Germany mobilized about 4 million men in August 1914, but only about half of these were in formal regular and reserve formations. The rest served in hastily formed Landwehr, Landsturm and Ersatz "brigades" - with no peacetime organization, no heavy weapons, and their men years removed from their military training (if they'd had any at all). Nevertheless, when reports came of Russian cavalry crossing into East Prussia, a collection of middle-aged cavalrymen and cyclists moved to stop them.

Detached from the Königsberg general reserve, the 9th Landwehr Brigade had no contact with the nearby I Corps or Eighth Army, and had no business wandering around the battlefield without artillery support. Huseyn Khan Nakhchivansky's cavalry division simply obliterated the small force, which fought to the last man.