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WarChron - Temporary Armistice |
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The Year 1917
There were twelve aviation and aeronautical schools, plus numerous air parks, depots and workshops. The Air Fleet had about 35,000 officers and men, including about 2,000 pilots and observers, with about 1,500 aircraft on hand, many in a state of disrepair.
By the end of November, Russia had three military flotillas. The Amur Flotilla, which was based in the Far East at Khabarovsk and Blagovestchensk, had already sent most of its monitors and gunboats to the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets. It was reactivated by the Reds in December 1918.
The Caspian Military Flotilla, based at Baku, had two gunboats, messenger vessels, a number of transport ships, coastal establishments and a naval aviation school. In March 1918 it was taken over by the Reds.
The Siberian Military Flotilla, based at Vladivostok, had fourteen torpedo boats, two gunboats, a minesweeper, and other vessels which quickly went over to Bolsheviks.
On 1 December, at Petrograd, Lenin demanded the surrender of General Dukhonin. He was arrested at Mogilev along with the Russian General Staff. The prisoners were held by Red Guards in a prison at Bykhov, Generals Kornilov, Denikin, Lukomskiy, Markov, and Romanovskiy managed to escape, agreeing to later meet in Novocherkassk.
In South Russia, in Novocherkassk, the Don Cossack 272nd Infantry Regiment passed a resolution refusing to recognize the authority of the Don Government. Two days later they were disarmed by Kaledin's troops.
At Riga, the Latvian National Council proclaimed Latvia's independence.
On the Romanian Front, a Front-wide Cossack Congress was convened.
In France, the Allied Supreme War Council held its first meeting at Versailles, attended by Britain, France, Italy and the United States.
On 2 December, at Brest-Litovsk, the Soviet and German Peace Delegations for peace talks were met by Prince Leopold of Bavaria and Major General Max Hoffmann. The Central Powers were represented by von Rosenberg of the German Foreign Office; Lt.Colonel Pokorny for Austria-Hungary; Adjutant General Zekki Bey for Turkey; Colonel Gantscheff for Bulgaria. The Russian delegation included Kamenev, Joffe, Sokolnikov, Madame Byzenko, a non-commissioned officer, a sailor, a workman and a peasant.
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At Stavka, a mob of Red sailors brutally murdered General Dukhonin, tearing him to pieces in the presence of Red Supreme Commander in Chief, Krylenko. The Reds occupied Stavka without any other fighting.
At Kishinev, the Sfatul-Tseri (Council) declared Bessarabia a Democratic Moldavian Republic, being part of the unified Russian Federal Democratic Republic.
At Tashkent, resolutions of the Turkestan Congress of Soviets excluded Muslims from government posts.
In France, Marshall Foch proposed to the Inter-Allied Conference that landing an Allied force in Siberia was feasible and necessary. In London, the British Cabinet agreed that “any reasonable” demands for financial help from General Kaledin should be met.
On 3 December, the Red MRC appointed General M.D. Bonch-Bruevich as Chief of the General Staff, replacing General N.N. Dukhonin who had been butchered at Stavka.
At Riga, Latvia proclaimed its independence from Russia.
On the Romanian Front, Romanian Premier Ion Bratianu summoned General Henri Berthelot, Chief of the French Military Mission, and French Ambassador Auguste de Saint-Auliare, to Jasi, to inform them that his government was compelled by military necessity to seek a cessation of hostilities. The next day, the Romanian Council of Ministers unanimously approved the measure.
Possibly at Kiev, left wing Czecho-Slovak Socialists issued an appeal to the Czech Legion to defect to the Red Guards. It was ignored by the Legion.
At Odessa, departure of Finnish General Gustav Mannerheim, who, after having fully recovered from injuries, later reached Petrograd in safety.
At Sofia, Bulgaria declared its readiness to negotiate a war settlement.
In Japan, Russian Admiral Kolchak offered his services to the British Embassy in Tokyo.
On 4 December, in the Caucasus, the Transcaucasian Commissariat opened negotiations with Turkey to consider an armistice on the Caucasian front. The Commander of the Russian Caucasian Army, General M.A. Przhevalskiy, notified French and British military representatives of a Turkish peace offer, which caused the Allies to protest.
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On the Romanian Front, at Jasi, the French Ambassador was notified by Paris that unlimited funds were being opened for him and General Berthelot for action in Russia to counterbalance the Bolsheviks. Berthelot was to receive funds for the supply of the Romanian Army, while the Ambassador was to get funds for “political action.” Other funds were to be allocated: with 100 million francs to General Alekseev in the Don; 20 million francs to Colonel Pierre Auguste Chardigny for French operations in the Caucasus; 10 million rubles was placed at the disposal of the French Military Mission in Russia; plus funds to French General Henri Albert Niessel for the organization of a Polish Legion. Most of these credits were never actually used.
At Helsingfors, a meeting of the Finnish Parliament was held, during which the draft of a new constitution was presented.
In the United States, President Wilson recommended that America declare war on Austria-Hungary.
On 5 December, at Brest-Litovsk, a temporary truce on the Russian Front was arranged, to expire at noon on 17 December. The Russian delegation decided to break off talks and return to Petrograd to consult with their government.
At Petrograd, the Bolsheviks dissolved nearly all courts and abolished the legal profession. All political crimes were to be handled by Revolutionary Tribunals.
At Helsingfors, Finnish Premier Svinhufud drafted a note to Britain, France, America, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, announcing the Finnish decision to claim independence.
In South Russia, at Novocherkassk, arrival of escaped anti-Bolshevik Generals Denikin, Markov and Romanovskiy, with Lukomskiy arriving the following day. General Kaledin received news that Red Guards would soon threaten the city, and declared martial law in the city.
On 5-6 December, on the Romanian Front, Romania was obliged to suspend hostilities, as Russian General Shcherbachev offered armistice terms to the Central Powers.
On 6 December, the Bolsheviks appointed General N.M. Potapov as Chief of Staff of Commissariat of Military Affairs.
At Kiev, concerning new territorial governments, the Ukrainian Rada proposed to the Council of People's Commissars in Petrograd the need to establish a Central Russian government for the purpose of obtaining a general democratic peace.
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© WARCHRON 2007
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