NAVIES of WORLD WAR 1 - MILITARY CAMPAIGN SUMMARY RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
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From here, most of the events to November 1918 are repeated in the Russian Front and some in British/Bolshevik Navy Actions
DECEMBER 1916
Russia - Grigori, Rasputin (the 'vagabond' or 'drunkard'), who exerted such influence over the Czar's wife and thus the Czar, is assassinated by court nobles. This, together with food shortages, the huge casualty lists from the front, and the Czar's unwillingness to liberalize the government, increase tension within Russia and lead to demonstrations and strikes in the early months of 1917.
1917
JANUARY 1917
Russian Front - Scattered fighting continues over the next three months around Riga, in northern Galicia, and at Bukovina to the north of Rumania.
FEBRUARY 1917
MARCH 1917
Russia - The 'March Revolution' follows demonstrations, food riots and strikes which paralyse the Russian capital of Petrograd (previously St Petersburg, then Leningrad, and now St Petersburg again). The Duma or parliament refuses to obey the Czar's order of dissolution on the 11th, next day a provisional government is formed, and the revolt spreads to Moscow. On the 15th at his Army headquarters in Pskov, the Czar abdicates and his brother, the Grand Duke Michael refuses the crown. A few days later, the House of Romanov ends with the arrest of the Czar and his family. The revolution then becomes a struggle between the moderate liberals of the Duma and the Workers' and Soldiers' Councils or 'Soviets' set up by the Socialists or Bolshevists. Over the next few months, Alexander Kerensky emerges as the leader of a moderate socialist and provisional government until its downfall eight months later in November 1917.
APRIL 1917
Russia - After years in exile, Lenin, the future ruler of Soviet Russia is allowed by the Germans to return home from Switzerland, travelling through Germany in a sealed train. In Petrograd he is joined by Joseph Stalin and from the United States by Leon Trotsky. The Bolsheviks prepare to continue the Russian Revolution.
MAY 1917
Russia - While the Bolshevik 'Soviets' press for peace with Germany and Austria, the provisional Russian government remains committed to pursuing the war on the side of the Allies. Alexander Kerensky, now appointed Minister of War, prepares for an offensive in July under the command of Gen Brusilov.
JUNE 1917
JULY 1917
Russian Front - On the 1st, Russian Gen Brusilov launches the Kerensky Offensive into Galicia, but with little chance of success. Workers' and Soldiers' Soviets control many army units and discipline breaks down. However the attack goes ahead with the least affected troops including Poles, Finns and Siberians. The Russian Eleventh, Seventh and Eighth Armies with some 40 understrength divisions push for Lemberg against exhausted Austrian and some German and Turkish forces. Little progress is made against the Germans, but Russian Eighth Army (Gen Kornilov) facing Austrians in the south advances 20 miles. On the 19th, the Central Powers with some German divisions rushed from the Western Front, launch a counter-offensive. Within a matter of days and with thousands of Russians deserting, the Front crumbles. With little serious fighting, the Russian retreat turns into a rout and the Germans and Austrians advance at will.
Russia - The offensive is failing by mid-month, and Lenin leads a Bolshevik rising in Petrograd which is soon crushed. On the 22nd, Kerensky is appointed Prime Minister of the Provisional Government. Finland announces its independence from Russia.
AUGUST 1917
Russian Front - As pressure to end the war grows in Russia, the Central Powers attack the Russians as well as the Rumanians in Moldavia at the southern end of the front. Towards the end of the month, the Germans start the Riga Offensive in the north.
SEPTEMBER 1917
Russian Front - Continuing the Riga Offensive, and partly to force the Russians to the negotiating table, German Eighth Army (Gen Oskar von Hutier) crosses the Dvina River and captures the important seaport of Riga on the 3rd against little resistance. The badly beaten Russians withdraw as the Germans prepare to send in amphibious forces to capture the islands at the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, and thus threaten Petrograd.
The Great War is remembered for its trench warfare, but German Gen von Hutier broke the mould using night approach marches, short heavy opening bombardments, rolling barrages, infiltration and specialised combat units. 'Hutier' tactics were used with great success in 1917 against the Italians at Caporetto and in the 1918 Second Battle of the Somme.
Russia - Following an attempted coup by Gen Kornilov, dismissed from his position as Russian C-in-C, Prime Minister Kerensky declares a Russian Republic under his leadership.
OCTOBER 1917
Russian Front - The Second Naval Battle for the Gulf of Riga takes place between the 12th and 20th. In a series of amphibious landings and naval battles the Germans defeat the Russians, and break through into the Gulf of Riga two years after their first attempt.
NOVEMBER 1917
Civil War - On November 7th/8th, the Russian Revolution ('October Revolution' in the old Gregorian calendar) starts with Lenin's Bolsheviks seizing the Winter Palace, the place of government in Petrograd. Prime Minister Kerensky escapes and a Bolshevik government formed with Lenin as Premier and Trotsky as Foreign Minister. The Revolution spreads quickly and Russia is soon in chaos as Civil War erupts between the 'Reds' and 'Whites'. The Bolsheviks immediately take steps to get Russia out of the war.
DECEMBER 1917
Russia - A preliminary suspension of hostilities between the Central Powers and Russia is announced on the 5th December, which Rumania soon follows. An armistice follows on the 15th, and Germany starts to release troops for transfer to the Western Front. On the 22nd at Brest-Litovsk, to the east of Warsaw, the Russians meet with delegates from Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey to arrange peace terms. These include Russian recognition of the rights of Poland and agreement to the independence of the Baltic provinces of Lithuania, Courland, Livonia and Estonia. With the Germans occupying most of these territories, the Russians have little option but to accept, although negotiations drag on into the new year.
Civil War - As the Civil War develops, Ukraine refuses to join with the Bolsheviks, and Finland declares its independence from Russia.
1918
JANUARY 1918
Russia - Expecting revolution to break out in Germany, the Russian Bolshevist delegates at Brest-Litovsk continue stalling and Foreign Minister Trotsky refuses to meet the terms of the Central Powers. The German Foreign Minister, Baron Richard von Kuhlman increases the pressure.
Austria-Hungary - Partly due to food shortages, strikes break out in Austrian cities in favour of peace.
Civil War - Finland is not spared the agonies of Russia, and civil war begins at the end of the month. Ukraine declares its independence from Russia and the Russian Bolsheviks, a move shortly recognised by Germany and her allies.
FEBRUARY 1918
Russia - On the 9th, a peace treaty is signed between the Central Powers and the newly independent Republic of the Ukraine. The next day and simply refusing to accept any terms, the Russian Bolshevist government just declares the war is at an end. On the 18th, the frustrated Germans start to Advance into Russia against little opposition. Troops soon occupy the Baltic provinces and later move into the Ukraine and Crimea. As the German advance endangers Petrograd, Lenin moves the capital to Moscow.
Civil War - The Civil War continues to rage. Moscow is threatened by the Whites, and the rest of Russia is in chaos.
Far East - Far to the east in Siberia, the Japanese plan a landing to protect huge quantities of stock-piled military supplies.
MARCH 1918
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Under the terms of the treaty signed between Russia and the Central Powers on the 3rd, European Russia loses 25 percent of its territory and much of its industrial and natural resources - that is the Baltic provinces, Finland and the Aaland Islands, the Ukraine, and to Turkey, the southern Caucasus districts of Erivan, Kars and Batum. The Ukraine becomes a German puppet state; German forces shortly land on the Aaland Islands, and on the 7th Germany and Finland sign a peace treaty. Germany is now able to start transferring large numbers of troops from Russia to the Western Front.
Civil War and Allied Intervention - The Civil War continues. The Allies for various reasons, including keeping Russia in the war and the fear of world communism, intervene in the struggle. Troops and supplies are later sent to support the White Armies (commanded by Czarist officers) fighting the Reds in the Arctic, the Ukraine, Caucasus and Siberia. The anti-Bolshevist forces include the 'Czechoslovak Legion', made up of deserters and ex-prisoners of war from the Austro-Hungarian army which fights its way across Siberia and later joins the Allies in the west. The war ends in 1920 in the Bolsheviks favour, and by then a number of major warships on both sides have been lost.
Allied Naval Involvement - Mainly British warships support the Allies on their seaward flanks and also on inland lakes and rivers. With the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, British warships including pre-dreadnought 'Glory' and armoured cruiser 'Cochrane' start operations against Murmansk and Archangel to prevent vast quantities of Allied supplies falling into Bolshevik or German hands.
APRIL 1918
Russia - In the north, German troops land near Helsinki to help Gen Mannerheim fight for Finnish independence against Bolshevik forces. In the south, the Germans push further into the Ukraine and the Crimea.
Civil War - The senior British naval officer, Cdr Cromie becomes de facto British ambassador at Petrograd, but is killed in an incident involving the Bolsheviks at the embassy.
Far East - Japanese and British Royal Marines land at Vladivostok in the Far East.
MAY 1918
Arctic Waters - British forces including a Royal Marine detachment, all under the command of Gen Poole land at Murmansk.
JUNE 1918
Russia - The Germans continue to advance into southern Russia and the Ukraine.
JULY 1918
Civil War - The imprisoned Ex-Tsar Nicholas and his family are executed on the 16th by the Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg in the Urals.
AUGUST 1918
Civil War - Allied forces continue to enter Russia to support the Whites and protect ammunition and supplies. In the Arctic north, an Allied Expeditionary Force captures Archangel supported by Royal Navy warships. To the south, a British naval unit arrives at Baku on the Caspian Sea after travelling overland from Baghdad. In the Far East, British, Japanese and U.S. troops land at Vladivostok for operations in Siberia.
SEPTEMBER 1918
Arctic - American troops land at Archangel in the Arctic.
Austria-Hungary - As the Austro-Hungarian Empire approaches its end, the United States recognises the Czechoslovaks as an allied nation. Austria-Hungary invites the belligerents to discussions on peace, but the proposals are rejected by the Allies.
OCTOBER 1918
Civil War - In the north, Allied forces battle with the Bolsheviks around Murmansk and Archangel. In the Far East, American, British and Japanese troops enter Siberia and push as far west as Lake Baikal. More fighting takes place around the Caucasus in the south.
Arctic Waters - Fighting takes place along the Dvina River, south of Archangel with the involvement of light naval forces.
NOVEMBER 1918
Austria-Hungary - On the 3rd, Austria-Hungary accepts an Allied armistice and withdraws from the war.
DECEMBER 1918
Baltic Sea - British naval forces in the Baltic are given the difficult task of protecting the Baltic States, evacuating German forces, and operating against the Bolsheviks. Warships on both sides are lost, some to the many Russian and German minefields, including the recently arrived British light cruiser 'Cassandra' on the 5th.
Caspian Sea - Bolshevik light naval forces are in action with the British units that reached Baku in August 1918
1919
JANUARY 1919
Far East - British armoured cruiser 'Kent' arrives at Vladivostok in Siberia to support Allied forces
APRIL 1919
Ural Mountains - Guns and guns’ crews landed from the 'Kent' at Vladivostok are by now in action far to the west in the Urals in support of the White Russians.
MAY 1919
Caspian Sea - The Bolsheviks organise a naval force including old destroyers transferred from the Baltic for operations on the inland Caspian Sea. In action against an improvised British Caspian Flotilla armed with 4in and 6in guns to the northeast off Alexandrovsk, several Russian ships are sunk including the 'Moskvityanin'.
JUNE 1919
Arctic Waters - As Allied operations continue against the Bolsheviks on the Dvina River, south of Archangel, British minesweeper 'Sword Dance' is sunk by Russian mines.
Baltic Sea - With the British Baltic Squadron blockading the Bolshevik naval base of Kronstadt off Petrograd, warships on both sides are lost. British submarine 'L-55' is sunk in action with Russian destroyers. British light forces based on the north side of the Gulf of Finland in Finnish waters attack Kronstadt. Evading the protecting destroyer screen, coastal motor boat 'CMB-4' sinks Russian light cruiser 'Oleg'.
JULY 1919
Arctic Waters - In operations on the Dvina River, another British minesweeper 'Fandango' is lost on mines.
Baltic Sea - With the Bolshevik bases defended by dense minefields, two more British minesweepers - 'Gentian' and 'Myrtle' are lost on mines in the Gulf of Finland.
AUGUST 1919
Baltic Sea - An attack on Kronstadt naval base is made by British coastal motor boats (CMB's) based in Finland at Bjorko Sound. They are supported by RAF bombing raids. In exchange for three CMB's sunk, old armoured cruiser 'Pamiat Azova' and dreadnought 'Petropavlosk' are sunk and pre-dreadnought 'Andrei Pervozvanny' seriously damaged.
SEPTEMBER 1919
Baltic Sea - Two recently completed British destroyers are sunk within a few days of each other in the Gulf of Finland - 'Vittoria' torpedoed by Bolshevik submarine 'Pantera' and 'Verulam' mined
Arctic Waters - By now the Allies have decided to withdraw from northern Russia. As the evacuation gets underway, British monitors 'M-25' and 'M-27' of the White Sea Squadron have to be abandoned when the Dvina River water level falls. They are blown up to prevent capture by the Bolsheviks.
OCTOBER 1919
Baltic Sea - As four Russian destroyers escape from the Bolsheviks, three are lost in a British minefield off Kronstadt in the Gulf of Finland with heavy casualties. The ships were to be handed over to the Royal Navy.
SUMMARY OF BRITISH NAVAL LOSSES
Between December 1918 and September 1919 - just nine months - British losses amounted to 1 light cruiser, 2 destroyers, 2 small monitors, 1 submarine, 4 minesweepers, 3 coastal motor boats
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