Die Schlacht Bei Tannenberg Lyrics in English KANONENFIEBER

Die Schlacht Bei Tannenberg plunges listeners into the thunderous opening months of World War I. Sung from the viewpoint of German troops, the lyrics march through the famous 1914 Battle of Tannenberg: General Hindenburg’s orders, the encirclement of Russian forces, the suicide of General Samsonov, and the triumphant but grim German victory. The song paints vivid images of soldiers advancing with spade, axe, and sword, of supply lines cut at Hohenstein, and of mass graves swallowing tens of thousands. Triumph and tragedy collide, revealing how military glory was trumpeted across newspapers and field-post letters, even while the battlefield was littered with unimaginable loss.

Yet the track refuses to end on a note of simple celebration. Just as the chanting chorus claims “Der Krieg hat erst begonnen” (The war has only just begun), the focus shifts westward to the looming clash in Flanders. By contrasting roaring propaganda with the cold reality of endless fronts, KANONENFIEBER highlights the hollow nature of early victories and reminds us that Tannenberg, though hailed as a national triumph, was merely the first brutal chapter in a global catastrophe.