The Darkest hour of the Russian Empire
Chapter Two: 1915
Part XVI: One more year of war
Orel dvuglavyi vysoko parit
I zorko sverhu na vragov glyadit,
Shirokie krylia raspravliaet on,
A pod nim, kak tuchi, shtykov million!
Pushki nashe delo, bystro podvezem
Ei, rebyata, smelo na vraga poidem!
Do upora budem na kartech' strelyat'
A shashkami sami sebya oboronyat'
Double-headed eagle hovers high
And he looks at our enemies strictly,
He spreads his wide wings
And there are millions of bayonets under him!
Guns are not a problem, we'll move them out
Hei, guys, attack the enemies bravely!
We'll kill them with our shrapnel
And when it ends, we'll fight with sabers!
Russian industry continued developing even during the war - the army needed more and more resources, so technology of mass production was very important for the military.
New industrial technologies of Russia
On 3 of October administration in France changed radically, Viviani cabinet was dissolved.
Western front at the moment of Viviani resignation
Meanwhile, massive Entente offensive in the south continued - by 3 of October Bavarian Alps were under Italian control - Regensburg was captured.
Italians in Regensburg
After 5 days, triumphant Russian armies entered Warsaw. Polish capital was again under the Tsar's banner. A lot of soldiers were awarded, many officers and generals got promotion and had a meeting with Nicholas II. Warsaw was Russian again, and it was a great victory, global success!
Ura! S nami Bog!
Nicholas II in liberated Warsaw, 12 of October
On 13 of October the USA decided not to be involved into the conflict. American troops could be very useful for crushing the Central powers...
America doesn't want to fight
On 23 of October Stavka ordered 21st and 9th Army Corps to attack Stanislawow, a city in Galizia. It was important to take that city - if Russian army took it, it would be able to cross Carpathian mountains and help the Balkan front, or even bring Romania to war!
Attack on Stanislawow
There were only 5 German and Austrian divisions in the city, and at the beginning the battle went well.
The battle, 25 of October
Meanwhile, first serious naval battle in the Black sea occurred. Austrian fleet, trying to save itself from the British raiding in Adriatica, decided to move to the Turkish ports. Austrians knew about Black sea fleet, so they planned an engagement. On 28 of October two Austrian squadrons together with Turkish gunboat groups attacked Russian fleet. The battle began. Fight was hard and long, and Austrian victory was pyrrhic - Austro-Hungary lost a lot of ships and she didn't have any resources to restore it. But for Russia it was a catastrophe too - Imperial Black sea fleet was nearly destroyed (and modern battleships Imperatritsa Maria and Poltava too). So, both fleets were too damaged to declare victory...
Disastrous draw in the Black sea
Russian navy losses:
Battleships: Imperatritsa Maria, Evstafi, Poltava, Rostislav
Light Cruisers: Pamiat Merkuria
Destroyers: 6 and 7 flotillas
Transporsts: 11 and 12 flotillas
Austro-Hungarian navy losses:
Battleships: SMS Teggethoff, SMS Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand
Heavy cruisers: SMS Kaiserin Maria Theresia, SMS Sankt Georg
Light cruisers: SMS Schwarzenberg, SMS Zenta
Destroyers: 6 flotilla
After such heavy casualties neither Russian, nor Austrian fleet could operate in the Black sea...
Death of SMS Tegetthoff
By 24 of November the battle for Stanislawow seemed to be won for the Russian army. The Austrians had only one division left in the city.
Battle for Stanislawow, joint Russo-Japanese operation
In that battle Japanese soldiers from Eastern expeditionary corps fought really brave, and lots of them got Russian medals and crosses for courage in the battle, while their commander participated in the planning. After that battle, there were no major operation in the Eastern front - the Russians were waiting for the Entente in the Balkans. Only on 30 of December Russian armies continued marching, and their first target was Eastern Prussian city of Torun.
Battle of Torun: the Russians are massively outnumbering their enemies
The battle was long, and New Year was met by Russian soldiers in their trenches. 1916 began with fire, blasts and screams. The Great war was still very far from the end...
The second year of war ended
1915 Strategic overview
German front:
In 1915 Russian operations in Polish and East-Prussian fronts were mostly successful. Germany was a strong and clever opponent, but their blitzkrieg in Poland was finally stopped, and Russians managed to start their own counteroffensives, which were later called "Polish reconquest". Together with this, Russian commanders brilliantly invaded Eastern Prussia, taking strategic Baltic ports, infrastracture and industrial centers and event "second capital" of Germany - Koenigsberg!
The biggest victory: Reconquest of Warsaw
The biggest defeat: 2nd battle of Biyalostok
The most successful commander:
General Zabelin, assistant of general Evert (commander of the Polish front), talented and skillful commander, took a lot of Polish provinces and Warsaw. He made some mistakes (for example, didn't manage to take Warsaw first time), but in 1915 he was a symbol of Russian counteroffensive.
In the beginning of 1915 the Russians were in dangerous situation, when their offensive in Galizia was stopped and most of Galizian armies were encircled. But Russian military talent and heroic resistance of soldiers saved the situation. In Galizia there were no major successes or disasters in 1915 - Russian army captured only one city, Tarnow and started fighting for Stanislawow. Main task for the Russian corps in Galizia is to break through Carpathian mountains.
The biggest victory: 5th battle of Tarnow
The biggest defeat: 4th battle of Tarnow
The most successful commander:
General Brusilov again. He wasn't a top-rank commander, but all his operations were successful, while his superiors - Berkhman and Ivanov - made a lot of mistakes (even at Tarnow, when the Russians had to fight twice for the town). So, this talented commander had a lot of things to do.
Stalemate - only this word can characterize Caucasian front. Absolutely stuck in the mountains, Russian troops couldn't invade Anatolia in 1914. Things were the same a year later. Turks fought only in the Black sea - and their fleet was totally annihilated by the Russians. However, Austrian fleet achieved a pyrrhic victory against admiral Ebergard, and Black sea fleet lost 80% of its vessels - only 4 battleships and 1 submarine squadron left
The biggest victory: No major
The biggest defeat: No major
The most successful commander:
Admiral Andrei Ebergard, commander of the Black sea fleet. He defeated the Turks many times and crushed their supplying lines, but against the Austrian navy his fleet was too small. Anyway, for the Austrians that battle in Black sea became a disaster too, so without any major land operations admiral Ebergard considered to be the most successful commander of Caucasus front.
The war will continue in 1916
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Next update: November, 18