The “breach of the revolutionary army”, reported on by the head of the government, “War Minister”, Prince Lvov " ended in treason by the Grenadier Guards. The entire Eleventh Army, abandoning their positions, went running into the rear after them.
The enemy took Tarnopol, threatening the flank and rear of General Kornilov’s neighbouring Eighth Army. The heroic downfall of the shock battalions, made up mostly of officers, turned out to be in vain. “The Democratic Army”, unwilling to shed blood in order to “save revolutionary gains”, fled like a herd of sheep.
I went into the house and gave the order for one of the group of deserters, one of the more insolent, to be singled out. I announced to the division that anybody who crosses the river Zbruch without being ordered to do so will be shot immediately. I then wrote out a personal decree demanding the immediate execution of the deserter. See more
I am no investigator and I have no idea who is most to blame for the vile drama we are witnessing. I have no intention of defending the adventurers and opportunists; all those who try to arouse the dark instincts of the masses are hateful and unpleasant to me, no matter what name they bear, or how much fine service they may have done in the past for Russia. See more
There’s anything you want in the Finland, Vyborg, Tammerfors and other train stations. The old custom remains in force: you pay 3 to 4 marks at the buffet entrance and you can eat whatever you want. Hors d'oeuvre a plenty. Finns are very poorly disposed to Russians. The Finns are kinder. Russian troops are not kicked around. See more
There can be no doubt that this so-called counter-revolution – a term which everybody interprets in his own sense – was engineered by the Germans to synchronise with their offensive. The news of what was passing in Petrograd was circulated among the troops at the front by German aeroplanes and by Bolshevik agitators, and the collapse of the Russian Army would never have been so complete but for this. See more
It was a little warmer, but the sun was not out. During the morning, as usual, I took a nice walk with my daughters. After breakfast we worked near the Arsenal. We cut down three fir trees and cut up still another tree which had fallen in the grass. I packed some books and then read. During the evening I read aloud.