The Year 1915

In Petrograd, Bishop Varnava appeared before the Holy Synod defending his questionable actions in Tobolsk. The Empress was urging the Tsar to dismiss Samarin as Procurator of the Holy Synod.

In France, a Belgian Armored Car Division embarked on French transport for the voyage to Arkhangelsk and service in Russia. They arrived in Petrograd on 15 October, and received their baptism of fire at Zborov in June 1916 during the Brusilov offensive.

On 22 September, there was ratification of the Treaty signed between Turkey and Bulgaria.

On 23 September, on the Western Front, the Russian 10th Army recaptured Vileika near Molodechno. The Germans were falling back across the Oginski Canal near Pinsk.

On the Southwest Front, the Russian 8th Army recaptured Lutsk, taking 10,000 prisoners. Russian armored trains took part in operations in the Rovno – Kovel sector. The government received reports of serious food shortages in 500 of 659 Russian cities.

On 24 September, on the Caucasian Front, arrival of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich at Kars. He began making plans for a large scale offensive.

On 25 September, in the Baltic Sea, the Russian battleship Slava, two gunboats and seven destroyers, supported by flying boats from the seaplane carrier Orlitsa, bombarded German positions on the western shore of the Gulf of Riga between Lazup and Ragatsem. Two German aircraft dropped bombs on Russian ships, hitting one destroyer, while three bombs fell on the Slava, one striking the bridge, killing the Captain and others.

On the Northern Front, the Germans attacking Dvinsk from the south were driven back with heavy losses. On the Western Front, the Germans seized Baranovichi.

On 26 September, there was heavy fighting around Dvinsk. The Russians forced the Germans back south of Pinsk.

On 27 September, on the Northern Front, German attacks at Eckau in the Riga sector were repulsed. The Russian 10th Army held its lines at Dvinsk and Vilna, driving the Germans from Krivichi. On the Western Front, the German Bugarmee saw heavy fighting around Kobryn, near Grodno.

The Year 1915

A collective letter was sent to the Tsar by Sazonov, Shcherbatov, Samarin, Krivoshein, Bark and Sakhovskiy, beseeching him to change the course of his policy, stating it was impossible to serve under Goremykin any longer. War Minister Polivanov and Naval Minister Admiral Grigorovich abstained from signing the letter. On the 28th, the Tsar summoned the ministers to Stavka, where on the 29th he told them he could no longer tolerate such interference by his Ministers in the choice of the President of his Council. The Empress perceived Sazonov as the ringleader and pressed for his dismissal.

On 28 September, in the Baltic Sea, three new Russian submarines, Bars, Gepard and Vepr came into service. The British now had five submarines in the Baltic. Recent German losses have forced them to transfer a number of patrol boats and torpedo boats to the Baltic sector.

On the Southwest Front, the Germans forced the Russians to abandon Lutsk.

On 29 September, at Petrograd, the Tsar's order to prorogue the State Duma was published. Workers at the Putilov factory and the Baltic shipyards immediately went out on strike. Many key factories were seriously effected.

On the Western Front, the Russians were being driven back in the Pripyat (Pripet) marshes sector.

On 30 September, the incredible Russian retreat of almost 480 km ended. The Austro-German advance came to a standstill. Austro-Hungarian troops were exhausted, their supply lines having been badly overstretched.

The Russians were still able to hold a battle line. Russian casualties during this campaign now totaled 1,410,000, an average of 235,000 per month, compared to a monthly average of 140,000. A major component of the professional Russian military had been wiped out. There had been extremely high casualties among Russian officers and non-commissioned officers.

On the Western Front, the Russian 1st Army Staff arrived by rail at their new headquarters at Polotsk from Minsk. Their Corps arrived over the next few days. The Germans moved their Oberost HQ to Kovno.

On the Northern Front, German 8th Army only 5 km west of Jakobstadt. The German 10th Army reached Lake Naroch, south of Dvinsk.

Moscow factory workers went out on strike. There was growing hatred of the Empress and Rasputin. Even Russian Orthodox Church priests, monks and nuns began to turn against the Tsar.

The Year 1915

On 30 September, the German minister in Berne, Switzerland, sent a report to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin concerning Lenin's program for a separate peace with Russia. It consisted of seven points: the establishment of a republic; confiscation of large land holdings; an eight hour work day; full autonomy for all nationalities; offer of peace without any consideration for France on condition that Germany renounce any and all annexations and war reparations; the Russian army to leave Turkish territory; and Russian troops be allowed to move into India. On 26 December, Aleksandr Helphand (Parvus) began receiving funds. It was estimated that he eventually received over 20 million rubles to foment revolution in Russia.

During September, a network of War Industry Committees had been established in various Russian cities under the direction of the Central War Industry Committee, chaired by A.I. Guchkov. They had the object of assisting the government better organize supply of the Russian Army with military and food supplies.

During September, the Germans had four submarines in the Baltic Sea, the U.9, U.10, U.17, and UC.4. There were now four submarines, UB.7, UB.8, UB.14 and UB.15 at Constantinople, with UC.13 at Euxinograd off Varna in Bulgaria, which the Germans had recently set up as an auxiliary support base for U-boats.

On 1 October, on the Western Front, the Germans renewed their attacks in the Dvinsk and Smorgon sectors.

On the Southwest Front, von Linsingen's Südarmee gained some ground east of Lutsk in the southern Pripyat region.

In the Black Sea, a Russian battle squadron, with three battleships, the dreadnought Empress Mariya, two cruisers, and five destroyers shelled the ports of Kozlu, Zonguldak and Eregli on the Turkish coast causing light damage.

French Ambassador Paleologue handed a telegram from the French President to the Tsar. It stated concerns over Bulgarian mobilization and the threat of having the Salonika – Nish railway line cut, which would disrupt the flow of munitions to Russia. He requested that the Tsar send troops to join the French and British forces already on their way to Salonika in Greece.

On 3 October, on the Northern Front, the great battle of Dvinsk began. A Russian offensive in the Postavi - Smorgon region collapsed, while the Russians were able to reopen the railway line between Polotsk and Molodechno.