ility ▁toward ▁the ▁Kaiser ▁and ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁defend ▁their ▁land ▁and ▁their ▁lives ▁did ▁not ▁necessarily ▁translate ▁into ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁the ▁Ts ar ▁or ▁the ▁government . ▁ ▁Russia ' s ▁first ▁major ▁battle ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster ; ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁Battle ▁of ▁T ann enberg , ▁over ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Russian ▁troops ▁were ▁killed ▁or ▁wounded ▁and ▁ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁captured , ▁while ▁Germany ▁suffered ▁just ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁cas ual ties . ▁However , ▁Aust ro - H ung arian ▁forces ▁al lied ▁to ▁Germany ▁were ▁driven ▁back ▁deep ▁into ▁the ▁Gal icia ▁region ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁Nicholas ▁had ▁taken ▁direct ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁army , ▁personally ▁over see ing ▁Russia ' s ▁main ▁theatre ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁leaving ▁his ▁am bit ious ▁but ▁in cap able ▁wife ▁Alex andra ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁government . ▁Re ports ▁of ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁in comp et ence ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁government ▁began ▁to ▁emer ge , ▁and ▁the ▁growing ▁influence ▁of ▁Gr ig ori ▁Ras put in ▁in ▁the ▁Imperial ▁family ▁was ▁widely ▁res ented . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁things ▁took ▁a ▁critical ▁turn ▁for ▁the ▁worse ▁when ▁Germany ▁shift ed ▁its ▁focus ▁of ▁attack ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁front . ▁The ▁superior ▁German ▁army   – ▁better ▁led ,