Propaganda postcard of General Paul von Hindenburg as Colossus astride East Prussia and Russian Poland. Hindenburg commanded German forces in East Prussia.
Nur über meine Leiche geht Dein Weg 'Koloss'Your way goes only over my corpse — 'Colossus'Reverse:Künstler-Karte; logo: CAES DresdenCarl A. E. Schmidt, Künstverlags-Anstalt, DresdenUnser Hindenburg
After defeat in the Russo-Japanese war and the Revolution of 1905, Tsar Nicholas II, instituted political reforms, creating the Duma, an elected assembly which he suspended when he could, and called when he had to.Aided by French financing, Russia modernized, improving its railroads and military. With France and Britain, Russia formed the Triple Entente . In 1914, Russia was victorious over Austria-Hungary, but was defeated by Germany, particularly in the Battle of Tannenberg which cost Russia an army.The 1915 German-Austro-Hungarian Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive was the war's great breakthrough, one that lasted for months, created 10,000,000 refugees, and drove Russian forces from territory the size of France. Russian suffered over 1,500,000 casualties. Anti-war protests increased.In 1916, France, beseiged at Verdun, requested Russian aid. General Brusilov responded with an offensive, Russia's greatest victory of the war, but one that cost 1,000,000 casualties.Strikes and protests in 1917 led to a revolution that deposed the Tsar on March 15. The new government was committed to the war, and, in July, launched Russia's last major offensive, and another disaster.Defending against a conservative coup, the government armed Bolsheviks it had recently imprisoned. The coup failed, but the armed Bolsheviks remained. Lenin, their leader, was the most consistent anti-war voice, and support for his party grew among workers and soldiers. In the October Revolution, his party seized power. The new government negotiated the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, as it tried to consolidate power in the Russian Civil War.
Russia is a country in Europe.
