The offensives of the Ukrainian army in the districts of Kharkiv, in September and Kherson were crowned with success. There are several reasons why the Ukrainian military managed to restore such a large territory in such a short time.

If in the case of the counteroffensive in Kharkiv it can be said that the Russian occupiers were taken by surprise and could not give an effective response, then in the case of the offensive in the Kherson region, which is in full swing, the Russian army no longer has even such an excuse.

Both battles were carefully prepared, everything was planned down to the last detail. From good knowledge of enemy concentration areas to ensuring a good logistical base by maintaining strong supply lines – everything depends on the success of this type of action. History offers us several examples of similar military offensives from different periods.

For the sake of learning, we will analyze the Brusilov Offensive during the First World War, a military action of epic proportions that ended with the elimination of the Austro-Hungarian army as an effective fighting force on the Eastern Front.

Brusylov offensive, historical context and goals

The truth is that no one believed that the tsarist army in the summer of 1916 was capable of military operations of such a scale that would be successful. Russian military power suffered heavy and humiliating defeats in the first years of the war, the number of casualties was huge.

The condition of the Russian army was poor in terms of training and equipment, and Russian generals were noted for tactical and strategic mistakes.

In the summer of 1916, the Western Entente powers pressured Russia to launch an offensive that would force Germany to commit troops to the eastern front, thereby relieving pressure on the French, as well as on the southern front, where the Italians were being decimated in successive battles on the Isonzo.

However, the Russian commanders were not sure that they would be able to deliver such a blow, General Evert, for example, believed that the Russian troops should fight exclusively defensively in order not to suffer catastrophic losses, as in the battle on the Masurian Lakes. .

The only one who picked up the gauntlet, taking responsibility for planning the offensive, was General of the Cavalry Oleksiy Brusylov. He will present his plan to the Russian High Command, which, thanks to his audacity, was approved by Tsar Nicholas II.

General Brusylov carefully prepared his offensive campaign. He hid his offensive intentions by masking the concentration of troops around the front. He abandoned long pre-attack artillery preparation in favor of short, accurate fire. Brusilov knew that his Austro-Hungarian opponents were not in a happy situation either, their troops were in a precarious position.

At the same time, he abandoned the mass attack to which the Russians had accustomed their enemies, to the detriment of the use of shock troops, which aimed to penetrate the Austrian trenches, only then to be followed by the main part of the infantry.

These innovations were successful, the attack managed to break the Austrian lines, in just four days the Russians occupied the city of Lutsk, the Austro-Hungarians lost more than 200,000 men. The original plan provided that, simultaneously with Brusilov’s offensive from the south, General Evert would attack the German troops in the north.

His attack came late and was poorly organized, giving the Germans time to draw up troops to hold the front. The most advanced point of the offensive was the withdrawal of Russian troops to the Carpathian line at the end of September. Immediately after that, the attacks stopped, Brusilov was aware of the limitations of the troops under his command, as well as the stretched supply lines.

Consequences of the Brusylov offensive

The enormous success of General Brusilov was probably the determining factor in Romania’s decision to enter the First World War on the side of the Entente.

Strictly speaking, the offensive achieved its original objective, which was to take pressure off the shoulders of the Western powers by forcing the Germans to transfer troops from the Western Front where they had an advantage, for example to help the Austro-Hungarian ally.

As for Austria-Hungary, this offensive fully showed its military limits, the losses were huge, losing about one and a half million people. Practically after that, the imperial army could not launch offensive actions.

In addition, his troops were conquered by Germany, which, in turn, fully realized the military inability of Austria.

As for Russia, the Brusilov operation was not only practically its only successful military action in the war, but also the last, later, against the background of the worsening political situation in the country after the unrest caused by the Bolsheviks, being forced to sign a completely unfavorable peace in Brest-Litovsk.

On the western front, not only did the French get a moment’s respite to organize their defenses, but after the Brusilovsky Offensive the British saw an opportunity for a short and decisive victory, subsequently launching an offensive on the Somme, which, however, did not have the expected effect, suffering heavy losses.

The military legacy of the Brusylov operation

Without a doubt, General Brusylov was the best Russian general of the First World War. His innovative methods broke through pattern– the first years of the war with massive strikes on enemy trenches, which often resulted in huge losses. This tactic was the brainchild of some generals who fought using 19th century methods, disregarding the huge advances in military technology.

Later, Oleksiy Brusilov’s methods were studied in academies, and experts claimed that his tactics formed the basis of the principles of the German blitzkrieg twenty years later.

It should be remembered that a military offensive must be based on several principles that cannot be deviated from. Thus, the attack must have some real objectives, to achieve which sufficient forces are allocated. Then the element of surprise should never be underestimated. At the same time, it is very important to know the location of the enemy well, as well as to cut his supply lines.

It is also very important for the commander to know when it is time to call off the attack, so as not to risk advancing too quickly, which could result in the lengthening or even breaking of supply lines. All these elements were fully studied and implemented by the Ukrainians during the recapture of Kharkiv in October, and now, during the offensive on Kherson.

Literature:

– Brusylov A.A. Soldier’s notebook, 1914–1918.

-Norman Stone – Eastern Front 1914-1917

-Spencer Tucker -The Great War: 1914–1918

-Timothy K. Dowling, The Brusilovsky Offensive

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