20 June 1917. George Buchanan

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

George Buchanan

4, Dvortsovaya embankment, Petrograd, Russian Empire (British Embassy)

On the following day telegrams were received from Kerensky from the front announcing a brilliant com- mencement of the long-projected offensive. In the evening there were several patriotic demonstrations in front of the Embassy, and at the head of one of them came Miliukoff, who made me a speech from his auto- mobile, to which I replied from the balcony. It was, however, rather a case of " save me from my friends," as the sight of Miliukoff caused a group of soldiers of the Pavlovski Regiment to start a counter-demonstra- tion. Some of them were even heard to say, " Let's go for that house and kill them all ' ' — but nothing came of it.

The hopes inspired by Kerensky's optimistic telegrams were not destined to be long-lived. He had done all that a man could do who relied on speeches and on speeches alone to produce a sustained offensive in a war-weary army whose discipline had already been undermined. The main offensive was launched on the south-western front, and was to have been followed by minor offensives on other fronts, and as the Russians had a superiority both of guns and bayonets, there was no reason why, had it been vigorously pushed, it should not have been successful. It began with an initial success, and on July 8 the army under General Korniloff broke the Austrian front and occupied Halicz and Kaluscz. But while at various points along the line Kerensky had been preach- ing discipline and a fight to the death, he had allowed Bolshevik agitators at other points to preach peace and fraternization with the Germans. Instead, moreover, of restoring the disciplinary powers of the officers, he had sent commissaries to assist in the maintenance of discipline in the different armies. While some of the regiments fought gallantly, and while the officers sacrificed their lives heroically in what was too often but a vain attempt to induce their men to follow their example, no reliance could be placed on troops that had acquired the habit of debating whether the orders to attack should be obeyed or not. It was hardly surprising, therefore, that when, on July 19, the enemy attacked, one of the regiments engaged beat a precipi- tate retreat and the front was broken. In the course of a few days the rout became general, and in addition to the places occupied during the offensive, Tarnopol and Stanislau were abandoned.

, and others

Comment

✍ Also today

Nadezhda Teffi

Petrograd, Russian Empire

They gnaw seeds! This stupid and dangerous disease has consumed all of Russia. Seeds are gnawed by women, children, boys and soldiers, soldiers, soldiers… Impartial historians, as they are called, will call this period of the Russian revolution a period of seed gnawing. See more

, and others

2 Comment

Nicholas II

Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

It was a very warm day with a very strong smell of burning in the air. In the morning I took a walk around the'park. After lunch we chopped up three dry trees; all of them were at the place near the Arsenal. I took a ride in the canoe while others bathed at the end of the pond. The head officer of the Guard, Shymovich, of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, is generally disliked.

, and others

1 Like

Comment

Paul Klee

paints "Heavenly Pillar"

Summer school, Gersthofen, Bavaria, German Empire

, and others

5 Like

Comment

Ivan Bunin

Vasilievskoe estate, Glotovo village, Orlovskaya guberniya, Russian Empire

Recertification of people exempt from military service. Enlistment, enlistment! Idiots.

, and others

Comment

Nadezhda Krupskaya

Elizarov's apt. 24, 52 Shirokaya Street., Petrograd, Russian Empire

I was close to the youth work. The youth were grouped into the union “Light and Knowledge”, and were developing their program. Among the boys were Bolsheviks, Mensheviks, anarchists and non-partisans. The program is archaic and primitive, but the controversy surrounding it is very interesting. For example, one of the points held that everyone should learn how to sew. See more

, and others

10 Like

Comment

Alfred Knox

South-Western Front, Russian Empire

Men in some units had said : “ We will attack, but if we fail, we will kill the Corps Staff.” A soldier at a meeting had proposed that in the attack the corps commander should lead, followed by the three divisional commanders, followed by twelve regiment commanders and all the officers, the men coming last of all. See more

, and others

1 Like

Comment

Anatoliy Lunacharskiy

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The bourgeois press is corrupted. It lies and vilifies without restraint. Perhaps we will begin taking them to court.

, and others

4 Like

Comment

Georgi Plekhanov

5, Sofiysky boulevard, Tsarskoe Selo, Russian Empire

Unfortunately, far from all of the speeches currently being made at the All-Russia Conference of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies can be called intelligent. Lenin and his associates seem to have lost all their capacity for reason. Our well-known founder of a new religion, Father Anatoly Lunacharsky, has suffered the same loss. See more

, and others

1 Like

Comment

Elizaveta Naryshkina

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

The Empress sent me a nice note and a picture with her blessings and well wishes. It was very thoughtful. She wrote in Russian as the commandant does not understand English. They eat their radish and think it’s wonderful: the fruits of their labour.

, and others

2 Like

Comment

Lev Kamenev

First Cadet Corps, 1, Cadet line of Vasilievsky Island, Petrograd, Russian Empire

We put our stakes only on the development of a worldwide proletarian revolution; we have no prospect of an amicable concord with Western European imperialism, nor of one with the German General Staff...

There’s nothing but global proletarian revolution on our horizon.

, and others

Comment

Pavel Milyukov

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I'm not happy that Messrs Lenin and Trotsky are at large. They’ve committed plenty of sins against the Criminal Code. These gentlemen are unleashing contagion into Russian society and the Russian army.

, and others

1 Comment

19 June

Stalin threatens the bourgeoisie

Conflict in the Congress of Soviets

Conditions in the army deteriorate

Nightmare before Christmas

Death of Rasputin. Murder conspiracy and its consequences

Map of the Royal dynasties of Europe

Romanovs dangerous liaisons

+23

in Petrograd

+18

in Moscow