2nd Infantry Division (Russian Empire)

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.

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
Active	1806 – 1918
Country	Russian Empire
Branch	Russian Imperial Army
Role	Infantry
Size	approx. 20,000[1]
Garrison/HQ	Brest-Litovsk
Engagements	Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 World War I
Commanders
Notable commanders	Anatoly Stessel

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 Alexander Dushkevich. On 26 August, the 7th Revel Infantry Regiment 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]

• 1st Brigade
  • 5th Emperor William I's Kaluga Infantry Regiment
  • 6th Prince Frederik-Leopold's Libau Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Brigade
  • 7th Revel Infantry Regiment
  • 8th Estonian Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Artillery Brigade

Notable leaders

• Yevgeny Golovin 1831–1834
• Alexander Imeretinsky 1877
• Anatoly Stessel 1903

References

1. 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. "2-я пехотная дивизия". Regiment.ru. 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
5. Conrad, Mark (2001). "THE RUSSIAN ARMY, 1914". Retrieved 8 January 2017.
6. Buttar, Prit (2014). Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914. Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781782009719.