WW1

• when was it

  1914 - 1918
• • after Serbia killed arch duke Ferdinand Austria declared war and russia was allied with Serbia
  • russia needed to mobilise to put off Austria and due to the fear of German strike they fully mobilised
  • Germany warned russia that if they fully mobilised they were provoking war
  • 3rd august austria declared war on russia
• august and September an initial Russian victory at Gumbinnen in Prussia followed by disastrous defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes
• 1915

  • Germany used all of its power against russia and launched a series of attacks
  • germany and austria combined their command and were able to retreat Russian forces who lacked modern weaponry or enough supplies
  • in feb Russian forced were pushed back form east Prussia
  • in march managed to take Memel in Prussia
  • august- Nicholas took personal command of the Russian forces
  • the russia retreat was temporarily halted
  • September- Nicholas was forced to abandon Vilna
• 1916

  • russian achieved victory against germany and austria and regained some territory
  • gains wer minimal and russia suffered heavy defeats late in the year
  • June- Brusilov offensive was lunched with the intention of gaining lost ground and stop discontent
  • there was some initial success but the germans easily put an end to the threat
• 1917

  • June and July- an all out attack on Austrian forces was made
  • by the end of July the Russians were in retreat again
  • august- Russian withdrew form the strategically important port of Riga in Latvia
  • December- peace talks at Brest-litovsk resulted in the signing of a treaty in 1918