The failed offensive eliminated Russia's military capability and accelerated the political collapse that led to the October Revolution.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 1 July – 19 July 1917
- German counter-advance
- Up to 120 km into Russian territory km
- Counter-offensive end date
- 5 August 1917
- 8th Army breach width
- 30 km wide gap in Austro-Hungarian front km
- Towns captured (briefly)
- Kalush and Galich
- Front stabilised
- Mid-August 1917 by Kornilov
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the February Revolution and the abdication of Nicholas II, the Russian Provisional Government pledged to honor its commitments to the Triple Entente. Kerensky, as War Minister, organized a new offensive aimed at capturing Lemberg and Galicia from Austria-Hungary, hoping a military success would shore up the government's authority and boost morale among increasingly radicalized troops.
The Kerensky Offensive ran from 1 July to 19 July 1917 along the Southwestern Front. Initial gains were made by the 7th and 11th Armies, while Kornilov's 8th Army achieved the greatest success, breaking through Austro-Hungarian lines and capturing Kalush and Galich. However, the advance stalled as volunteer shock battalions were too few to hold gains, and German reinforcements launched a devastating counterattack that reversed all Russian territorial gains.
The German and Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive pushed Russian forces back up to 120 km, retaking nearly all of Eastern Galicia by 5 August. The offensive's failure discredited the Provisional Government, contributed to the July Days crisis and the Kornilov coup, and greatly strengthened Bolshevik influence over the army and the Petrograd Soviet, setting conditions for the October Revolution.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Alexander Kerensky, Lavr Kornilov.
Side B
2 belligerents