Alexander Samsonov Aleksandr Vassilievich Samsonov ( ; ) was a career officer in the cavalry of the Imperial Russian Army and a general served during the Russo - Japanese War and World War I . Biography . Samsonov was born in Kherson Province of the Russian Empire in what is now part of the Ukraine . After graduation from the Vladimir of Kiev Cadet Corps and elite Nikolaev Cavalry School , he joined the Imperial Russian Army at age 18 as a cornet in the 12th Hussar s Regiment . Samsonov fought in the Russo - Turkish War , 1877 - 78 . After this war he attended the Nikolaevsky Military Academy in St . Petersburg . On November 4 , 1888 he was appointed senior aide to the staff of the 20th Infantry Division , and from July 10 , 1885 to February 4 , 1889 served as Senior Staff Adjutant to the Caucasus Grenadier Division . From March 11 , 1890 through July 26 , 1896 he worked at various assignments at the Warsaw Military District . He subsequently became commandant of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School . During the Boxer Rebellion ( 1900 ) , Samsonov commanded a cavalry unit . During the Russo - Japanese War ( 1904 – 1905 ) , he commanded a cavalry brigade of the Ussuri Siberian Cossack Division . Through these conflicts Samsonov gained a reputation as an energetic and resourceful leader , but some observers criticized his strategic abilities . After the Battle of Mukden in 1905 , he accused General Paul von Rennenkampf of failing to assist him during the fighting . The ensuing quarrel made the two mutual lifetime enemies . In 1906 , Samsonov became Chief of staff of the Warsaw Military District , and in 1909 was Governor - General of Russian Turkestan and commander of the Turkestan Military District . He was also commander of the Semirechye Cossacks . At the start of World War I , Samsonov received the command of the Second Army for the invasion of East Prussia . He advanced slowly into the south - western corner of East Prussia , intending to link up with General Rennenkampf ' s forces , which had started advancing from the north - east section . However , lack of communication between the two hindered co - ordination . General ( later Field Marshal ) Paul von Hindenburg and General Erich Ludendorff , who arrived on the Eastern Front to replace General Maximilian von Prittwitz , engaged Samsonov ' s advancing forces . They made contact on 22 August and for six days the numerically superior Russians had some success . However , by August 29 the Germans , who were intercepting Russian wireless communications , had surrounded Samsonov ' s Second Army in the woods between Allenstein and Willenberg . The rout that followed was soon dubbed " the ( Second ) Battle of Tannenberg " . General Samsonov attempted to retreat , but with his army now trapped in a German encirclement , the German Eighth Army killed or captured most of his troops . Only 10 , 000 of the 150 , 000 Russian soldiers managed to escape the encirclement . Shocked by the disastrous outcome of the battle and unable to face reporting the scale of the disaster , for which he knew he would be held responsible , to Tsar Nicholas II , Samsonov never arrived back at headquarters ; he committed suicide on 30 August 1914 near Willenberg . His body was found by a German search party , a bullet wound in his head and a revolver in his hand . In 1916 his body was handed over by the Germans to his wife , through the intercession of the International Red Cross .