The Year 1914

On 25 December, on the Caucasian Front, the Turkish 3rd Army offensive reached its limit at the Battle of Sarikamis. Russians under General Yudenich held their lines. The Turks now believed they were outnumbered and broke off the battle, bivouacking in temperatures of twenty degrees below zero. In less than twelve hours the Turks lost half their men to cold and desertions. The Turkish troops were improperly equipped, under trained and lacked adequate rations and warm uniforms. Of 90,000 Turkish troops only 12,000 managed to survive.

On 26 December, the Germans were meeting heavy resistance in Poland, and were forced to abandon their attempt to capture Warsaw by direct attack across the Bzura River.

Tsar Nicholas II visited Novo-Borisov, near Minsk, and returned to Stavka the following day.

In the Black Sea, the German battle cruiser Goeben ran onto two Russian mines off the Bosporus, sustaining heavy damage. She was laid up for repairs at Constantinople for several months.

Sometime around Christmas, an escaped Russian prisoner from Germany revealed to the Russian Military Attache in Stockholm that military secrets have been passed to the Germans by the Russian War Minister's friend Miasoyedov, who was quickly put under surveillance.

On 27 December, in Poland, the Russians defeated the Germans at Skiernievitse.

On the Southwest Front, in Galicia, the Russians were now in control of the Carpathian Passes, but were repulsed near Czernowitz.

On 28 December, in Poland, the German 9th Army was forced to entrench west of the Bzura River.

On the Caucasian Front, the Turkish advance against Kars resulted in a disastrous retreat from Sarikamish. Russian General Vorontsov-Dashkov was victorious.

On 30 December, in Poland, the Germans were fighting heavy rearguard actions at Bolimov and Inovlodz. The Tsar left Stavka with stops at Garvolin and Novo-Minsk, arriving in Siedlets that night. In the morning he inspected troops of the I and II Guards Divisions.