Eastern Fronts

The Western Front reached the end of the war and the Eastern Front continued. While Russia went into Galicia in September of 1914, Hindenburg and Ludendorff pushed Russia further back creating the Russian industrial base and military leadership to fall. In the spring of 1915, the Russians had retreated into Galicia, in May the Central Powers accomplished a remarkable breakthrough on Poland. In August they captured Warsaw and forced the Russians to withdraw from Poland.


In 1917 the Russian Revolution unfolded from Russia’s growing population and social opportunities and political consciousness. The weak government kept falling under the Central Powers of Nations. German forces came to the aid while Austrian units in Transylvania and Bucharest fell to the Central Powers in December.


Vladimir Lenin, who led the Bolsheviks, promised to pull Russia out of the war and was able to gain power, he created negotiations with Germany. At first the Bolsheviks refused the German terms, but when Germany continued in the war and marched across Ukraine with liberty, the new government accepted the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918. It took Russia out of the war and gave them large territories including Finland, the Baltic provinces, parts of Poland and Ukraine to the Central Powers.