With the Russian Army 1914-1917

Contents

 

Volume I

 

 

INTRODUCTION The Russian Army in 1914 Conditions of service — Military Law of 1914 — Recruitment — Organisation in peace — Expansion in war — Number of men available — Depot units — Armament — Rifles — Machine-guns — Guns — Aircraft — Transport — Training — The officers — General Staff — Regimental and reserve officers — The non-commissioned officers — The rank and file — A long war necessarily fatal to Russia

CHAPTER I The Outbreak of War. General Headquarters and The South-West Front in August, 1914 Return from leave through Germany at the end of July — The mobilisation — General Laguiche — Forecast of the enemy's probable distribution of strength — Departure from Petrograd in the Grand Duke Nikolas's train — The Grand Duke's Staff — The journey to Baranovichi — Conversation with the Grand Duke — General Jilinski, Commander-in- Chief of the North- West Front — Boredom of life at Baranovichi — The Russian plan of campaign and strategical deployment — Composition of the front-line armies — Visit to the South- West Front — Dinner with General Ivanov — The 3rd Army on the eve of crossing the frontier — Visit to the 33rd Division — Russian patience and good temper — Departure from Baranovichi

CHAPTER II The Disaster to the 2nd Army, August, 1914 General situation on the North- West Front — Interview with General Jilinski on the evening of August 23rd — Lunch with General Samsonov at Ostrolenka on August 24th — Situation of the 2nd Army — Chief of Staff's pessimism — Arrival at Neidenburg — Visits to General Martos of the XVth Corps and to General Torklus of the 6th Division — Battle of Orlau-Frankenau — Lack of businesslike method — Position of the Russian forces on the evening of the 25th — Arrival of General Samsonov at Neidenburg on August 26th — German attack on the 1st Corps — Situation on the night of the 26th — Position on the morning of August 27th — Russian estimate of German strength — Signs of nerves — Conversation with General Samsonov on the morning of the 28th — Drive to Ostrolenka — Situation in Warsaw — The battle in the south undecided — Back to Ostrolenka — The disaster to the 2nd Army from accounts of eye-witnesses — Relation of the Russian Staff. AFTERNOTE. — At Byelostok — Recapture and re-abandonment of Neidenburg — A German account of events in the and Army — Inex- perience of Russian commanders — Defective services of intelligence and communications — Orders and counter-orders — Adventures of Samsonov's Chief of Intelligence — Work of the 1st Army — Relation of a member of Rennenkampf's Staff — Wanderings of the IInd Corps — Relation of a member of the Staff of the IInd Corps — The invasion of East Prussia gained its object, but the price paid was unnecessarily great — Wonderful success of the German Command — Removal of Russian commanders-r-Reconstitution of the XVth and XIIIth Corps

CHAPTER III With a Cavalry Division in South-West Poland, September- October, 1914 Success of the Russian offensive on the South-West Front — Rumoured enemy transfers from the French theatre — Visit to the fitape Commandant at Warsaw — Pessimistic Englishmen — Journey to join the Staff of the 9th Army in Galicia — Difficulties at Lyublin — Bibikov's death — Guard Co-operative Society — Anecdotes of the recent fighting — The wounded — Supply and transport — Preparations for the defence of the Vistula — Keen subalterns — Sandomir— The Cossacks — Headquarters of the gth Army at Zolbnev — General Gulevich — Situation in Galicia — Proposed cavalry raid on Austrian communications — The start of the raid — 14th Cavalry Division — Generals Novikov and Erdeli — Staff of the 14th Cavalry Division — Polish mistrust of Russian promises — A disturbed night — The situation — Staff routine — Cavalry armament — Skirmish with " Sokols " — Remounts — A month's casualties in a cavalry division — Burning of a country house — Orders — Terrible situation of the Poles — " The Bloodthirsty Cornet " — The division recalled to the north owing to the German offensive — Skirmish with a German cavalry patrol — Examination of prisoners — Through Pinchov with a sentimental officer — The enemy strength estimated at one corps only — Maxim's "gallantry" — Position of opposing forces — Delaying action at Yasenn — A Jewish spy — Continuation of retreat — Adventures of a Cossack squadron commander on reconnaissance — Situation on October 1st — Machine-guns — Strength of cavalry regiment — Reconnaissance — Futility of attempts to delay the advance of the enemy infantry — Confidence regarding the speedy end of the war — Horse-rations in peace and war — Intelligence — Reconnaissance and " flying posts " — Battle patrols — Orderly parties — A night alarm and subsequent march — A German prisoner — Russian infantry west of the Vistula — Staff of the Cavalry Corps loses control owing to rapidity of enemy advance — Supply — Narrow escape at Ostrovets on October 3rd — Last " delaying position " on October 6th — Retirement across the Vistula at Novo Alexandriya — Good-bye to the 14th Cavalry Division — Journey to Warsaw. AFTERNOTE. — The average daily march of the 14th Cavalry Division — The Russian cavalry — Subsequent services of the I4th Cavalry Division— Of General Erdeli — Of General Sencha — Of Captain Sapojnikov — Fine death of Colonel Westphalen — Death of Captain Plotnikov, his presentiment — Subsequent services of General Novikov and of Colonel Dreyer

CHAPTER IV With the 9th Army and the Guard Corps In South West Poland. Hindenburg's First Offensive Against Warsaw and the Russian Counter-Offensive. October-December, 1914 Line held by the Russians in Galicia on September 21st, 1914 — Difficulties of supply — Transfer to the north — First news received of Hindenburg's advance on September 23rd — Question whether the enemy should be met west of or in rear of the Vistula — The disaster at Opatov — Location of units of 4th, gth and 5th Armies on October 6th — Difficulties in carrying out the Russian change of front — Failure of the enemy's plans — Warsaw crowded with fugitives on October 1 2th — The Russians resume the offensive — Journey to Lyublin — Weather— Railway transport — Office of Commandant of the Lines of Communication at Lyublin — Story of the Jew at Ivangorod — The road from Lyublin to Krasnik — The distribution of armies — The ride back from Krasnik — General Lechitski — Russian success at Warsaw — General Gulevich regrets the lack of bridgeheads on the Vistula — The fieldpost — Orders issued to the Qth Army for the offensive^ — Drive from Lyublin to Ivangorod to join the Guard Corps — Russian infantry on the march — Second -line transport — The battle of Ivangorod — Visit to the XXVth Corps in advance of Novo Alex- andriya — Retirement of the enemy — The church at Zvolen — A subaltern of the Preobrajenski Regiment — A drummer boy's funeral — Russian distribution on October 28th — The Staff of the Guard Corps — A priest's story — Touch with the enemy lost — Stories of the enemy's doings — Visit to Warsaw — Russian plans — Sufferings of the Poles — Return to the Guard Corps — Second-line troops — Destruction of railways — Situation in South-West Poland on November 8th — Advance of the Guard Corps towards Krakau — Waiting for the 3rd Army — Nervousness regarding ammunition supply — Composition of the 3rd and 8th Armies — Tired infantry — A Frenchman — The tunnel at Myekhov — The system of replacing casualties in the Guard Corps — Objectives of Russian armies — A Guard regiment in action — Russian information of enemy dispositions on November 17th — A prisoner's reply — The 2nd Guard Infantry Division held up — The first news of the offensive from Thorn received at 1 a.m. on the 18th —General anxiety regarding shortage of ammunition — Failure of Russian counter-offensive becomes probable — The 45th Division in action — Points about winter warfare — Views in South-West Poland regarding offensive from Thorn — Shortage of shell not local but general — Depression — Visit to the Finlandski Regiment at Yangrot and to the Preobrajenski Regiment at Poremba Gorna — Abandonment of the attempted offensive — Losses in the Guard Corps — Men in the trenches frozen at night — Strength opposite the 4th and 9th Armies — 9th Army averages only 7,000 men per division — Another visit to the Preobrajenski Regiment — Slackness of counter-espionage —Weakness of our strategy — Grand Duke's enquiries regarding equipment — Lack of officers — The tunnel at Myekhov — Retirement becomes probable — Inefficient railway management — Inefficiency of the Lines of Communication — Visit to Headquarters of the 2nd Guard Infantry Division — Progress of the 3rd Army south of Krakau — Desertions — Drive to Warsaw — Drafts on the march — Warsaw rumours — Large reinforcements for the front — Arrival at Petrograd. AFTERNOTE. — Failure of Hindenburg's first offensive in Poland — Failure of the Russian counter-offensive — The latter in reality a gigantic bluff

CHAPTER V Hindenburg's Second Offensive in Poland, November and  December, 1914 Hindenburg appointed Commander-in-Chief of the German Forces in the East — Ludendorff suggests the offensive from Thorn — The German concentration — Tardy Russian counter-measures — Mackenzen 's rapid advance — Defeat of the ist and 2nd Armies in detail — Arrangements for the rescue of the 2nd Army — Generals Rennenkampf and Plehve — Plehve and the orderly officer — Move north of the 5th Army — Enterprise of the German penetrating force — Launch of the relieving forces from the ist Army — The advance of the Lovich Force — Change of commander — Lack of information and of proper equipment — Second change of commander — Modification of orders — The German penetrating force receives orders to retire, 7 p.m. on the 22nd — Further change of orders in the Lovich Force — The 6th Siberian Division asks for help — Indecision — Russians in the dark — Staff of Lovich Force loses touch with all its columns — Destruction of the 6th Siberian Division — Escape of the German penetrating force — Its remarkable work — Disappointment of the Russians — Russian forces much intermingled — Arrival of German reinforcements — Loss of Lodz and Lovich — Retirement of the Russian armies to the " river line" — The operation of Lodz probably the most interesting of the war from a military psychological standpoint — The fog of war — Value of co-operation — Wonderful German organisation — Mackenzen's initial success — His failure owing to the delay and weakness of the German offensive further south — Question whether the German Supreme Command might not with advantage have delayed its offensive till the arrival of reinforcements from France and have then launched it from Mlava instead of from Thorn — The Russian Intelligence on this occasion at fault — Brilliant work of the Russian 5th Army — Rennenkampf's failure — Question whether the Russian Supreme Command should not have detached troops to the north

CHAPTER VI War of Position West of the Vistula. The German Attack on the Russian 10th Army. Operations of the 10th , 12th and 1st Armies in Advance of the Narev, January to March, 1915 Shortage of rifles — The cause — Shortage of shell — Reduction of the number of guns in the infantry division from forty-eight to thirty-six — The retirement to the " river line " caused by loss of men and deficiency of armament — Question whether the Grand Duke knew in October of the deficiency of rifles and of shell — Secretiveness of Russian officials — General Sukhomlinov amply warned by the Staffs of the Fronts and by the Artillery Department — His career and character — The Assistant Minister of War — Interview with General Sukhomlinov on December i6th — Optimism of the Times — Visit to G.H.Q. — The Emperor at G.H.Q. — Warsaw in January, 1915 — Distribution of armies west of Warsaw — Fighting against Austrians — Opinions of General Erdeli and of Count Prjetski on the role and tactics of cavalry — The Staff of the 5th Army at Mogilnitsa — Christmas-trees — Difficulty of obtaining information — General Plehve — An enemy airman —Plehve and Miller— Visit to the XIXth Corps— The Poles as fighters — The Poles and the Russians : two points of view — Clumsy German propaganda — The 17th Division and the 68th Borodino Regiment — Poor trenches — Distribution of strength in the IVth Corp»— Formation of the 12th Army — Appointment of General Gulevich as Chief of Staff of the North-West Front — His reception of the news — Russian armies on the South-West Front — Anecdote from the 4th Army — Enemy offensive against the 11th Army — Comparison of strength on the South- West Front — Enemy attack on the Bzura at the end of January — The Guard Corps ordered to Lomja — Billets at Lomja — The disaster to the 10th Army — Situation on the Narev in the middle of February — Task of the 12th Army — Tactical instructions — Concentration of the 12th Army — A cavalry "raid" — East Prussian versus Galician line of advance — Regroupment on February 16th — Indecision regarding point of concentration of reinforcements — Count Nostitz — Orders and counter-orders — Sufferings of the wounded — Playing at war in the Staff — Futile march of the 2nd Guard Infantry Division and the Guard Rifle Brigade — The troops between the Bobr and the Pissa placed under the orders of General Bezobrazov — Orders for the attack on February 2oth — Failure of the 2nd Division at Yedvabno and consequent collapse of the attack — General discouragement — Continued transfer of Russian and enemy forces to the Narev front — Visit to the 2nd Guard Infantry Division — Shell — Superiority of the Germans in manoeuvre — Arrival of General Plehve at Lomja — Poor impression made by the Vth and 1st Corps — disagreement between Generals Plehve and Bezobrazov regarding the plan of attack — The question of Osovets — Futile attacks on March 2nd, 3rd and 4th — Adventure of Austin armoured cars — The operation of Prasnish — News of the attack on the Dardanelles — Lack of shell — Pessimism — Losses — Failure of the second German offensive on Prasnish — Visit to the 2nd Guard Infantry Division with General Bezobrazov — The power of religion — Dinner to the Commander of the Hlrd Caucasian Corps — Colonel Engelhardt's views on strategy, on Russian generals, on the peace training of officers and on the issue of impossible orders — Orders issued on March i6th for a general standfast on the North- West Front — Russian units in the Eastern theatre outnumber enemy units, but the enemy superior in communications, supply of shell, number of machine-guns and in organisation — Recalled to Petrograd

CHAPTER VII Rear Services and the Internal Situation in the Spring and Summer of 1915 Losses in five months of war — Number of men called up — The Opolchenie — Depot units — Infantry — Cavalry artillery — Number of divisions mobilised — Lack of rifles — Other desiderata — Lack of guns and of shell— Attitude of the Artillery Department — The Grand Duke Serge — Suggestions put forward by the French Technical Mission — Lord Kitchener's policy — Russian attitude towards the firm of Vickers —Colonel Ellershaw's mission to the Grand Duke Nikolas — General Manikovski — Russia's effort in shell production in the first nine months of war compared with England's — Lord Kitchener's message and the reply of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Gas masks — Riots in Moscow in June — Three unpopular ministers — The Minister of War, General Sukhomlinov, dismissed on June 25th and succeeded by General Polivanov — Colonel Myasoyedov hung as a spy — War weariness of all classes

CHAPTER VIII The German Offensive on the Dunajec and the Retreat from Poland, April-August, 1915 The "stand-fast " on the North- West Front — Capture of Przemysl — Offensive by the 3rd and 8th Armies in the Carpathians in April — The Mackenzen stroke on the Dunajec — Retreat of the 3rd Army — Retreat of the 4th, 8th and nth Armies — Exhaustion of the 3rd Army — Despatch of reinforcements — Przemysl abandoned — Failure of the counter-offensive west of the San — Lack of heavy artillery — Confusion of units in the 3rd and 8th Armies — The capture of Memel by the Russians leads to the German invasion of Kurland — The importance of the new offensive at first underrated — Formation of the 1 3th Army — The Russians outnumbered — The transfer of three corps from the north to the 4th and 3rd Armies — Optimism at War- saw—Visit to the Staff of the North- West Front at Syedlets— Opinions regarding Generals Ruzski and Alexyeev — Composition of the Russian armies at the beginning of July — The Supreme Command opposed to a counter-offensive owing to lack of rifles and shell — Disagreement of General Bezobrazov with General Leslie — First meeting of the Russian Guard with the Prussian Guard — General Bezobrazov replaced in command of the Guard Corps by General Olukhov — The flank of the Guard turned owing to the retreat of the Ilnd Siberian Corps — Incompetence of General Antipov — Retreat of the 3rd Army — Lyublin and Kholm abandoned — Lunch with the Staff of the 4th Army — At the Staff of the 1st Army — Retreat of the ist Army in July — Retreat of the 12th Army — The retirement from the Vistula — Situation on August 7th — Novogeorgievsk — Visit to the XXVIIth Corps on August i2th — Effect of lack of armament on morale — Feeling regarding the " inaction " of the Allies — Fine conduct of the regimental officers under the strain of the retreat — The tragedy of the lack of shell — The staff of the I2th Army moved to Petrograd — Staff of the I3th Army moved to Riga — The fall of Kovna and of Novogeorgievsk — Visit to Osovets and its abandon- ment on August 22nd — Polish fugitives

CHAPTER IX Events on the Northern and Western Fronts from the Middle of August till the Middle of October, 1915 Lack of transverse railways — The story of the fall of Kovna — Trial of the Commandant — Formation of the Northern Front under General Ruzski — Events on the Dvina in late August and early September — Assumption of the Supreme Command by the Emperor with General Alexyeev as Chief of Staff — Opinions regarding General Alexyeev — Opinions regarding the change in the Supreme Command — Un- popularity of the Empress — Mistrust of authority — Corruption on the railways — The German cavalry raid on Svyentsyani — Retreat of the 10th Army — Distribution of the Russian armies in October, 1915 — Shortage of rifles — Shaken morale of the army — Deserters — A young officer's letter to General Alexyeev — Opinions of Generals Odishelidze and Novitski regarding the Russian soldier — General Ruzski — General Ewarth — Supper with General Lebedev

CHAPTER X With a Russian Delegation to England and France Composition of the Delegation — Situation in Arkhangel — Mined in the White Sea — Three weeks in a bay in Lapland — Work in London — Appeal to Lord Kitchener and interview with Sir William Robertson in Paris — Visit to the French Front — Interview with General Foch — Short visit to the British Front — St. Omer — Impressions of the Russians regarding Lord Kitchener and Mr. Lloyd George — Fate of Admiral Russin — Adventures of Commander Romanov

List of Illustrations   His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaievich   Frontis. Operations Department of the General Staff, G.H.Q., 1914-15 General Marquis de Laguiche and General Ivanov Russians collecting German wounded, Orlau-Frankenau, 1914 Sandomir, September, 1914 Cooking-carts, Lagov, S.W. Poland, 1914 Railway bridge, N. of Kyeltsi, destroyed by Germans, 1914 Railway demolished near Myekhov, 1914 Western end of tunnel, N. of Myekhov, demolished by Germans, 1914 Officers of the 5th Battery, 2nd Guard Artillery Brigade Rodzianko and telephone " sentry " Headquarters 5th Army, Mogilnitsa, 1915 Operations Section of the Staff of 5th Army, 1915 Second line defences, N. of Lomja, 1915 Peasant women at work on a position N.E. of Lbmja, 1915 Bridging under difficulties, Novogrod, N. Poland, 1915 Headquarters of 2nd Division of the Guard, 1915 Lieutenant Gershelman and Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Duke of Mecklenburg, Inspector of Artillery of the Guard Staff of the Guard Corps, July 18-31, 1915 General Bezobrazov thanking 3rd and 4th Guard Rifle Regiments for their services, 1915 Jewish fugitives escaping from Reiovets, 1915 Colonel L , a Baltic baron Typical faces, II Siberian Corps General Balanin, Commander XXVIIth Corps Count Ignatiev, Commander of Preobrajenski Regiment of the Guard Baron Budberg, and hole made by German shell General Brjozovski, defender of Osovets General Brjozovski and specimens of shell fired into fortress Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich distributing crosses, 1915 Packing up to fly before German advance, 1915 Group of Kharkov Opolchenie Tired-out men of the 5th Rifle Brigade

 

 

 

 

 

Volume II

 

 

CHAPTER XI The Northern and South-Western Fronts and Petrograd January-March, 1916 Changes in the distribution of the armies during the winter — The offensive on the South-West Front in December, 1915, and January, 1916 — The raid on Nevel in November, 1915 — The internal situation — The Rasputin scandal — Improvement at the front — Lack of officers — Quality of divisions of various categories — Faults of organisation in the replacement of casualties — Visit to the Northern Front in February, 1916 — General Plehve's retirement — His character and services — Succeeded by General Kuropatkin — Opinion of General Bonch-Bruevich regarding Russian strategy — Great improvement in Russian position on the Northern Front — Defective communications — Intelligence system — Conversations with General Radko Dimitriev — His opinion of allied strategy, of Ferdinand of Coburg, of shell and S.A.A. supply, of " side-shows," of the Rumanian army — The Rumanian military attache on the position of his country — The Russian policy towards Rumania — General Gurko — The South-West Front- — The Chief of Staff, General Klembovski — The General Quartermaster, General Dictrikhs — Conversation with General Ivanov — His retirement

CHAPTER XII The Russian Offensive on the Northern and Western Fronts in March, 1916. The Supply of Munitions. The Railways, April-July, 1916 Grouping of the Russian army in the spring of 1916 — Plans for the year — The offensive of March on the Northern and Western Fronts — Its failure — Faults in tactics — Folly of launching an offensive at such a season — Complaints at Staffs of the Front, of the Army and of Groups — Difficulty regarding American contracts — Attitude of the Russian Artillery Department — Dismissal of General Polivanov — His enemies — Stories — Engineer Bratolyubov — Conversation with General Polivanov — The new Minister of War, General Shuvaiev — Interview with General Shuvaiev — Visits of Allied missions — M.M. Viviani and Albert Thomas — M. Thomas's conclusions — Proposed visit of Lord ' Kitchener — The loss of the Hampshire — Russia's munition effort in the first seventeen and a half months of war — Summary of armament on March 20th, 1916 — Rifles supplied by the Allies — Strength and weaknesses at the front — -Influence of the lack of railways and of rolling-stock on the output of munitions and on the price of necessities — Application to Great Britain for large credits for railway material refused — Natural causes of strain on the railways — System of administration of railways in June, 1916 — Visit to G.H.Q. — Conversation with the Emperor — Conversation with the Grand Duke Serge — General Shovaiev'S opinion regarding the supply of meat — An " unpleasant incident"

CHAPTER XIII Operations on the south-west front from the commencement of Brusilov's Offensive (June 4th, 1916) till the Formation of the Guard Army (July 25th 1916) The main Russian offensive of the year projected from Krevo on Vilna — The preliminary concentration and preparations — Fifty-eight Russian divisions on the Western Front and only thirty-eight each on the Northern and South-Western Fronts — Only two Austrian divisions north of the Pripyat and only two German divisions south of that river — Enemy armies opposing the South-West Front — Composition of the armies of the Russian South-West Front- — Russian forces superior to the enemy in number of rifles, but inferior in guns, machine-guns and in air power — Promotion of General Brusilov to be Commander-in-Chief of the South-West Front — His career — Brusilov's offensive launched as a demonstration to help Italy — The Army Commanders — The attack of the 8th Army — Its brilliant success — The nth Army fails — Careful preparation of the offensive in the 7th Army — Its success — Details of the dispositions for the attack in the 9th Army — The enemy routed — Czernowitz captured, June 17th — Reasons for the success of the 9th Army in contrast to the failure in December, 1915 — Summary of the success achieved by the middle of June — Prompt German assistance sent to the defeated Austrian armies — Von Linsingen's enveloping attack against the 8th Army — The Russian 3rd Army is added to Brusilov's command and drives von Linsingen back to the Stokhod, July 4th-7th — The 9th Army completes the conquest of Bukovina, June 24th — Occupies Kolomea, June 29th, and Delatyn, July 10th — The nth Army captures Brody, July 28th

CHAPTER XIV The Transfer to the South. Events on the Northern and Western Fronts in June and July, 1916 Brusilov's success causes the Russian Supreme Command to change its plans — The race to the south — Abandonment of the Krevo offensive — The offensive of the 4th Army north of Baranovichi — Its failure — General Abram Dragomirov's opinion regarding the cause of failure — General Ragoza's opinions regarding the Russian officer and the Russian soldier — His own repeated transfer — The lack of Initiative In the Russian army and of character in the Supreme Command — Opinion of the General Quartermaster of the Western Front on the abandonment of the offensive from Krevo and on the attempt north of Baranovichi — Abortive offensive from Riga bridgehead, July 16th-21st — Radko Dimitriev's suggestion of a surprise attack — Projected combined operation from the Riga bridgehead on August 21st — Abandonment of further attempts to prevent enemy transfers to the south — Dissatisfaction with the Allies — Prince Dolgoruki — General Fidotov — Actual transfers from the Western theatre to the Eastern theatre — The Staff of the 1st Army in October, 1916 .. 449

CHAPTER XV The Operations of the Guard Army on the Stokhod, July 21st-August 12th, 1916. A Visit to the 9th Army Formation of the Guard Army on July 21st — Its staff and composition-Interview with General Brusilov on July 30th — His plans — Opinion of General Quartermaster regarding lack of technical equipment — Russian and enemy losses — Deployment of the Guard Army — Successful attack on July 28th — Failure to cross the Stokhod — Heavy losses — Gloomy prospects — Atmosphere of mistrust in the Staff — Visit to the 8th Army on August 4th — Censorship — Anecdote of a visit to a Russian Staff in the Carpathians — The attack of the Guard Rifle Division on Vitonej — The infantry sacrificed owing to poor support of the artillery, the result of lack of training in combined manoeuvre — A conference at Lutsk on August 4th decides on a new offensive — An anti-aircraft battery sent to the front to practise — Visit to the Staff of the ist Guard Corps — The Grand Dukes Paul and Dimitri Pavlovich — Attack on the Kukhari Wood on August 8th — Dispositions — With the Staff of the 2nd Guard Infantry Division during the attack — The failure — Opinions regarding the cause of failure — Losses of the Guard Army up till August 9th — Abandonment of all attempts to advance direct on Kovel — Intrigue, the race to G.H.Q. to report-General Bezobrazov and the Grand Duke Paul removed from their command — The Guard Army rcchristened " the Special Army," and the command given to General Gurko — Brusilov's opinion of the Staff of the Guard Army and of the direction of the artillery — Opinion of the General Quartermaster regarding the intervention of Rumania — Hindenburg takes control of the Eastern Front from the Baltic to Tamopol — The gth Army occupies Stanislau, August 10th, and Nadworna, August 12th — The 7th Army occupies Monasterzyska, August 12th — Bothmer retreats to the Zlota Lipa — Trophies of the 8th, nth, 7th and 9th Armies, June 4th to August nth — The flow of reinforcements to and against the 9th Army — The 9th Army ordered to force the Carpathian Passes, with the object of protecting the right flank of the Rumanian army — Character of the Carpathians — The Staff of the 9th Army, a happy family — An officer's opinion of certain Russian generals — Anecdotes of General Pavlov

CHAPTER XVI Events on the South-West Front from the Middle of August till the Middle of November, 1916 Vladimir-Volinski becomes the immediate objective of Brusilov instead of Kovel — Despatch of the Russian detachment to the Dobrudja — Error of sending Serbs — General Zaionchkovski's conversation with General Alexveev — Failure of the attempt of the 9th Army to force the Carpathians — The retreat of the Rumanian Army in October necessitates the transfer of forces to the south and so deprives the Russian Command of the initiative — Failure of the attempts of the 8th and Special Annies to advance on Vladimir-Volinski — The cause — General Ihlkhonin's opinion of the Rumanian army — Visit to the Special Army in October, 1916 — Conversation with General Gurko — Brusilov's mistake in sending the Guard to the Stokhod — Concealed artillery positions — Depression of the infantry — General Kornilov tells the story of his escape from Austria — Opinion of General Gerois regarding the general Allied direction of the war — Visit to the nth Army — To the 7th Army — Its staff — Devices to deceive the enemy — Stories of deserters — The 8th Army at Czernowitz — General Stogov's opinion of the cause of the check in the Russian offensive — Opinion of junior officers of Generals Shcherbachev and Kaledin — Lunch with General Trepov — Admiration for British determination — Army snobbery — { Various opinions regarding the intervention of Rumania and the failure of the Russian Command to make the most of it — Proposed offensive of the 9th Army — A drive in the Carpathians — Composition of the Russian armies on the South-West Front in the middle of November, 1916 — Twenty infantry and seven cavalry divisions transferred to territory formerly neutral as a result of the intervention of Rumania — General Brusilov's complaints — General Dukhonin's optimism — The Russian cavalry — General Brusilov's opinion of its work in the recent offensive and previously in the war — Generals Kaledin and Abram Dragomirov are stronger believers in the use of cavalry

CHAPTER XVII The Three Months Preceding the Revolution Northern communications — The Skibotten sledge route and the Murman railway — Changes in the Ministry of War — The murder of Rasputin — The reactionary tendencies of the Government — The Allied delegations — Visit to Riga, Minsk and Moscow — The offensive from Riga in January, 1917 — Proposed Russian offensive in the spring — Crisis on the railways — Conversations with Generals Polivanov and Byelyaev, with the Rumanian Minister and with M. Guchkov — Conversation with the President of the Duma, M. Rodzianko, and with Captain Markozov on the eve of the Revolution

CHAPTER XVIII The Russian Army on the Eve of the Revolution Reorganisation — Distribution — Analysis of infantry and cavalry units — Comparison with peace strength — Progress in the organisation of technical troops — Russia's effort in man-power — Wastage — Progress in armament and in technical equipment — Actual armament on the eve of the Revolution — The chivalrous strategy of the Russian Command — Prospects of the campaign of 1917

CHAPTER XIX The Revolution in Petrograd The mutiny on the morning of March 12th — At the Artillery Department — M. Rodzianko's telegrams to the Emperor — The Duma tries to take control — Visit to the Commander of the District at the Prefecture — The Liteini Prospekt in the evening — The beginning of the Sovyets — Danger owing to the officers holding aloof — First visit to the Duma — Ideas of the men of the Preobrajenski Regiment — A social-democratic proclamation — Scene of disorder in the Duma — Arrest of M. Sturmer and others — Arrest of M. Protopopov — The growth of disorder — The Revolution caused by the stupidity of the old Government — It degenerates into a class movement, because the natural leaders of the people were too loyal to their Allies to initiate a revolution during the war — General Polivanov is optimistic, but is not taking any risks — Order No. 1 — History of the Order — A printed licence for cowardice and anarchy — Tragic position of the officers — M. Rodzianko's confidence — The Sovyet forces the deposition of the Emperor — The Emperor's abdication — Reception of the news by the Empress — The Grand Duke Mikhail renounces the throne — The first Provisional Government — Conversation with a labour leader on March 16th — Pessimism of officers — The brutality of the mob — Idleness and anarchy — The passion for speech — M. Guchkov realises the situation — Martyrdom of the officers — Kerenski the only man who can save the country — First interview with Kerenski on March 19th — His confidence — Arrival of General Kornilov — Visits to depot units of the Guard in Petrograd in March and April — Experiences in various units — The Government tries to save the situation by rhetoric, avoiding the application of force — Official optimism — Bad news from the front — The soldiers really children — Ceremony of recognition of the Provisional Government by the Allies on March 25th — The scene - — General Polivanov's committee to frame regulations for the new " discipline " — General Kornilov's courage — Kerenski with the Ambassador on April 9th — Still optimistic — Guchkov shows greater common sense — Prince Lvov's reply to the Ambassador's warning

CHAPTER XX The Northern Front in April, and Petrograd in May, 1917 Changes in the command — Move of the ist Army — Expulsion of the best officers for futile reasons — Reasoning with the men — Pollution of the army by political agitation — Fraternisation — German proclamations in Russian and Russian proclamations in German — The 109th Division — The committees — Pretended optimism of the command — Pessimistic conclusions — Return to Petrograd — Kerenski at the St. George's benefit — Progress of Bolshevik propaganda — Rivalry between the Provisional Government and the Sovyet — Disturbances of May 4th — Liberation of prisoners of war — Wave of extravagant humanitarianism — Pacifist propaganda — Question of stopping the supply of munitions — Suggested removal of Kornilov, Guchkov and Milyukov — General Lechitslp. tells of the scandalous treatment of General Miller — Guchkov resigns — Letter to the Ambassador on the military situation — The Executive Committee of the Sovyet to co-operate in the formation of a Coalition Government — The composition of the Executive Corn-mil tCe — -Proclamations issued by the Sovyet — British labour delegation — Formation of the Coalition Government — Kerenski Minister of War — No improvement to be hoped from his programme — The Ambassador's interview with Kerenski on May 21st — Colonel Bala-bin's admiration for Kerenski — The ex-convict Lieutenant Kuzmin as Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District — Mr. Henderson's mission — The new Commander-in-Chief, General Polovtsev — Attitude of the Executive Committee of the Sovyet towards extremists — Cowardice of the ist Army — Continued anti-war propaganda — Publication of the Declaration of Soldiers' Rights and of the Order for the Offensive — Pessimism of the Assistant Minister of War — Fall of output in mines, furnaces and workshops

CHAPTER XXI The South-West Front in June. Kerenski's Offensive 18 July, 1917 Journey to Kamenets-Podolsk — General Brusilov's promotion to be Supreme Commander-in-Chief — His " political gymnastics " — General Gutor, Commander-in-Chief of the South-West Front — The 8th Army in June — Fewer agitators but harmful newspapers — A revolutionary doctor — An anecdote — General Gurko degraded — Talk with General Kornilov — Growing disorganisation — Poisonous propaganda and stupid catchwords — General Selivachev — General Notbek — The XLIXth and Vlth Corps — Ensign Kirilenko — Army commissaries — Chief anxiety of the Command to restore order without bloodshed — Vacillating treatment of the mutineers of the VIIth Siberian Corps — Kerenski's arrival with proclamations — His failure to convince the 2nd Guard Infantry Division — The plan for the offensive of July 1st — The Russian Staffs — Russian superiority in numbers and in technique — The attack on July 1st — Its failure through cowardice of most of the infantry — Kerenski's folly and blindness — The success of the Czechs on July 2nd of no avail owing to the disaffection of the ist Guard Corps — Conversation with the Commander of the ist Guard Infantry Division on July 4th — Peace necessary for Russia — The South-West Front demands the restoration of the death penalty — Changes in command — The war in Russia now a secondary matter

CHAPTER XXII Petrograd in July and August, 1917 State of Petrograd outwardly as in May — Conversation with the Assistant Minister of War — The Bolshevik rising on July 16th — Critical position on the 17th — The situation saved by disclosure of the tainted source of Bolahevik funds — An ambush — Scene from the Embassy windows — The Preobrajenski want to arrest the Bolshevik Kamenev — The revolt subsides, but the Government fails to take strong measures to prevent its recurrence — Kerenski to be Prime Minister — His vacillationI >r,mi sal of General Polovtsev — Funeral of the Cossacks — The first success followed by the retreat of the 8th Army — Enemy offensive against the nth Army- — Disorderly retreat of the nth, 7th and 8th Armies — The pillage and massacre at Kalusz — General Kornilov replaces General Gutor in command of the South-West Front — The death penalty re-established in the theatre of war on July 25th — Conference at G.H.Q. on July 29th — General Kornilov's Order of August ist stigmatises the treachery of " certain units " and the heroism of the officers — Retirement of Generals Brusilov and Radko Dimitriev — General Kornilov appointed Supreme Commander in Chief, July 31st — Economic chaos — Prince Tumanov on the " wonderful Russian spirit " — Formation of the " Save the Revolution " Government, August 6th — Savinkov as Assistant Minister of War — Kerenski as Alexander IV. — The one hope that Kerenski and Kornilov may work together — Talk with M. Tereshchenko — With M. Savinkov — Dinner with M. Tereshchenko to meet Kerenski

CHAPTER XXIII Kerenski Loses His Last Chance. September, 1917 The idea of sending a joint Allied note to the Russian Government — British attitude towards Russian policy — The conflict between Kornilov and Kerenski inevitable — The character and career of the two men — The State Conference at Moscow accentuates the differences - — Russian military opinion -Savinkov's role — Evil influence on either side — Lvov's role - Kerenski refuses compromise — Kornilov's Order and the Appeal of the Sovyets on September 11th — General Polovtsev's experience on September 9th — The meeting of the Caucasian Native Division with the Government troops — Suicide of General Krimov — Tragic result of the disagreement for the officers — The murders at Helsingfors and Viborg — Arrest of prominent Russian officers — Savinkov resigns Verkhovski is appointed Minister of War — His career — Opinions of Savinkov and Filonenko concerning the " Affair Kornilov " — Kerenski most to blame — His narrowness

CHAPTER XXIV The Bolshevik Coup D'Etat. October-December, 1917 The position recognised as hopeless — The suggestions of a G.S. officer — Dinner with the American Military Attache — Conversation with General Verkhovski — -His project to raise the morale of the army — The death penalty — Conversation with Tereshchenko — His baseless fears regarding an advance on Petrograd — Five commanders-in-chief in two months — Savinkov's opinion of Chernov — Fighting-men engaged in talk — The " Equipment Market " — Police to be formed at last — Pessimism of Russian officers — Number of men at the front — Enormous accumulation of shell — Savinkov's account of his examination by three Jews — Verkhovski resigns — The Bolshevik coup d'etat — Formation of a Military Revolutionary Committee — The Government's decision to arrest Trotski — The Cossacks refuse to support Kerenski — The situation on November 8th — The whole capital, with the exception of the Palace Square, in the hands of the Bolsheviks — The storming of the Winter Palace — Its farcical defence — Attitude of aloofness of the General Staff — Confidence of the opposition socialists — Release of the women prisoners — Murder of Prince Tumanov — Bolshevik proclamation to the troops at the front — Formation of a Bolshevik Government — Savinkov's adventures with the " relieving force " — The rising of the yunkers on November nth — Liquidation of the relieving force, and escape of Kerenski — Murders in Petrograd — Verkhovski visits the Ambassador — Appeal of a patriotic Russian naval officer — New Declaration of the Rights of Soldiers — Idleness in the trenches — Anecdote of a pious robber — The revolt in Moscow

CHAPTER XXV The Preparation of the Separate Peace Reasons for the Bolshevik success — General Dukhonin dismissed and Ensign Kirilenko appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief — His Order No. i — The despatch of parlementaires from the 5th Army on November 26th — The Allied attitude — Trotski blusters — The Ambassador's even mind — Murder of General Dukhonin — Arrest of Generals Manikovski and Marushevski — The Armistice Delegation — Its composition — Its arrival at Brest Litovsk on December 3rd — A temporary truce arranged till December 17th — Events at Brest Litovsk — The Bolsheviks' indecent haste — Its object — General Skalon's suicide — An armistice signed to continue till January 14th, 1918 — Degradation of non-elected officers — A deputation of officers' wives — The garrison of Petrograd specialises in the looting of wine-cellars — The army at the front engages in trade and fraternisation — Trotski's insults — General Boldirev's trial — A hitch in the peace negotiations — Trotski rattles the sabre — Departure from Petrograd

APPENDICES A. Some Data Regarding Russian Field Guns in use in 1916 B. Letter addressed by the Military Attaché to the Ambassador on July 30th, 1917

List of Illustrations   A Council of War at G.H.Q. Type of Causeway, S. of Riga General Kadko-Dimitriev, Commander of 12th Army Starting to drive back after visiting the XXIXth Corps The Emperor and Staff on South-West Front, 1916 Col ncr of Lake Naroch The Russian Munitions Delegation, 1915 German wire entanglements, Lake Naroch, 1916 Road in village of Krivichi Kri vichi-Naroch road Ural Cossacks Group after Conference at Army Headquarters, 1916 View in the Carpathians Bivouack of the 43rd Division in the Carpathians Bridge on the Upper Pruth Prince Radzivill's house at Nesvij The Woodman's Hut south of Yanovka River Stir at Sokal Group of Military Members of the British Delegation in Riga bridgehead, 1917 Infantry in trenches awaiting attack, Riga bridgehead Temporary Executive Committee of the Imperial Duma, 1917 Soldiers posing in the Liteini Prospekt, 1917 Methods of travelling, 1917 Trooper of the Tekinski Turkoman Volunteer Regiment