Vilno-Dvinsk offensive

Vilno-Dvinsk offensive
Part of the Eastern Front of World War I
Russian withdrawal in 1915.
Date 29 August — 30 November 1915 Location Lithuania and Belarus Result Russian victory[1] German plan to encircle the 10th Russian army failed[2] German offensive on Dvinsk completely failed[3] Germans capture Vilno End of Great retreat
Belligerents
German Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Paul von Hindenberg Erich Ludendorff	Mikhail Alekseyev Nikolai Ruzsky
Units involved
Army of the Niemen X Army XII Army VIII Army IX Army	V Army X Army I Army XII Army II Army
Strength
On 01.09.1915: 838,053[4] On 28.09.1915: 709,963[4] On 14.11.1915: 948,045[4]	On 01.09.1915: 1,139,454[5] On 28.09.1915: 1,193,256[6] On 14.11.1915: 1,911,157[7]
Casualties and losses
Total: 116,187[7][a] 33,337  (KIA) 10,715  (MIA) 72,135  (WIA)	Total: 376,574[7] 53,173  (KIA) 126,025  (MIA) 197,376  (WIA)

The Vilno-Dvinsk offensive took place in the autumn of 1915 between the cities of Vilno (present-day Vilnius^[b]) and Dvinsk (present-day Daugavpils^[c]). It was strategic withdrawal by Russian forces on the Eastern Front of World War I, after a successful summer German offensive. The German armies were under the command of Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East, Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. Although weakened by the transfer of 12 divisions to France and the Balkans, as part of taking a defense, Hindenburg had his forces conduct several secondary offensive operations. However, the numerical superiority of the Russians did not allow Hindenburg to achieve a lasting success. Further actions for the Germans were extremely unsuccessful, here they suffered heavy losses and did not achieve their goal - to take Dvinsk^[3][1]

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