World War I’s Largest Offensive
The Brusilov Offensive by the numbers
On June 4th, 1916, a massive artillery barrage split the calmness of the morning. Thousands of guns opened up along a massive front, heralding the opening of the Great War’s largest offensive. The Imperial Russian Army mobilized 1.5 million troops to punch through the Austro-Hungarian lines and capture the cities of Kovel and Lviv (in present day Ukraine). The goal was to destroy the Austro-Hungarian armies in this sector and force Germany’s immense armies to pivot back east.
The offensive was designed to help relieve the pressure on the French at the fortress of Verdun, which was under incessant German assault. Relieving the pressure at Verdun would allow the French to regroup and avert a growing mutiny that threatened the entire war effort.
General Aleksei Brusilov, for whom the famous offensive is named, was given the green light to launch his assault on June 4th, but he was denied simultaneous assaults from other theaters. Brusilov would have to endure the coming fight on his own.
The Forces Engaged
On the Allied side, Russia mobilized a full 61 divisions. There were 46 infantry divisions committed to the fight and 15 cavalry divisions. The total troops committed totaled 1.7 million.
