Major Operations on the Eastern Front. Battles and operations of the First World War (1914–1918). position before the operation. Side Plans

On the eve of the war on the Eastern Front The transfer of German troops to the East, which initially could still be regarded simply as strengthening the defense of the almost completely uncovered eastern border of the Reich, began immediately after the end of the war with France.

Me-262 on the Eastern Front In order to understand the path of formation of jet aviation, I have to recall that the Me-262 appeared on the Eastern Front at the beginning of 1945, and the pilots of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP) were the first to meet them. So, on February 14, the pilot

ON THE EASTERN FRONT By the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of July 11, 1918, I.I. Vatsetis was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Czechoslovak (Eastern) Front. In a telegram from the head of the operational department of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, S.I. Aralov to the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Front V.F. Tarasov,

1914 . East Prussian operation (4 (17) August - 2 (15) September). The purpose of the operation is to defeat the 8th German Army with sweeping blows from the flanks, to capture East Prussia in order to develop an offensive deep into Germany. The inconsistency of the actions of the Russian armies (General P.K. Rannenkampf and General A.V. Samsonov) led to the defeat and withdrawal of the Russian troops. 50 thousand soldiers were captured and died.

Battle of Galicia (5 (18) August - 8 (21) September). It became one of the biggest events of the war: the fighting was carried out on a 400 km long front. The losses of Austria-Hungary amounted to 400 thousand people, Russia - 230 thousand. Russian troops managed not only to repel the offensive of four Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia and Poland, but also create a threat of invasion into Hungary and Silesia. The enemy failed to impose a “blitzkrieg” on Russia and achieve decisive successes already on initial stage war.

Warsaw-Ivangorod operation (September 15 (28) - October 26 (November 8)). Saving the allies from complete defeat, Germany transferred troops to Upper Silesia, and also launched an offensive against Ivan-gorod and Warsaw. Almost half of the Russian forces took part in repelling the offensive. As a result, the German offensive was stopped and the enemy was driven back to their original positions.

Lodz operation (October 29 (November 11) - November 11 (24). The command of the German army tried to encircle and destroy the 2nd and 5th Russian armies in the Lodz region. The Russians managed not only to resist, but also to push back the enemy.

1915 In winter, Germany went on the defensive on the Western Front and transferred the main military operations to the Eastern Front. Its main task was to withdraw Russia from the war. Already in the winter campaign of 1915, up to 50% of all armed forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary were sent against Russia. In May, Russian troops left Galicia. By the end of the 1915 campaign, Russian troops were forced to leave significant territories: Poland, part of the Baltic states, Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. By the end of the year, the front passed along the line Riga - Dvinsk - Baranovichi - Pinsk - Dubno - Tarnopol.

1916 Naroch operation (5 (18) - 16 (29) March). The need for this operation was caused by the desire to alleviate the situation of the French in the Verdun area. The operation did not lead to success, but the Germans were forced to transfer about four divisions to the Eastern Front.

Brusilovsky breakthrough (May 22 (June 4) - July 31 (August 13)). Russian forces under the command of General A.A. Brusilov carried out a powerful breakthrough of the front in the region of Lutsk and Kovel, in a short time they occupied Bukovina and reached the passes of the Carpathian Mountains. The Austro-Hungarian troops were defeated, their losses amounted to 1.5 million people. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of complete defeat and exit from the war. To save the situation, Germany withdrew 34 divisions from the French and Italian fronts. Russian troops lost about 500 thousand people.

Mitavskaya operation (December 23-29 (January 5-11, 1917)). The offensive of the Russian troops in the Riga area was unexpected for the Germans. Nevertheless, they not only stopped the Russian 12th Army, but also forced it to retreat from its previous positions. For Russia, the Mitav operation ended in vain. Killed, wounded and captured lost 23 thousand people.

1917 June offensive (16 (29) June - 15 (28) July). Undertaken by the military command of the Provisional Government along the entire front. Due to the fall in discipline and the growth of anti-war sentiment in the troops, it ended in complete failure. Losses amounted to about 30 thousand people.

Riga operation (August 19 (September 1) - August 24 (September 6)). The offensive operation of the German troops with the aim of capturing Riga. On the night of August 21 (September 3), the 12th Russian army left Riga, having lost about 25 thousand people.

It should be noted that the Eastern Front played the role of a "savior" for the Western Front. So it was in 1914, when, at the request of the allies, without completing the mobilization, the Russian troops launched an offensive in East Prussia, which ended with the death of the army of General Samsonov. The activity of the Russians forced the German command to make adjustments to A. von Schlieffen's plan and transfer troops from the Western Front, which helped the French win the Battle of the Marne and save Paris. Turkey's entry into the war on the side of Germany and the closure of the Black Sea straits effectively cut Russia off from world markets and placed it under conditions of an economic blockade. The years 1915-1916 can be considered unsuccessful for the Russian army. With the exception of a successful offensive in May-June 1916 in Galicia (Brusilovsky breakthrough), all attacking operations of the Russian troops ended in heavy losses and failure. Already in 1915, Lithuania, Poland and Galicia were occupied by enemy troops. However, the situation was not hopeless. While reserves were being prepared in the rear, the Russian army successfully held the front until mid-1917, not letting the enemy into the central provinces.

The reasons for military failures are related to the general socio-economic situation in Russia. main reason- the inability of Russian industry and transport to meet the needs of the front (in 1915, the provision of Russian artillery with ammunition was only 10%). At the initiative of the public, in May 1915, the Central Military Industrial Committee (MIC) was created, headed by A.I. Guchkov (see Military Industrial Committees), who was engaged in the distribution of military orders between large enterprises. The joint activities of the military-industrial complex, the All-Russian Zemstvo Union and the All-Russian Union of Cities (Zemgor), created in July 1915, contributed to the improvement of the supply of the army and medical and sanitary affairs by the end of 1916 - the beginning of 1917. Large stocks of weapons and ammunition were created. The activity of public organizations emphasized the inability of the official authorities to organize the conduct of the war and the supply major cities fuel and food. Ministerial leapfrog, influence at the court of G.E. Rasputin, the inability of the autocrat, who was at headquarters in Mogilev, to effectively manage the country - all this undermined the authority of the authorities. At a meeting on November 13, 1916, the Duma regarded the government's activities as "stupidity or treason" and demanded that the tsar create a new cabinet, responsible not to him, but to the Duma.

Already after the overthrow of the autocracy, in June 1917, the Provisional Government tried to organize an offensive at the front. Due to the decline of military discipline, this offensive ended in complete failure. The inability to wage war, as well as the desire of the Bolshevik government to stay in power in any way, led to the signing March 3, 1918 humiliating Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany. On this day, Russia's participation in the First World War ended.

OPINIONS OF HISTORIANS

On the impact of the First World War on the socio-political situation in Russia. This issue does not cause alternative approaches, however, representatives of numerous historical schools focus on various aspects of the identified problem. Thus, Soviet historians consider the situation in Russia solely from the standpoint of its usefulness for the revolution. The hardships of the war exacerbated the social contradictions that were not resolved by the government after the revolution of 1905–1907. The war gave weapons to the proletariat and peasantry, which made it easier to carry out an armed uprising. The unsuccessful conduct of hostilities, the protracted nature of the war and numerous casualties contributed to the fall in the authority of the authorities, the aggravation of class contradictions and the growth of discontent in broad layers population. All of the above aspects helped the revolutionary party to turn the "imperialist war into a civil war."

Without denying the statements of historians of the Marxist school, modern historical science focuses on the moral aspects of the problem. Analyzing the documents of that era, the researchers come to the conclusion that the First World War pulled millions of people out of their natural environment, turned them into marginals, taught them how to kill. Human life has depreciated, people are used to death and suffering. Deal with this situation and return the people to normal life could only a strong social organism. Russian state it was not. The horrors of the war led many prominent politicians from the liberal and revolutionary camps to believe that old world, which gave rise to these horrors, has exhausted itself.

70 years ago, on March 6, 1945, the Balaton operation began. This was the last major defensive operation of the Red Army against German troops during the Great Patriotic War. Soviet troops repelled the attack of the German Army Group "South" (Operation "Spring Awakening") and went on the offensive against Vienna.

The German command hoped to push back the Red Army troops across the Danube, thereby eliminating the threat to Vienna and the southern regions of Germany and retaining one of the last oil fields available to the Germans. The offensive of the German 6th SS Panzer Army, 2nd Panzer and 6th Field, 3rd Hungarian armies was the last major offensive operation of the Wehrmacht in World War II.

position before the operation. Side Plans

Soviet Union. The offensive of the Soviet troops on the southern wing of the strategic Soviet-German front led to the liberation from Nazism and the pro-fascist forces of South-Eastern and Central Europe. The active offensive of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Ukrainian fronts in Hungary and Czechoslovakia pulled back large forces of German troops from the central, Berlin direction. Soviet troops were approaching the borders of South Germany. The defeat of the Third Reich was not far off.

Three days after the capture of Budapest, on February 17, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered the troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to conduct an offensive operation to defeat Army Group South and capture the Bratislava, Brno and Vienna region. Soviet troops were to reach the approaches to South Germany. The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were to strike from the area north of Esztergom in the direction of Bratislava and further to Vienna. The 3rd Ukrainian Front was planning a strike from the area north of Lake Balaton, bypassing the capital of Austria from the south. The offensive was scheduled for March 15th.

By mid-February, Malinovsky's troops were fighting with the main forces in the southeastern part of Czechoslovakia and liberated part of Slovakia. On February 17, the enemy's strike force, numbering about 400 tanks and self-propelled guns (1st SS Panzer Corps), attacked Shumilov's 7th Guards Army, which occupied a bridgehead on the western bank of the Gron River. During the fierce battle, Shumilov's army suffered heavy losses and was forced to leave the bridgehead, retreating to the eastern bank of the river. Malinovsky transferred a number of reinforcements to the battle area and stabilized the front. The Germans were unable to develop the first success.

The troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front were located north of the Danube, at the turn of the Hron River. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front and the 46th Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front fought in the western part of Hungary at the turn east of Esztergom, the southwestern shore of Lake Velence, Lake Balaton and the northern shore of the Drava. On the left flank of Tolbukhin's front, troops of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia operated.

However, even before the completion of the preparations for a new offensive, in the second half of February, Soviet intelligence received data on the concentration of a powerful German tank group in Western Hungary. Initially, these data were received with distrust in the General Staff. It was surprising that at the moment when the Soviet troops were 60 km from Berlin and were preparing an attack on the German capital, Hitler removed the 6th SS Panzer Amiya from the west and transferred it not to Berlin, but to Hungary.

Soon the data was confirmed, and it became clear that the enemy was preparing a major offensive in the Lake Balaton area. Therefore, the Soviet Headquarters instructed the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to go on the defensive, exhaust the enemy's forces in tough defensive battles and defeat the German shock group. At the same time, the Soviet troops had to continue preparing the Vienna operation, so that immediately after the defeat of the enemy grouping, they would go on the offensive in the Vienna direction.

Intelligence data on the regrouping of enemy forces made it possible to identify the directions of the impending strikes and, most importantly, the direction of the main attack. The command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, using the experience of the Battle of Kursk, equipped a defense in depth on the alleged direction of the enemy's main attack. In some places its depth reached 25-30 km. Particular attention was paid to anti-tank defense, including the creation of barriers of all kinds. Dangerous directions were heavily mined. In total, on the 83-kilometer section from Lake Balaton to Gant, where they expected main blow armored forces of the enemy, prepared 66 anti-tank areas and concentrated almost two-thirds of the entire artillery of the front. In a number of areas, the density of guns and mortars was increased to 60-70 barrels per kilometer. Shelters for people and equipment were prepared, anti-tank reserves were allocated. Special attention given the opportunity to carry out a wide maneuver forces both along the front and from the depths.

In the area where the main blow of the enemy was expected, the Soviet troops were deployed in two echelons. The 4th Guards Army of Nikanor Zakhvataev and the 26th Army of Nikolai Hagen were in the first, the 27th Army of Sergei Trofimenko, which was transferred from the 2nd Ukrainian Front, was in the second. On a secondary direction from the western tip of Lake Balaton, the troops of the 57th Army of Mikhail Sharokhin were located. On the left flank, the 1st Bulgarian Army under the command of Vladimir Stoychev held the defense. The 3rd Yugoslav Army adjoined the left flank of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in the Valpovo area. The reserve of the front housed the 18th and 23rd tank, 1st guards mechanized and 5th guards cavalry corps, as well as several artillery and other units and formations.

Germany. By order of Adolf Hitler, the German-Hungarian troops were to launch a counteroffensive in the Lake Balaton area. Back in mid-January 1945, the high command ordered the transfer of the 6th SS Panzer Army from the Ardennes region and a number of formations from Italy to Hungary. On January 25, 1945, the Fuhrer declared that at present the oil-bearing regions and oil sources of Hungary are of paramount importance, since without this region, which gives the Third Reich 80% of oil production, it will be impossible to continue the war. Germany has only two oil fields left - in Zietersdorf (Austria) and in the area of ​​Lake Balaton (Hungary). In order to hold on to the last sources of oil needed for the air and armored forces, the German High Command transferred the main strike force from the Western Front to Hungary.

Despite the threat in the Berlin direction and heavy fighting in Eastern Pomerania, where they originally wanted to transfer the 6th SS Panzer Army, the German command decided to launch a counterattack in Hungary. With the success of the operation, the Germans hoped to push back the Red Army troops across the Danube, eliminating the threat to South Germany, their groups in Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Thus, the German command still attached exceptional importance to holding the Hungarian bridgehead, from where the routes to Austria and South Germany went. In Western Hungary and Austria, there remained the last areas of oil production and oil refineries, the products of which were of key importance for tank and air force. And Austria was important for the presence of large steel, machine-building, automobile and weapons factories, and an ammunition industry. So by the beginning of 1945, 600 Austrian enterprises produced a significant amount of equipment and ammunition every month. Western Hungary and Austria were the last lines of defense from the south. In addition, these areas provided manpower to continue the war.

The German command developed a plan for Operation Spring Awakening. The Wehrmacht delivered three cutting blows. The main blow from the Velence region and the northeastern part of Lake Balaton was delivered by the 6th SS Panzer Army of Josef (Sepp) Dietrich and the 6th Field Army of Georg Balck. They were supported by the 3rd Hungarian Army of Josef Hezleni. The main strike force of the Army Group "South" struck in the south eastbound to Dunafylvar. In some areas, 50-70 tanks and assault guns were concentrated per 1 km of the front.

The second blow south of about. Balaton, from the Nagykanizsa region in the direction of Kaposvár, was attacked by the 2nd Panzer Army of Maximilian de Angelis. The third blow was delivered by German troops from the Donji Miholyac region to the north, to Pecs and in the Mohacs direction towards the 6th SS Panzer Army. It was applied by the 91st Army Corps from Army Group E.

Three dissecting blows were supposed to destroy the Soviet defense, destroy the front of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. After the German troops reached the Danube, they had to partly develop an offensive to the north and recapture Budapest, partly to turn south. The start of the offensive was scheduled for the morning of March 6, 1945.

Thus, the German troops received the task of destroying the main forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front piece by piece and pushing the remnants of the Soviet troops across the Danube. This made it possible to restore the front line along the Danube, and to stabilize the situation along the entire strategic southern sector of the Eastern Front. After the successful completion of the Balaton operation, it was possible to defeat the 2nd Ukrainian Front with a blow to the flank. After that, the released forces, primarily armored formations, planned to be transferred to Berlin, strengthening its defenses.

Side forces

THE USSR. As part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front under the command of Fyodor Tolbukhin, there were 37 Soviet rifle, 3 cavalry divisions and 6 Bulgarian infantry divisions, 1 fortified area, 2 tank and 1 mechanized corps. From the air ground troops supported by the forces of the 17th Air Army of Vladimir Sudets and the 5th Air Army of Sergei Goryunov from the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In total, more than 400 thousand soldiers and officers, about 7 thousand guns and mortars, 400 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 1 thousand aircraft.

Germany. The troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were opposed by the forces of the Army Group "South" under the command of Otto Wöhler: the 6th SS Panzer Army, the army group "Balk" (6th Army, the remnants of the 1st and 3rd Hungarian armies), 2- I am a tank army; and part of Army Group E. From the air, the German-Hungarian troops were supported by part of the 4th Air Fleet and the Hungarian Air Force.

Together with the 6th SS Panzer Army transferred from the Western Front, the German forces consisted of 31 divisions, including 11 tank divisions, 5 battle groups and 1 motorized brigade. In total, more than 430 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 5.6 thousand guns and mortars, about 900 tanks and self-propelled guns, 900 armored personnel carriers and 850 combat aircraft.

Thus, in terms of the number of infantry, the Germans and Hungarians had a slight advantage, in terms of artillery and aircraft, the Red Army had a slight advantage. But in terms of tanks and self-propelled guns, the Germans had more than a double superiority and pinned their main hope on them.

Battle

German troops delivered a powerful blow on March 6, 1945. The first blows were delivered on the southern flank. Even at night, the positions of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav armies were attacked, and in the early morning they hit the 57th Army. On the site of the 57th Army, the Germans conducted an hour-long artillery preparation and, at the cost of great effort and losses, were able to wedge into the Soviet defenses. However, the army command took a number of retaliatory measures, introducing second-echelon troops and artillery reserves into the battle, which prevented the enemy from further advance. As a result, south of Lake Balaton, the Germans advanced only 6-8 km.

On the defense sector of the 1st Bulgarian and 3rd Yugoslav armies, the Germans, despite the brave resistance of the Bulgarian and Yugoslav troops, crossed the Drava and captured two bridgeheads, each up to 8 km wide along the front and up to 5 km in depth. However, the German troops failed to launch an offensive on Pecs and Mohacs. Soviet command in order to strengthen the defense in this sector, sent the 133rd Rifle Corps and the division of guards mortars to help. This stabilized the situation on this sector of the front. Bulgarian and Soviet troops, supported by Soviet forces, repelled the blow of the troops of Army Group "E" and went on the counteroffensive. The German bridgeheads were eliminated. Fighting on this sector of the front continued until March 22. Thus, the offensive of the German troops on the southern flank (Operation Forest Devil) was thwarted.

In the morning, after a 30-minute artillery preparation, the German 6th SS Panzer Army and the 6th Field Army went on the offensive in the sector of the 4th Guards and 26th Armies. In order to break through the Soviet defenses, the Germans massively threw armored vehicles into battle. In some areas, the number of tanks and assault guns reached 70 vehicles per 1-2 km of the front. Massively used new heavy and medium tanks "Tiger-2" and "Panther". By the end of the day, the Germans penetrated 4 km into the defense of the Soviet troops and took the Sheregeyesh stronghold. The Soviet command, in order to strengthen the defense, began to bring the 18th tank corps into battle. The 3rd Airborne Division of the 35th Guards Rifle Corps from the 27th Army was also sent here. On the same day, stubborn battles were fought in the defense zone of the 1st Guards fortified area from the 4th Guards Army.

On March 7, with the massive support of the Luftwaffe, the German troops resumed their offensive. The situation was especially difficult in the defense zone of the 26th Army of Hagen, where up to 200 tanks and self-propelled guns were concentrated. The Germans constantly maneuvered their forces, looking for weaknesses in the defense of the Soviet army. The Soviet command transferred anti-tank reserves to threatened areas. The army of Hagen was reinforced by the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps and the 208th Self-Propelled Artillery Brigade. In addition, to strengthen the defense of the armies of the first echelon, the troops of Trofimenko's 27th Army began to advance to the second line of defense. A major role in repelling the enemy offensive that day was played by the massive strikes of the 17th Air Army of Sudets on the attacking formations of the German tank and infantry divisions.

In two days of stubborn battle, German troops were able to penetrate the Soviet defenses four kilometers south of Velence Island and seven kilometers west of the Sharviz Canal. The Wehrmacht was unable to break through the tactical defense zone of the Soviet troops. Timely measures taken to strengthen the defense and the stubborn resistance of the Soviet troops prevented a breakthrough by the Germans.

On March 8-9, heavy fighting continued. On March 8, the German command committed its main forces to the battle. The Germans continued to look for weak points, throwing large masses of armored vehicles into attacks in some areas. More than 250 tanks and self-propelled guns operated in the direction of the main attack. The fighting continued day and night. Counting on the decrease in the effectiveness of Soviet aviation and artillery, the Germans continued their attacks at night. March 9, the German command brought into battle another tank division. As a result, the army of Hagen held back the onslaught already up to 320 tanks and self-propelled guns.

As a result, the Wehrmacht broke through the main and second defense lines of the Soviet troops and wedged 10-24 kilometers in the main direction. However, success was still far away, since it was necessary to break through the rear army and front lines of defense, and the main forces were already committed to the battle and suffered heavy losses. On March 10, at the direction of the Headquarters, aviation of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 5th Air Army of Goryunov, joined in repelling the enemy offensive. In addition, by order of the Headquarters, the 9th Guards Army of Glagolev, deployed southeast of the Hungarian capital, was transferred to the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Tolbukhin had a large reserve in case the situation worsened.

Especially stubborn battles flared up on March 10-14. On March 10, the enemy armored fist operating between the lakes Velence and Balaton already had 450 vehicles. There were fierce battles. Artillery, aircraft and tanks played a huge role in repelling enemy attacks these days. The German command, trying to break the Soviet defenses at any cost, on March 14 threw its last reserve into battle - the 6th Panzer Division. For two days, only the troops of Trofimenko's 27th Army resisted a powerful enemy grouping of more than 300 tanks and assault guns. The Germans were able to advance up to 30 km deep into the Soviet defenses.

However, soon the forces of the German divisions were exhausted. There were no reserves to continue the offensive. The Germans were never able to completely break through the defense Soviet armies. By the end of March 15, many German formations, including selected SS units, having lost faith in the success of a further offensive, began to refuse to go on the attack. As a result, the counteroffensive of the German troops bogged down. Under the cover of tank units, which continued to fight stubbornly, the rest of the troops began to retreat to their original positions and went on the defensive. Hitler flew into a rage and ordered the personnel of the 6th SS Panzer Army to rip off the honorary sleeve ribbons from their uniforms.

Results

The last major German offensive ended in the defeat of the Wehrmacht. A major role in this success of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was played by intelligence, which revealed the plans of the enemy in time. Otherwise, the situation could have been much more dangerous.

German troops suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment - more than 40 thousand people, about 500 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 300 guns and mortars, about 200 aircraft. But most importantly, the morale of the Wehrmacht, including the elite SS troops, was finally undermined. The positions of the German-Hungarian troops in Western Hungary were weakened, which played a big role in the subsequent Vienna Offensive. In addition, the weakened 6th SS Panzer Army, which had lost most of its equipment, was unable to help the defense of Berlin.

The Soviet troops were able to wear down the enemy with a stubborn defense, frustrating the Germans' attempt to restore the front along the Danube, and with virtually no operational pause, went on the offensive in the direction of Vienna. The losses of the 3rd Ukrainian Front amounted to about 33 thousand people. The Bulgarian-Yugoslav troops were able to repel the enemy's attacks and, having launched a counteroffensive, captured the cities of Drava Sabolch, Drava Polkonya and several other settlements.

Short in time, but full of events and stubborn battles, the Balaton operation, along with the battle on the Kursk Bulge, is an example of the high organization and skillful conduct of operational defense by the Red Army troops.

1914 East Prussian operation (4 (17) August - 2 (15) September). The purpose of the operation is to defeat the German 8th Army with sweeping strikes from the flanks, to capture East Prussia in order to develop an offensive deep into Germany. The inconsistency of the actions of the Russian armies (General P.K. Rannenkampf and General A.V. Samsonov) led to the defeat and withdrawal of the Russian troops. 50 thousand soldiers were captured and died.

Battle of Galicia (5 (18) August - 8 (21) September). It became one of the biggest events of the war: the fighting was carried out on a 400 km long front. The losses of Austria-Hungary amounted to 400 thousand people, Russia - 230 thousand. Russian troops managed not only to repel the offensive of four Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia and Poland, but also to create a threat of invasion into Hungary and Silesia. The enemy failed to impose a “blitzkrieg” on Russia and achieve decisive successes already at the initial stage of the war.

Warsaw-Ivangorod operation (September 15 (28) - October 26 (November 8)). Saving the allies from complete defeat, Germany transferred troops to Upper Silesia, and also launched an offensive against Ivan-gorod and Warsaw. Almost half of the Russian forces took part in repelling the offensive. As a result, the German offensive was stopped and the enemy was driven back to their original positions.

Lodz operation (October 29 (November 11) - November 11 (24). The command of the German army tried to encircle and destroy the 2nd and 5th Russian armies in the Lodz region. The Russians managed not only to resist, but also to push back the enemy.

1915 In winter, Germany went on the defensive on the Western Front and transferred the main military operations to the Eastern Front. Its main task was to withdraw Russia from the war. Already in the winter campaign of 1915, up to 50% of all armed forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary were sent against Russia. In May, Russian troops left Galicia. By the end of the 1915 campaign, Russian troops were forced to leave significant territories: Poland, part of the Baltic states, Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. By the end of the year, the front passed along the line Riga - Dvinsk - Baranovichi - Pinsk - Dubno - Tarnopol.

1916 Naroch operation (5 (18) - 16 (29) March). The need for this operation was caused by the desire to alleviate the situation of the French in the Verdun area. The operation did not lead to success, but the Germans were forced to transfer about four divisions to the Eastern Front.

Brusilovsky breakthrough (May 22 (June 4) - July 31 (August 13)). Russian forces under the command of General A. A. Brusilov carried out a powerful breakthrough of the front in the region of Lutsk and Kovel, occupied Bukovina in a short time and reached the passes of the Carpathian Mountains. The Austro-Hungarian troops were defeated, their losses amounted to 1.5 million people. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of complete defeat and exit from the war. To save the situation, Germany withdrew 34 divisions from the French and Italian fronts. Russian troops lost about 500 thousand people.

Mitavskaya operation (December 23-29 (January 5-11, 1917)). The offensive of the Russian troops in the Riga area was unexpected for the Germans. Nevertheless, they not only stopped the Russian 12th Army, but also forced it to retreat from its previous positions. For Russia, the Mitav operation ended in vain. Killed, wounded and captured lost 23 thousand people.

1917 June offensive (16 (29) June 15 (28) July). Undertaken by the military command of the Provisional Government along the entire front. Due to the fall in discipline and the growth of anti-war sentiment in the troops, it ended in complete failure. Losses amounted to about 30 thousand people.

Riga operation (August 19 (September 1) - August 24 (September 6)). The offensive operation of the German troops with the aim of capturing Riga. On the night of August 21 (September 3), the 12th Russian army left Riga, having lost about 25 thousand people.

It should be noted that the Eastern Front played the role of a "savior" for the Western Front. So it was in 1914, when, at the request of the allies, without completing the mobilization, the Russian troops launched an offensive in East Prussia, which ended with the death of the army of General Samsonov. The activity of the Russians forced the German command to make adjustments to A. von Schlieffen's plan and transfer troops from the Western Front, which helped the French win the Battle of the Marne and save Paris. Turkey's entry into the war on the side of Germany and the closure of the Black Sea straits effectively cut Russia off from world markets and placed it under conditions of an economic blockade. The years 1915-1916 can be considered unsuccessful for the Russian army. With the exception of a successful offensive in May - June 1916 in Galicia (Brusilovsky breakthrough), all attacking operations of the Russian troops ended in heavy losses and failure. Already in 1915, Lithuania, Poland and Galicia were occupied by enemy troops. However, the situation was not hopeless. While reserves were being prepared in the rear, the Russian army successfully held the front until mid-1917, not letting the enemy into the central provinces.

The reasons for military failures are related to the general socio-economic situation in Russia. The main reason is the inability of Russian industry and transport to meet the needs of the front (in 1915, the provision of Russian artillery with ammunition was only 10%). At the initiative of the public, in May 1915, the Central Military Industrial Committee (MIC) was created, headed by A.I. Guchkov (see Military-Industrial Committees), who was engaged in the distribution of military orders between large enterprises. The joint activities of the military-industrial complex, the All-Russian Zemstvo Union and the All-Russian Union of Cities (Zemgor), created in July 1915, contributed to the improvement of the supply of the army and medical and sanitary affairs by the end of 1916 - the beginning of 1917. Large stocks of weapons and ammunition were created. The activity of public organizations emphasized the inability of the official authorities to organize the conduct of the war and the supply of large cities with fuel and food. Ministerial leapfrog, influence at the court of G.E. Rasputin, the inability of the autocrat, who was at headquarters in Mogilev, to effectively manage the country - all this undermined the authority of the authorities. At a meeting on November 13, 1916, the Duma regarded the activities of the government as “stupidity or treason” and demanded from the tsar the creation of a new cabinet, responsible not to him, but to the Duma.

Already after the overthrow of the autocracy, in June 1917, the Provisional Government tried to organize an offensive at the front. Due to the decline of military discipline, this offensive ended in complete failure. The inability to wage war, as well as the desire of the Bolshevik government to stay in power by any means, led to the signing on March 3, 1918 of the humiliating Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany. On this day, Russia's participation in the First World War ended.

OPINIONS OF HISTORIANS

On the impact of the First World War on the socio-political situation in Russia. This issue does not cause alternative approaches, however, representatives of numerous historical schools focus on various aspects of the identified problem. Thus, Soviet historians consider the situation in Russia solely from the standpoint of its usefulness for the revolution. The hardships of the war exacerbated the social contradictions that were not resolved by the government after the revolution of 1905-1907. The war gave weapons to the proletariat and peasantry, which made it easier to carry out an armed uprising. The unsuccessful conduct of hostilities, the protracted nature of the war and the numerous casualties contributed to the fall in the authority of the authorities, the aggravation of class contradictions and the growth of discontent among the general population. All of the above aspects helped the revolutionary party to turn the "imperialist war into a civil war."

Without denying the statements of historians of the Marxist school, modern historical science focuses on the moral aspects of the problem. Analyzing the documents of that era, researchers come to the conclusion that the First World War tore millions of people out of their natural environment, turned them into marginals, and taught them how to kill. Human life has depreciated, people are used to death and suffering. Only a strong social organism could cope with this situation and return the people to normal life. The Russian state was not. The horrors of the war have led many prominent politicians from the liberal and revolutionary camps to believe that the old world, which gave rise to these horrors, has exhausted itself.