Kerensky Offensive

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Russian Front
Stalluponen – Gumbinnen – Tannenberg – 1st Lemberg – Krasnik – 1st Masurian Lakes – Przemyśl – Vistula River – Łódź – Bolimov – 2nd Masurian Lakes – Gorlice-Tarnów – Warsaw – Lake Naroch Offensive – Brusilov Offensive – Kerensky Offensive

Russian Front
Stalluponen – Gumbinnen – Tannenberg – 1st Lemberg – Krasnik – 1st Masurian Lakes – Przemyśl – Vistula River – Łódź – Bolimov – 2nd Masurian Lakes – Gorlice-Tarnów – Warsaw – Lake Naroch Offensive – Brusilov Offensive – Kerensky Offensive

The Kerensky Offensive (aka July Offensive or Galician Offensive) was the last Russian offensive in World War One. It took place in July 1917.

It was decided by Alexander Kerensky, Minister of War in the Russian provisional government, and led by General Brusilov. Such a decision was ill-timed, because, following the February Revolution, there were strong popular demands for peace, especially within the army, whose fighting capabilities were quickly deteriorating. However, Kerensky hoped that an important Russian victory would gain popular favor and restore the soldiers' morale, thus strengthening the weak provisional government.

Starting on July 1, 1917 the Russian troops attacked the Austro-Germans in Galicia, pushing toward Lviv. The operations involved the Russian 11^th, 7^th and 8^th Armies and the Austro-German South Army (General von Bothmer) and the Austrian 7^th and 3^rd Armies.

After an initial success, the offensive was halted because the Russian soldiers soon mutinied and refused to fight. It collapsed altogether by July 16. On the 18^th the Austro-Germans counterattacked, meeting little resistance and advancing through Galicia and Ukraine till the Zbruch River. The Russian lines were broken on the 20^th, and by the 23^rd, the Russians had retreated about 240 kilometers (150 miles).

The Russian provisional government was greatly weakened by this military catastrophe, and the possibility of a Bolshevik coup d'état became increasingly real. Far from strengthing Russian army morale, this offensive proved that Russian army morale no longer existed. No Russian general could now count on the soldiers under his command actually doing what they were ordered to do.

One last fight took place between the Germans and the Russians in this war. On September 1 1917 the Germans attacked and captured Riga. The Russian soldiers defending the town refused to fight and fled from the advancing German troops.

External links

[Kerensky Offensive by the Western Front Association]

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