2nd Infantry Division (Russian Empire)

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This article is about the 2nd Infantry Division of 1820 to 1918. For the division of 1806 to 1811, see 9th Infantry Division (Russian Empire).
2nd Infantry Division
2-я пехотная дивизия
Active1806 – 1918
Country Russian Empire
BranchRussian Empire Russian Imperial Army
RoleInfantry
Sizeapprox. 20,000[1]
Garrison/HQBrest-Litovsk
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Anatoly Stessel

The 2nd Infantry Division (Russian: 2-я пехотная дивизия, 2-ya Pekhotnaya Diviziya) was an infantry unit of the Russian Imperial Army that existed in various formations from 1806 until the end of World War I and the Russian Revolution. The division fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and World War I.

History[]

Formed in 1806 as the 5th Infantry Division, it was renumbered as the 2nd in 1820.[2]:118

The division took part in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, during which it participated in the battles of Łowicz and Plevna. During 1902 and 1903, Anton Denikin served as an adjutant with the division's staff.[3]:322 Anatoly Stessel briefly commanded the division between May and August 1903. From at least 1903 to 1913 it was based in Brest-Litovsk and later in Novogeorgievsk.[4]

It later fought in World War I.[4][5] The division fought in the Battle of Tannenberg in late August 1914, under the command of . On 26 August, the of its 2nd Brigade suffered losses of 3,000 men, three-quarters of its strength, and was wiped out as a combat unit. The division was split in half and retreated in disorder.[6]:166 On the next day it was again attacked by the German 37th Infantry Division and "collapsed", retreating to Neidenburg.[6]:178 Dushkevich replaced Leonid Artamonov in command of the 1st Army Corps on 28 August after the latter was relieved of command.[6]:182

Organization[]

Russian infantry divisions consisted of a staff, two infantry brigades, and one artillery brigade.[1] The 2nd Infantry Division was part of the 23rd Army Corps as of 1914.[5]

Notable leaders[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Handbook of the Russian Army, 1914. London: Imperial War Museum (originally British General Staff). 1996. p. 263. ISBN 978-1870423670.
  2. ^ Garkusha, Irina, ed. (2006). Российский государственный военно-исторический архив. Путеводитель [Russian State Military Archive Guidebook] (in Russian). 2. Moscow: ROSSPEN. ISBN 978-5-8243-0895-2. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  3. ^ Smele, Jonathan D. (2015). Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916-1926. London: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442252813.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "2-я пехотная дивизия". Regiment.ru. 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Conrad, Mark (2001). "THE RUSSIAN ARMY, 1914". Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Buttar, Prit (2014). Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914. Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781782009719.
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