Russia's Last Gasp: The Eastern Front 1916–17 Kindle Edition

The Brusilov offensive in 1916 was as successful of any other incomplete victory in World War I--and one of the few major offensives by the Russian Army.This book puts that offensive into a context--what transpired before, the offensive itself, and what happened afterwards. Previous Russian efforts--even before 1916--had often been disastrous (think the German army's decisive defeat of two whole Russian armies, with the fight at Tannenbeg typifying the poor performances, under the command of Hindenberg and Ludendorf. After that major defeat, Russian forces often floundered, while taking extremely large casualties.Brusilov entered to command the Russian forces, facing both German and Austro-Hungarian forces. The latter did not fare very well. But Brusilov even tested German troops. Brusilov used a more imaginative approach than prior Russian generals. For one thing, he used artillery much more effectively; he worked to coordinate operations. The Russian forces actually advanced significantly. The book gives the reader a sense of the good, the bad, and the ugly commanders of the various forces.As seemed inevitable in WWI, the offensive finally ground down and attrition took place. The book also described the larger combat situation in the area, including the foolish entrance of Romania into the war. And, of course, the Russian problems waging war were a part of the picture leading to the Bolsheviks taking power.A well done work, with much detail to guide the reader not familiar with the subject. The book is more functionally written than elegant. But thne writing style serves the purpose.

Part Three of Dr. Buttar's excellent Trilogy of the Eastern Front during the First World War easily holds with its two preceding companions. The story of the War in the East is, in the end, the story of how Tsarist Russia finally came to an end and RUSSIA's LAST GASP magnificently chronicles all the internal contradictions of the Romanov state in the final months before the abdication of Nicholas II. Dr. Buttar gives thorough examination to previously ignored campaigns such as the Austrian "Black-Yellow" Offensive, that largely failed, and the Russian "Brusilov Offensive," that, initially at least, succeeded spectacularly. It was the chronic strain of the latter, however, once the Brusilov attacks lost impetus, and the Austrians and their German allies regained the initiative, Russian forces were spent.Defeat at the Front, misery at home and the Romanov's held Court at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg all but oblivious to the crisis that was set to consume the Dynasty and eventually result in the execution of the Tsar himself, along with his family. That is for a succeeding volume from Dr, Buttar I anticipate a release this September. That is then. For RUSSIA'S LAST GASP, however, again, it is a superlative piece of World War I History and this Trilogy will be readily counted among other great authors such as Norman Stone or Sir John Keegan.I highly recommend this volume as well as the previous two. All are fantastic reads.

Have read the first two of Mr. Buttar's series on the Eastern front WWI. This may be the best one as far as gaining an understanding of the commanders and the difficulties they faced. Much of this about the Russian commanders and their lack of a planning staff and the lack of artillery coordination and air reconnaissance. Also, some very good insights on the Austro-Hungarian army captured in the commentaries of German officers who served with them. In short, commanding troops with whom you cannot communicate with by language does not make for an efficient command structure. This volume is primarily about the Brusilov offensive and the conquest of Romania. Have never read about the Romanian campaign in greater detail than in this volume. Much from the diary of Erwin Rommel. The Brusilov portion is very well done as well. Brusilov may have been the only thinker worth a damn in the entire army. The story of the lack of support he received is well told. And, the mismanagement of the Guards "Special Army" commanded by one of Nicholas II's toadies, is also worth investing time in this volume.

Mr. Buttar does it again! Its a mystery to me how this guy, whose professional qualifications seem to have nothing to do with the study of eastern European history, can have the time, energy and talent to thoroughly research and flesh out such volumes that otherwise seem to have previously merited so little scholarly attention. By so doing though, any reader that possesses that rare (I guess) interest in those topics can be assured that they will learn a great deal. The money they spend will be truly worth it, IMO. Only one criticism, that to my mind merited a minus - one star: The book has very, very little to do with 1917 and the momentous events that transpired in Russia that year; so much so that having that latter date on the front cover could be viewed as deceptive. I sincerely hope that Mr. Buttar will give us a book on 1917 proper next time, and another on 1918 after that.

The title of the book is somewhat misleading in that it present details and analysis of the military operations and resulting strategic situation faced by all contending parties on the Eastern Front from 1915 - 1916. It provides details and analysis of the generalship, strategic objectives, and tactical methods employed by the Russian, the German, the Austrian, and the Romanian Armies in this theater. The review of the Russian Army's performance is not only interesting, It's a subject rarely covered at this level.

An enjoyable read . A little bit heavy on pure army level actions . dry information, he has tried to give it a bit of detail but its rather sketchier than I was hopping for. But it is an easy read and a good detailed study none the less. I recommend it to you if you are looking for a new work on the Eastern Front of ww1.

I can't comment on the book's coverage of the Russian fighting against the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, but I was looking for information on the WW1 Russo-Turkish fronts which are not covered.

well written

Well written, clear, and comprehensive account. Puts events in to their proper context in the overall situation in the global war, yet also has well-chosen first person accounts of what it was like to experience the events on the ground. I have never read such a balanced and informative account of these massive operations before. I can think of absolutely nothing negative to say about this book, I can't imagine a better account being written of the events it describes so well.

This is the third installment of Buttar's work on the Eastern Front of WW1. Not only is he filling an important gap in the English-language literature on that subject, the work is exhaustive and concise.