WWI: The Eastern Front

World War One is raging. Germany is squeezed between its enemies on the Western front... ... and the Eastern front. In the West, Germany fights France, Great Britain, and eventually the United States too. On the Eastern front the Germans, together with their allies, Austria-Hungary... ...

face the world's largest army: the Russian. Armies in the East move over vast areas, and fight both small and large battles. Just like on the Western front, there are trenches here, but the war never locks up in a fixed position as it does in Western Europe. A large section of the German army is tied up battling in France... ... so it's Austria-Hungary that sends its soldiers to attack Serbia.

But Austria-Hungary has to beware! They must be ready for attacks from Italy, because their former friend and ally has now switched sides, and fights together with the Brits and the French. At the start of the war, Russia occupies large areas of land. This is quite easy, because their enemies are occupied, fighting elsewhere... ... and the Russian army is large.

So large that its enemies shouldn't stand a chance. Still, the war is about to turn. The German soldiers advance far into Russia, and behind them comes the Austria-Hungarian army. How is this possible? How can these two smaller armies, who have other fronts to look after, still begin to defeat the superpower Russia?

This is how: compared to its enemies, Russia is a poor and backward country. The weapons and equipment used by the Russian soldiers are old and in bad shape. The railways are not developed, and there are hardly any cars or lorries. The Russian soldiers often have to walk to get anywhere in this large country. So, they move slowly.

And when they get there, and face their enemies, they are exhausted. Another thing that weakens the Russian soldiers is the lack of food. Many who used to work in farming are now in the army, so there's a shortage of farmers who can grow food. And without lorries, any food that is produced still can't get to the soldiers at the front. Another drawback is that Russia is a brutal dictatorship.

It's the Russian king -- the Tsar -- who rules, along with the aristocracy. The aristocrats have automatically been appointed as officers, regardless of whether they are good at it or not. Aristocrats in Tsarist Russia have learned since they were children, that common people have no value, and that the only role for the poor, is to obey. Those who don't obey are severely punished. Often, the aristocrats don't care if their soldiers live or die.

Sometimes they even sell their soldiers' food and equipment... ... or order them into deadly and pointless attacks against the enemy. Because of the way the officers treat them, many soldiers would rather run away than fight. In 1917 the Russian workers and soldiers rebel. They demand an end to the war and to the lack of food, and they demand democracy.

This rebellion is known as the Russian Revolution. The Tsar is overthrown. Many of the Russians who rebel want democracy... ... but the new society that is to develop after the revolution -- the Soviet Union -- is to be far from democratic. Those who want the war to end in Russia, at least get their wish.

Russia surrenders, and Germany has won the war on the Eastern front! So, even though Russia had such a large army, they have lost against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Germans are happy -- now they can rush West, and focus on the war in France...