"General Rennenkampf is willing to surrender to us? What do you all think—should we accept his request for surrender?" QinTian inquired of the 8th Army Corps.
Upon receiving General Rennenkampf's secret letter, Lieutenant General François immediately reported the matter to Königsberg. Despite the late hour, QinTian gathered General Hindenburg, General Ludendorff, and other key figures to deliberate on the situation.
"Your Highness, I am familiar with Rennenkampf. He is indeed of German descent, though his family has lived in Russia for many years," said General Hindenburg.
"And the discrimination he faced in Russia, the unfair treatment—are those claims true?" QinTian asked.
"That is indeed accurate. Overall, General Rennenkampf is quite a capable commander. Among Russian generals, he stands out as one of the more remarkable. But given Russia's dark political environment, it's no surprise that as a German-born officer, he became a target for attacks. It's already fortunate enough that he made it to the rank of general in the Russian army; any misstep could have easily cost him his life," added General Ludendorff.
QinTian nodded, well aware of Russia's dire political state.
"So, should we accept Rennenkampf's surrender?" QinTian asked again.
"Your Highness, I believe we should. The 1st Russian Army still has over 200,000 men. If we reject their surrender, they will undoubtedly fight to the death, leading to another fierce battle. While we can certainly annihilate them, we would inevitably suffer losses as well, which is entirely unnecessary," said Brigadier General Max Hoffmann, Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations.
"Indeed, Your Highness. If the Russians surrender, we can neutralize the 1st Army without further loss. Not to mention, 200,000 prisoners of war will provide us with a free labor force, which will be invaluable for the upcoming reconstruction of East Prussia," added Colonel Manstein.
"Since everyone is in agreement, let us accept General Rennenkampf's surrender," QinTian agreed. Though this was his initial inclination, as commander, he valued the input of his subordinates to avoid mistakes.
"Your Highness, while there's no issue in accepting the surrender, we should still proceed cautiously. Until it's fully executed, there's no guarantee this isn't some kind of trap," warned General Ludendorff.
"Yes, instruct General François and the others to remain vigilant. When the Russians surrender, have all the tanks from the 8th Panzer Division advance. If the Russians try any tricks, eliminate them all," a cold gleam flashed in QinTian's eyes. He had zero tolerance for deception—if Rennenkampf were to betray him, he would ensure the general paid a heavy price.
"Understood, Your Highness," General Ludendorff nodded.
"By the way, General Rennenkampf requested we rescue his family, correct? Let's have our friends in Russia assist with that. We've given them plenty of support; it's time they repay us," QinTian remarked.
Saving Rennenkampf's family was one of the conditions for his surrender, and for QinTian, it was no issue at all. Germany had numerous spies in Russia, and the German Industrial Group, which QinTian headed, had previously conducted business in Russia. Although operations had ceased before the war, they had left behind a few operatives in secret. Moreover, QinTian had been supporting the Bolsheviks, who were influential in Russia. With their help, this rescue would be simple.
Once QinTian's orders reached the front, Generals François, Mackensen, and Seeckt immediately took action. They notified General Rennenkampf that Germany had accepted his surrender while simultaneously preparing for any potential unforeseen events. Even if this were a trap, they would ensure it failed.
Upon receiving confirmation from the Germans, General Rennenkampf convened a meeting of the 1st Russian Army's key officers to formally announce his decision.
Most Russian generals had no objections to surrendering. By this point in the war, victory was clearly impossible. To save their own lives, surrender was inevitable, and many had already resigned themselves to the idea. Initially, they were concerned that General Rennenkampf might refuse to surrender, but now that he had coordinated with the Germans, their worries were eased.
Since Rennenkampf had proposed the surrender, he would bear the primary responsibility, while the others would face little blame. Even if Tsar Nicholas I held someone accountable, it wouldn't fall on them.
Of course, a few die-hard loyalists to the Russian Empire attempted to resist, but they were swiftly subdued by the guards. These individuals would soon be handed over to the Germans.
On the morning of August 27th, the 1st Russian Army officially surrendered to the 8th German Army. Lieutenant General François accepted General Rennenkampf's sidearm on behalf of Germany.
Over 200,000 Russian soldiers quietly accepted their fate. For them, preserving their lives was the most important thing—honor and shame could be dealt with later.
With the surrender of the 1st Russian Army, the Russian Northwestern Front effectively ceased to exist. A once-mighty army of over 500,000 men had been nearly wiped out in just ten days. The 8th German Army, with less than 200,000 troops, had achieved the seemingly impossible by crushing half a million Russians in just ten days—an undeniable miracle.
The 8th Army's unprecedented victory drastically changed the situation for Germany and the Central Powers on the Eastern Front. Though Russia remained a threat, the loss of its 500,000 best troops had dealt the empire a severe blow. Until Russia could mobilize again, it would struggle to send more forces into Poland or threaten East Prussia.