred to take his meals at the staff officers' mess, because he could save time by discussing military matters during meal time with officers who had come to headquarters from the various armies.
The right wing of thc Southwest Army Group was a small army under General Evart. His movements were so closely directed by his commander-in-chief that this army is often referred to as Ivanov's army. It was based on
Brest-Litovsk and its object was to check General Dankl's greatly superior Austrian force. Dank! had early crossed the Russian frontier near the San River with the hope of striking north along the right bank of the Vistula to take Ivangorod and Warsaw in the rear. The Russian strateg.y could afford to let him come on, provided the Russian centre and left wing succeeded in their drive against Lemberg and Przemysl. For in that case, Dankl's communica tions would be threatened and he would be in danger of being overwhelmed by the new forces which the Grand Duke Nicholas could move to Poland from the interior of Russia.
General Russky's army, forming the centre of this Southern Army Group, and General Brussilov's army, forming its left vring, made up the force which was to invade Galicia. The Russians expected great things from it, and they were not disappointed. Russky was one of the most scientific of Russian officers, who as professor at the Petrograd Military Academy had helped to train, and was personally ac quainted with, a large number of the younger officer& In the war with Japan he had been chief-of-staff to General Kaulbars and since then had been one of Sukhornlinov's right hand men in the reorganization pf the Russian forces. Closely associated with him, was General Radko-Drnitriev. This remarkable man, by birth a Bulgarian, became closely identified with Russia after 1878 when Russia dominated Bul garian politics. He completed his military studies at the Petrograd Academy, served 10 years in the Russian army and ultimately re turned to his native land where he became chief of the general staff in 1902. In the Balkan Wars, as commander of one of the Bulgarian artnies which won the battles of Kitt ICilisse and Lule Burgas, he became the popular hero of the war. But disgusted with the quarrels among the Bal'can allies whkh fol lowed, he accepted an offer to re-enter the Russian service with the rank of general.
General Brussilov's name was little lcnown when the war broke out. He had not received the higher training at the Petrograd Military Academy, nor enjoyed any marked er, portunity to test his abilities. Most of his service had been passed in the school for cavalry officers where he had more to do with the technicalities of troops than with their uses in fight.ng. But by his ability in Galicia in 1914 and 1916 he was soon to prove the wisdom of his selection. He became in fact one of the greate-.: popular heroes of the war, but in 1917 he w.ts forced to resign by the Bolshevists.