Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-12-30 | Page 23 | German Intrigue Forces Russian War Collapse

GERMAN Mil FORGES RUSSIAN WARCQLLAPSE Conspiracy Ending in Overthrow Over-throw of Kerensky Government Gov-ernment Puts End to ! Russian Offensive. Political intrigrues and military disaster are the story or Russia in the war during dur-ing the year 1917. That the Russian military mili-tary collapse has upset allied calculations and will tend to prolong tlie war tan-not tan-not be doubted, since the Ineffectiveness of the Russian armies and the armistice procured by the Bolshevik! government of Russia has released German and Austrian, troops tor service on other fronts, and contributed to the terrific blow struck against Italy by the Austro-Germans. For a time, following the overthrow of the czar's government, it was believed that Kerensky would be able to bring order or-der out of chaos. Kerensky either was deceived or was not strong enough to control the elements I hat worked for his overthrow, aided, undoubtedly, by German Ger-man intrigue and German money. Apparently Ap-parently the Bolshevlki, or extreme socialists, so-cialists, were ahle to work without difficulty diffi-culty both in Petrograd and at the front. Among the troops in the trenches were sown the seeds of socialism, discord and mutinv. The Fetrograd garrison was won over in much the same fashion as wore the troops at the front, and the Bolshevlki Bolshe-vlki coup d'etat was accomplished as easilv as was tlie practically- bloodless revolt re-volt "asainst the czar and the amocracy. Tho story of Russia in 191 opens in January with political difficulties (he resignation of Premier Trepoff and the appointment ot Prince Golitzine, what was supposed to .be a concession on the part of the czar, but what was helieved by many to have been a victory for tlie eo-called "Dark Forces," the political conspirators who surrounded tho weak-minded weak-minded Nicholas. Up to March, when the revolution took place and the czar abdicated, littlo of military importance look place on the Russian front. The Russians still held most of Bukowina, the Austrian crown land. The Russian lines at other points held firm. AVilh'the imprisonment of the czar, and the rise to power of Kerensky, indications for a tfmo were that Russia's military power had not been seriously impaired. im-paired. Many observers saw a revolutionary revolu-tionary Russia rising to military power as revolutionary France rose to military power under Napoleon. In the latter part of .Tune the Russians Rus-sians began the first offensive of any size conducted by tlie provisional government. gov-ernment. It began in Galicia and for a time gave every promise of becoming an extensive victory. The key to Lemherg was captured and it was hoped that tlie Muscovites would again invest T.emlx'rg. In the middle part of July, however, the firs. Maximalist, or Bolshevlki, disorders were' reported at Petrograd. They were suppressed, but were followed only a. few days later by mutinies at tlie' front. Evidently the Bolshevlki leaders in Petrograd Petro-grad had planned the mutinies of the soldiers and (he tiprising in Petrograd to take place simultaneously. Genei-al Korniloff and other Russian army commanders sought to suppress the mutinies of regiments at the front, without with-out success. The treachery of certain regiments permitted the Germans and Austrians to break the Russian lines, and soon a disastrous retreat was in progress, the entire Russian line being threatened. At the same time, or shortly after, tlie Teutons commenced offensives in Bukowina Buko-wina and on the Riga front. Further political disorders were reported in Petro-sra-d at about the same time that the Teutons recaptured Czernowitz. capital of Bukowina. The evacuation of Riga and its occupation by German troops followed fol-lowed soon after. The uprising of Korniloff and his prompt supresslon by Kcrenskv preceded by only a short time the revolt of the Bolshevlki government. In November came the Maximalist uprising, with the establishment of the Nikolai Ixmlne-Leon Troizky government and the flight of Kerensky. I.cnlne had long been an agitator against, the provisional government price had been placed on his canture but somehow he managed to evade his would-be would-be captors. There seems to he no douht that Lenlne was In the pav of the German Ger-man government. Trotzkv had long hecn a resilient of America, and returned to Russia when the czar s government wa overthrown. Facts regarding developments in Russia Rus-sia following the establishment of the Holshcviki government are pnnHrt'nir Apparently the Bolshevlki hold on'Rfss-i is not any loo secure. General Korniloff arrested hy the Botshevikl. managed to escape, and Is reported leading a trong lorce acamst the new revolutionary cov-ernment. cov-ernment. General Kaledlnes. hetman of the LH.n Cos.acks. is also loadin- a 1 -ge lorce opposed to the Bolshevlki Both men are said to be adherents of Kercn-d v whose whereabouts are a mv-rerv ' As promised, the Bolshevlki ' once in power, opened immediate negotiations for PC-are. A temporarv armistice . I., ?u?";' r"l1?,"tivos s-nt to Bre;,-lJitosk Bre;,-lJitosk to confer with the foreign .-,,,- tanes of Austria and Germain- re-an! in-a in-a three months' armistice ln wh, ' , negotiate a permanent peace