The June offensive. The Russian Army in the Revolutionary Epoch

The June offensive. The Russian Army in the Revolutionary Epoch

In June 1917, the last offensive of the Russian army during the First World War, which was called “the offensive of Kerensky,” began. The troops of the South-Western Front (commander-in-chief Lieutenant-General A. E. Gutor) had to lead the main attack in the general direction to Lviv. From the middle of March 1917, General A. A. Brusilov was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On June 18 (July 1), the Russian army launched an offensive, during which the front was cut to a depth of 30 km, Galich and Kalisz were taken (by the 8th Army under the command of L. G. Kornilov). Formed in June 1917 women’s battalion of death under the command of M. L. Botchkareva took part in military engagements. However, by July 1—2 (14—15), the advance of the Russian army stopped because of discontent in the army. On July 6 (19), Germany carried out the Tarnopol breakthrough and launched an offensive that lasted until July 18 (31). Taken in July countermeasures of the command of the Northern, Western and Romanian fronts proved to be in vain: after the initial victories, the Russian troops were returning to their original positions, not wishing to develop success. Failures at the front, the disintegration of the troops will lead to another crisis of the Provisional Government. Russia was forced to abandon Galicia, the loss of the South-Western Front will amount to about 50,000 people, and L. G. Kornilov will change A. A. Brusilov on the position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

 

Among collected evidences are the studies, memoirs, correspondence, archival documents, illustrations, which to get familiar with both the chronicle of events and the points of views of various political figures of this period.