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848 Peace Feelers in the Shadow of Brest-Litovsk
The October Revolution in Russia changed matters dramatically. Now, it was difficult
to assess the situation, however. The Imperial and Royal Army High Command saw
the main reason for the development in Russia as the failure of the Provisional Gov-
ernment to fulfil the hopes for peace that had initially been awakened. And whether
the Bolsheviks would succeed in taking and asserting power in reality was assessed as
being just as doubtful. The demands by the Bolsheviks for an immediate ceasefire and
the initiation of peace negotiations was categorised by the Austrians as simply ‘dem-
agogic’.2016 In the opinion of the Army High Command, given in an initial statement,
the success of the revolution would be decided by the front armies and the Cossacks.
With regard to the nationalities in Russia, however, its analysis claimed that : ‘The
different peoples of Russia, who in their striving for independence or autonomy have
already achieved significant advantages, are now preparing to make the final blow. The
Ukrainians are siding with the Bolsheviks, since they are the most sincere supporters
of an independent Ukraine. The same is likely to be true of the Finns, although in
Finland, there are currently severe disputes between the Socialists and the middle-class
parties. The Finns may exploit the current situation in order to separate themselves
from Russia entirely. All the Cossack clans are joining together to act in unison out of
concern for their future. From this side, the Bolsheviks, even after having attained un-
limited power, are likely to face the greatest threat. We have also received reports from
Siberia about attempts to achieve autonomy. The Caucasus, Lithuania, Estonia, etc.
will certainly not allow the favourable opportunity of achieving national advantages to
pass by unexploited.’ With regard to the Russian economy, it was determined that the
agricultural committee would destroy large-scale landed property, but without increas-
ing farmer ownership. The farmers had lost their confidence in Russian paper money,
it was claimed, and were keeping their grain hidden. Industries were being closed, and
the crisis in the coal and transport sectors continued. Strikes in the Donets Basin and
‘in the petroleum regions’ could only be brought to a halt with effort and by means of
significant sums of money, which far exceeded the financial power of the state.
Assessments and forecasts made on one day were already rendered obsolete by the
events of the next. Emissaries came to no-man’s land with increasing frequency with
the aim of negotiating local ceasefires. Since these attempts at making contact initially
came from the Russian troops, however, they bore no fruit. The Russians were informed
that negotiations could be initiated immediately when authorised representatives ar-
rived. Simultaneously, there were mass desertions ; even higher-ranking officers went
over to the Central Powers. An increasing number of Russians retreated, tore gaps in
the front, burned obstacles and destroyed weapons.2017
What here appeared to point to complete dissolution was at the same time relativ-
ised by the formation of a revolutionary army. Item 2 of the deployment order already
made it evident that the Bolshevik government not only wanted to do its utmost to
THE FIRST WORLD WAR
and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918
- Titel
- THE FIRST WORLD WAR
- Untertitel
- and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918
- Autor
- Manfried Rauchensteiner
- Verlag
- Böhlau Verlag
- Ort
- Wien
- Datum
- 2014
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-79588-9
- Abmessungen
- 17.0 x 24.0 cm
- Seiten
- 1192
- Kategorien
- Geschichte Vor 1918
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1 On the Eve 11
- 2 Two Million Men for the War 49
- 3 Bloody Sundays 81
- 4 Unleashing the War 117
- 5 ‘Thank God, this is the Great War!’ 157
- 6 Adjusting to a Longer War 197
- 7 The End of the Euphoria 239
- 8 The First Winter of the War 283
- 9 Under Surveillance 317
- 10 ‘The King of Italy has declared war on Me’ 355
- 11 The Third Front 383
- 12 Factory War and Domestic Front, 1915 413
- 13 Summer Battle and ‘Autumn Swine’ 441
- 14 War Aims and Central Europe 469
- 15 South Tyrol : The End of an Illusion (I) 497
- 16 Lutsk :The End of an Illusion (II) 521
- 17 How is a War Financed ? 555
- 18 The Nameless 583
- 19 The Death of the Old Emperor 607
- 20 Emperor Karl 641
- 21 The Writing on the Wall 657
- 22 The Consequences of the Russian February Revolution 691
- 23 Summer 1917 713
- 24 Kerensky Offensive and Peace Efforts 743
- 25 The Pyrrhic Victory : The Breakthrough Battle of Flitsch-Tolmein 769
- 26 Camps 803
- 27 Peace Feelers in the Shadow of Brest-Litovsk 845
- 28 The Inner Front 869
- 29 The June Battle in Veneto 895
- 30 An Empire Resigns 927
- 31 The Twilight Empire 955
- 32 The War becomes History 983
- Epilogue 1011
- Afterword 1013
- Acknowledgements and Dedication 1019
- Notes 1023
- Selected Printed Sources and Literature 1115
- Index of People and Places 1155