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WarChron - Troops Fraternize on the Russian and Romanian Fronts |
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The Year 1917
On 9 April, at Petrograd, Russian Foreign Minister Milyukov issued a Declaration of War Aims, stating that “the aim of free Russia is not domination over other nations, or seizure of their national possessions, or forcible occupation of foreign territories, but the establishment of a stable peace on the basis of the self-determination of peoples.”
In North Persia, the Russians occupied Kizil Robat, while British troops occupied Harbe, six kilometers north of Belad.
On 10 April, in Switzerland, Lenin and thirty two Bolshevik colleagues left Zurich on a sealed train, provided by the Germans, for their return to Russia via Germany and Sweden. They arrived at Stockholm on the 13th. During May and June, other groups of Bolshevik revolutionaries were moved with German help into Russia.
At Stavka, General Alekseev was appointed Supreme Commander of the armed forces.
In Washington, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Austria-Hungary.
On 11 April, at Petrograd, the Provisional Government introduced the grain monopoly by which the entire surplus of grain reverted to the State.
The Chief of the British Military Mission, General Sir Hanbury Williams, received a telegram from London informing him that he was to return to Britain.
On 12 April, at Stavka, Russian GHQ issued an order on the subject of Army Committee's organized as a result of Order No.1, but it was generally disregarded by the troops. General Alekseev notified all front commanders that operations would be begin in May. He also informed War Minister Guchkov that the only hope of restoring troop morale would be to go over to an offensive.
On 13 April, at Petrograd, the All-Russian Conference of Workers' and Soldiers' delegates held meetings. There was a revival of differences of opinion, with a majority for war, while a minority demanded an immediate peace. Representatives of the French Socialists and British Labor Parties arrived.
In London, the British War Cabinet decided to withdraw an offer of asylum to the former Tsar and his family.
In Stockholm, as the representative of German Socialists, Aleksandr Helphand hoped to meet with Lenin on his arrival, but Lenin did not trust him and refused to see him. Even so, Helphand, through Karl Radek, a close friend of Lenin, continued to arrange for very heavy German financial support for the Bolsheviks.
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In the Baltic Sea, German seaplane carrier Santa Elena, with 2-6 floatplanes, arrived at Libau. She carried out operations until 27 April.
In the Black Sea, Russian cruiser Kagul was renamed as Ochakov.
On 14 April, France, Britain and Italy sent a note to Russia regarding the future status of Poland.
At Stavka, General Alekseev complained that he was receiving intelligence gathered from numbers of enemy deserters showing that the Germans and Austrians were relying on various underground organizations inside Russia working hard to demoralize the Russian army.
The Germans and Austro-Hungarians proclaimed a three day Easter truce on the entire Russian and Romanian front, which resulted in massive fraternization of troops on both the Russian and Romanian fronts.
At Stavka, an order was given to relieve General V.V. Sakharov of his duties as commander of all Russian forces in Romania. He was replaced by General D.G. Shcherbachev, who took over on the 24th.
In mid-April, a meeting of Western Front units was held at Minsk.
An organization known as the Union for the Liberation of the Ukraine publicly proclaimed that its "Official Mandate" was exhausted, promising to limit its activities among Ukrainian prisoners of war. There were very strained relations between the Union and the Ukrainian Central Rada.
Austro-Hungarian feelers for a separate peace with Russia became widely apparent, but nothing came of them.
In mid-April, at Stavka, General Lukomskiy was dismissed form his post as Director of Military Operations, and appointed to command the 1st Army Corps on the Northern Front. It was a form of military exile.
On 16 April, at Stavka, General Alekseev was dismissed as Supreme Commander, with General A.A. Brusilov being named as his successor. Brusilov quickly dismissed Generals Kaledin and Yudenich.
At Petrograd, Lenin, along with Zinoviev, Sokolnikov, Krupskaya, and other Bolsheviks arrived at Finland Station after making their way from Germany through Sweden.
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In the Black Sea, Romanian torpedo boat Smeul was sunk off Sulina on mines laid by the cruiser Breslau.
In France, troops of the Russian 1st and 3rd Brigades had suffered very heavy casualties in the Somme offensive. Propaganda caused discipline to break down and the brigades were withdrawn from the front to Neuf Chateau and interned at La Courtine.
In Germany, 200,000 workers went out on strike in Berlin and Leipzig due to the defective system of food distribution.
On 17 April, at Petrograd, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was jeered on his first appearance before the All-Russian Conference of Soviets. Lenin presented a ten point program, attacking the war and recommending a campaign of fraternization of troops at the front. He was forced to leave the room amidst a storm of booing.
At Kiev, the Central Rada called for a four day All-Ukrainian National Congress, chaired by Mikhail Hrushevsky, with the Provisional Government being represented by Mikhail A. Sukovkin. Over 900 delegates attended, another 1,600 participated in the proceedings.
On 18 April, in the Baltic Sea, the Russian fleet at Revel and Helsingfors were still iced in. On the orders of German Admiral Hopman, minelayers Deutschland and Nautilus, with destroyer V.77, laid 2,227 mines by the 26th to extend the large minefield laid last year.
At Petrograd, the War Ministry issued an order in internal districts giving leave to soldiers over 40 to work in the fields until 28 May. This was later extended until 28 June, but hardly anyone returned to duty.
In Germany, the government granted minor concessions to striking workers.
On 19 April, in the Black Sea, Admiral Kolchak, former Commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was appointed Commander in Chief of the Baltic Sea Fleet.
In France, the Treaty of St.Jean-de-Maurienneis was signed between Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy, which would in the event of victory, extend Italy's zone of influence to Smyrna.
On 20 April, at Stavka, British Military Attache Major General Hanbury Williams received word that he was to be succeeded by Major General Sir Charles Barter.
At Petrograd, the Provisional Government published an affirmation of the rights of Cossacks.
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© WARCHRON 2007
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