Russia Attacks - Brusilov Offensive

General Aleksey Alekseyevich Brusilov

The Russian Army had suffered defeats in the first year of the war, but the Brusilov Offensive from 4 June-20 September 1916 was its most successful offensive of the First World War, resulting in one of the Entente Allies' most successful breakthrough operations against the Central Powers. The attack was launched in Galicia, present-day western Ukraine, in the area of Lviv, Kovel, and Lutsk and was to provide a master class in warfighting at the Army Group and Front level, which would be copied by commanders during the First World War and later when Blitzkrieg was in its development. The timing had been agreed between the Allies as it coincided with the British preparations for the attack on the Somme during the summer of 1916 and it was also that period when the pressure at Verdun was bleeding France white.

Named after General Aleksey Brusilov, commander of the South-West Front of the Imperial Russian Army, the offensive brought an element of surprise. He had not only moved his front line as close as possible to the enemy, but he had also moved his reserves well forward. Having advanced his artillery with equal secrecy, he fired short artillery interdiction shoots against key command and control targets. His aim in the opening assaults was to disrupt his enemy in order to reveal weaknesses which were then assaulted by specialised (shock) units attacking such identified weak points along the 400 km frontage of the Austro-Hungarian line. His reserves were then able to exploit and break through the breaches fashioned by his shock troops. Brusilov advanced an average of more than 30 kilometres and took 400,000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners. Unfortunately, a lack of concert of effort by the Russian Army Group commander to his north led to his inevitable over extension that was, by July, being countered by the Germans, thanks to their efficient use of the railways to move 17 Divisions from the Western Front.

The German reinforcement of the Galician front succeeded in relieving pressure on the French at Verdun and Brusilov's attack had so weakened the Austro-Hungarian Army, that they would from then on require German support to hold even the Italian front. Many were to learn from Brusilov's strategies, especially the Germans during the Spring Offensive of 1918 when they would launch Operation MICHAEL.

Brusilov breakthrough = Брусиловский прорыв = Brusilovskiĭ proryv