20th Army Corps (Russian Empire)

The Twentieth Army Corps of the Imperial Russian Army was a World War I corps that fought on the Eastern theatre of war.

Before World War I 20th Corps was stationed in the Vilno Military District, with corps headquarters in Riga.

History
This unit fought in the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes under General Bulgakov. On the February 7, in the middle of a snowstorm, Fritz von Below's German Eighth Army had launched a surprise attack, advancing 70 mi within one week. Severe casualties were inflicted on the Russians, resulting in a disorderly withdrawal with many Russians taken prisoner. The greatest loss came when the 20th Army Corps was surrounded by the German Tenth Army in the Augustow Forest, although many broke out, the remnants surrendered on February 21 the entire corps surrendered. A large number of Latvian soldiers were killed, wounded or captured during this battle. This influenced the decision of the Imperial Russian Army to establish the Latvian Rifles.

Composition
At the outbreak of World War I, 20th Army Corps comprised the following units:

28th Infantry Division

 * 1st Brigade
 * 109th Infantry Regiment Volzhsky
 * 110th Infantry Regiment Kamsky


 * 2nd Brigade
 * 111th Infantry Regiment Donskoi
 * 112th Infantry Regiment of the Urals


 * 28th Artillery Brigade

29th Infantry Division

 * 1st Brigade
 * 113th Infantry Regiment Old
 * 114th Infantry Regiment Novotorzhsky


 * 2nd Brigade


 * 115th Infantry Regiment Vyazemsky
 * 116th Infantry Regiment Maloyaroslavsky


 * 29th Artillery Brigade


 * 1st Separate Cavalry Brigade
 * 20th Howitzer Artillery Battalion
 * 1st Heavy Artillery Battalion
 * 20th Sapper Battalion, 1st Pontoon Battalion
 * 2nd Pontoon Battalion
 * 2nd Cadre Supply-Train Battalion
 * 1st Siege Engineer Park.

Commanders

 * 1899-1901 - Lieutenant-General Richard Troyanovich Meves.
 * 28.07.1908-12.1914 - General of Infantry Vladimir Smirnov.
 * 12.1914-02.1915 - Lieutenant-General Pavel Ilich Bulgakov.
 * 03.1915-04.1917 - Alexander Iosafovich Ievreinov.
 * 04.1917-? 04.1917-? - A. Y. Elshin.