Last Person to Post Wins

[southbiochem]

During the rest of 1915 and the first half of 1916 Russians focused on industrial production to cope with their dangerous lack of ammo, equipment, etc.

Grand Duke Nicholas was ousted as the Supreme Commader of the Russian Army, and Tsar Nicholas II himself replaced him...this had its consequences later on

As Russia was taken care off for now, Germany focused West lauching the Batlle of Verdun trough 1916 with the sole intention of bleeding the French white

The Eastern Front saw little action until Russia was ready for another blow and conducted the Brusilov Offensive against Austria-Hungary (completely ignoring Germans, how stupid is THAT)

[southbiochem]

Russian sucesses along with the Brit counter offensive at the Somme relieved pressure on the French at Verdun. Although the French Army was not obliterated, it was neutralized as an offensive force.

Most of the offensive taken later on against the Germans were conducted by Brits and Americans.

As for the Eastern front, Russian successes led to Romania entering the war, trying to capture Transylvania....to disastrous results...

Romania was overran and 2/3 of the country including the capital, was occupied by Austro-German-Bulgarian forces...now the front line included this scenario too...

[southbiochem]

By 1917 inflation do to wartime economy lead Russia into turmoil and collapse, as the harsh winter made people suffer and hunger took over..

A revolt in February 1917 from peasants and citizens simply asking for bread, turned into the revolution that toppled the Tsar

since he was near the front lines and the only force capable of containing such a movement was the Army, both of them, as such, away from the political centers, the revolution spread quickly..

furthermore many soldiers started to mutiny too, and once the Army was deserting on mass, nothing could be done..

the Tsar abdicated in March 1917 and Germans saw to fix the return of many socialist exiles, amongst them, Lenin

[southbiochem]

The Tsar's brother was "heeeeeeeeeeeell nah" when he was offered the crown, and the goverment went to Prince Lvov, whom later turned power to the Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky

he could moderate a bit the soviets and the traditional elites, but his sole error was to continue the war against the Central Powers which Russia was no longer able to do.

Austria-Hungary regained lost ground during the Brusilov offensive, after Kerensky ordered a short lived successful offensive in July 1917

[southbiochem]

Furthermore, Germans captured Riga in the north and were keen in driving towards Petrograd, moving in on Estonia during Operation Albion..

The October Revolution, led to the expulsion of Kerensky now largely unpopular and the rise of soviets as the leading power in Russia....

they met resistance of course, and sooner rather than later they would face army officers and other traditional elites during a civil war that lasted till 1922



since German troops were but 500 miles from Petrograd, Lenin moved the capital to Moscow.

[southbiochem]

The first action of Lenin was the most urgent one: To sue for peace with the Central Powers

War "Minister" Trotsky started the negotiations reaching an armistice in December 1917, but stalled the oponents hoping that revolution would spread in Germany and Austria (sure, revolutions toppled the kaiser and Austria was on the verge of disintegration, but never bolsheviks could take power anywhere else)

As a response, Austro-German forces launched Operation Faustschlag, which saw the rapid advance of Central Powers armies into Ukraine, capturing Kiev in March 2, 1918

Finally, Bolsheviks took the harsh demands and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, on March 3 1918, when the situation was like this

[southbiochem]

Of course, most of the terms of the Treaty were declared null when the war effort of the Central Powers collapsed later in 1918..

Russia still lost Poland, the Baltic states and Finland, to which they attempted to fight for, but due to the crappy conditions of Russian forces and the ongoing civil war, that was impossible..

They were successful, though, in crushing the short lived independence of Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia, and then regained control of pretty much all the lost territory (except Finland and some of Poland) during and after WWII, as a victor..

matters little since in 1991 yet again, Russia lost control of the lands they once ruled..and now Russia looks an awful lot like Brest-Litovsk would have left it....:tongue:

So there....consider yourselves educated in the Eastern Front 1914-1918

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Whoa Whoa Whoa!!!!

I wasn't expecting the whole world's history this morning (or a minor chunk of it).

So for sheer shock and awe value of your many posts today.... you win.

[southbiochem]

Hey If I'm going into a forced post frenzy, I better make something useful with it, right?

Next time duckie challenges me to reach a certain amount, I will throw in fucking Glycolysis..

with EVERY reaction mechanism explained...so there, meebles and duckie, pair of lazy laggers :tongue:

[mbennet35]

Blah I'm just not feeling it today