The Eastern Front: A History Of The Great War 1914-1918, Lloyd - B +

                        "Writing in the 1920s, Sir Winston Churchill believed that the First World War on the Eastern Front was incomparably the greatest war in history. This conflict, which pitched the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary against Imperial Russia, lies at the heart of the Great War; it was its mainspring and core, which changed the political order of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans forever." 

                        After the declarations of war, Germany advised Austria-Hungary that they would attack France, and it would be the responsibility of Austria-Hungary to hold off Russia in the east. The first contact with the much better equipped Russians was a cavalry charge on 21 August at Jaroslawice. An infantry battle at Krasnik sent the Russians fleeing the battlefield. To the north, Samsonov forced a German withdrawal that led to the immediate replacement of the army's leadership with Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. On 26 August, the Germans attacked in  the Battle of Tannenberg. They surrounded the Russians and captured 92,000 prisoners. The Russians regrouped in Galicia and inflicted terrible losses on the Austro-Hungarians, whose army retreated 90 miles after losing 2/3rds of its personnel. As the Austro-Hungarians were ineffective and the Germans undermanned, the somewhat disorganized Russians were able to plod forward. But their shortage of rifles, men, bullets, shoes, artillery shells, and officers, was soon exposed when all offensive action was postponed at year's end. In a February storm, the Germans attacked the northernmost Russian army and attempted to encircle it. The Russians escaped, but with massive casualties. To the south, Austria-Hungary finally surrendered their besieged fortress at Przemsyl sending 120,000 men into Russian captivity. It would be the high point of Russia's war. In early May, the Central Powers began an attack that crushed the 3rd Russian Army, sending it into headlong retreat. By the end of the summer, the Germans and Austrians had crossed all of Poland and captured and killed hundreds of thousands, fighting against men who did not have ammunition, artillery, ample sustenance or eventually, any hope. Somewhere between 3 and 6 million civilians fled east with the retreating army.  The Tsar dismissed Brand Duke Nikolai, Commander in Chief and his uncle,  and took command of the army himself. He was warned that leaving St. Petersburg would leave the monarchy in a precarious position.

                     Italy joined the war in the summer of 1915. They attacked across the Isonzo River at its short border with Austria. Attacking uphill in the face of extensive defenses on mountainous terrain led to three years of inconsequential slaughter. The Bulgarians joined the Central powers hoping to join them in dismembering Serbia. The Central Powers  attacked Serbia in September. By the approach of winter, Serbia's armies were pushed back to Albania. The Germans and Austro-Hungarians seemed ascendant in the East.

                    The beginning of 1916 saw the two Central powers in disagreement on plans for the new year. Austria-Hungary wanted to knock Italy out of the war, but Germany just didn't see the advantage and pursued their war of attrition at Verdun. Historians agree that the Italian front would have provided better results for them. Although their fates were linked, they went their own way in 1916. Austria-Hungary defeated Montenegro in January. With the Balkans conquered and their manpower dwindling, they began to think about their war's endgame. In March, a massive Russian army provided at long last with supplies and ammunition attacked Hindenburg's army in White Russia. Once again, the Russians failed completely, and it became obvious to some of the generals that the war was lost. Nonetheless, the Russians continued to believe in fighting the war and in the summer began the Brusilov offensive against the Austrians. Prepared with adequate artillery, and fighting the Austrians instead of the Germans, the offensive was a success. Stretching on a line from Poland to Romania, the Russians pushed the Austrians back all summer. Panic grew in Vienna as the empire was on the ropes. German soldiers came to the rescue and stopped the Russians. Hindenburg assumed command of all forces in the east and tried to incorporate the Austrian-Hungarian armies into Germanys'. Bulgaria entered the war as a Central Power and Romania joined the Entente, thus extending the fighting further south into the Balkans. 

                   Nineteen seventeen saw major changes in the war. Karl had replaced Franz-Joseph on the throne in Vienna and surreptitiously reached out to the Allies for peace. The abdication of the Tsar opened up Russian politics to those adamantly opposed to continuing to fight.  In April, America joined the Allied Powers. In July, the Kerensky offensive, Russia's final effort, failed. On the Italian-Austrian front, years of stalemate ended in the fall. The Italians had fought bravely over the course of eleven unsuccessful Battles of the Isonzo. With meaningful German assistance, the Austrians attacked south from the Tyrol and routed the Italians in the Battle of Caporetto. On Nov. 7, Lenin overturned the Provisional Government and initiated Bolshevist rule in Russia. The next day he announced that ending the war as soon as possible was an immediate goal. An armistice with Germany was signed at Brest-Litovsk in March, 1918. The war would be decided in the west.

                   Germany's final offensive began in March, and was within 40 miles of Paris in early June. But that was the end. The army began to disintegrate and in September, the Kaiser asked Wilson to organize an armistice. The Germans agreed to an armistice in November a week after the Austrians. The Great War was over.  

                    This is an excellent book providing me with a massive amount of information and insight about a front that I never knew much about.  Every time I read about this war, I ask myself how in the name of God could the politicians and generals think that endlessly sending hundreds of thousands to their death charging fixed positions could be considered a tactic. Lastly, I am reminded of a historian's quote about the First World War - "It was the catastrophe that begat all of the other catastrophes of the 20th century."