Day of Remembrance for Russian Soldiers who Fell in World War I

On August 1 Russia marks the Day of Remembrance for Russian Soldiers who fell in World War I. On this day in 1914, Germany declared war on the Russian Empire and invaded it the next day.

Thus, our country joined the then largest and bloodiest armed conflict in history launched to redivide colonies, spheres of influence and markets.

The war was waged by two coalitions: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria) and the Entente powers (Russia, France, Britain and several other countries). A major factor for Russia’s involvement in the war was the need to protect Orthodox Serbia from the aggression of Austria-Hungary.

Until the very beginning of the war, Russian Emperor Nicholas II did everything in his power to settle the conflict through diplomacy. He made several attempts to convince German Emperor Wilhelm II that disputes must be resolved peacefully, but his proposals were disregarded.

Russia was an active participant in military action which unfolded during WWI. Russian forces fought courageously and heroically on all parts of the Eastern Front, winning several major battles, including the Battle of Galicia (Lemberg), the Battle of the Vistula River (the Battle of Warsaw), the Battle of the Masurian Lakes and the Battle of Przasnysz.

#InterestingFact: One of the symbols of the Russian soldiers’ selflessness was the Battle of Osowiec Fortress. The advancing German forces used chemical weapons to eliminate a major part of the Russian garrison. Despite severe gas poisoning and heavy losses, the remaining defenders of the fortress rose in a bayonet attack and forced the enemy to flee. This episode went down in history as the Attack of the Dead Men.

Russia’s successful actions forced Germany to send more troops to the Eastern Front. Many Russian historians believe that the tide of the war was turned by the famous Brusilov Offensive on the Southwestern Front, which pushed Austria-Hungary to the brink of collapse and forced Germany to redeploy considerable forces from Verdun in France to the “Russian theatre of war.”

Thanks to the success of the Brusilov operation, the Italian army escaped destruction and Romania joined the war on the side of the Entente. The Second Reich lost the strategic initiative, and the course of the war was changed in favour of the Allies.

The heroism of Russian soldiers and officers can hardly be overstated. In that war, Russia lost over 2 million lives on the frontlines.

People in Russia have not forgotten their heroic compatriots who perished in the conflict. A memorial park complex to the heroes of the World War I opened in 2004 at the former Bratsky (Fraternal) Cemetery in Moscow, and a monument to the heroes of World War I was unveiled in the city’s Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora in 2014. Overall, there are 20 monuments and memorials to WWI heroes in Russia and other countries.