Battle of Czernowitz (1916)

Background

The Battle of Czernowitz
Location Czernowitz, Bukovina
Belligerents
Austrian Empire Austria-Hungary	Russian Empire Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Austrian Empire General Viktor Dankl	Russian Empire General Aleksei Brusilov Russian Empire General Dmitry Shcherbachev
Strength
200,000 to 250,000 soldiers, 600 to 700 artillery pieces, 10,000 Animals	150,000 to 200,000 soldiers, 500 to 700 artillery pieces, 15,000 to 30,000 Animals
Casualties and losses
50,000 killed, wounded or missing.	80,000 killed, wounded or missing.

Bukovina lies on the northeastern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, bridging plains in what is today western Ukraine with the greater Carpathian region. ^[1] In June 1916, The Russians launched their Brusilov offensive, one of the largest and most decisive operations in Entente History. The Russians dealt a severe blow to Austro-Hungarian forces. The first attack came on the town of Lutsk on June 4, and Czernowitz on June 17th. Czernowitz was located on the southern tip of the offensive in the region of modern day Ukraine known as Bukovina. The Battle of Czernowitz led to a decisive Russian victory, and is marked as one of the first and most important opening battles of the Brusilov offensive. ^[2]

The Engagment

A partial mobilization order was posted in Czernowitz. This was followed nine days later by a general mobilization. ^[3] Some inhabitants had already left the city due to the imminent battle. The Southwestern Front would attack with 573,000 infantry and 60,000 cavalry, supported by 1,938 guns, of which only 168 were heavy caliber. ^[4] The Central Powers forces opposing them included the Austro-Hungarian First, Second, Fourth and Seventh armies and the German South Army, which collectively numbered 437,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry, plus 1,846 guns, of which 545 were heavy. Thus, while the Russians enjoyed a significant manpower advantage and were almost equal in the number of guns, they were notably inferior in the all-important category of heavy artillery. ^[4]

Minor Skirmishes

The skirmish at Rarancze dated from June 9 resulted in the Russians being soundly defeated by the Austrians just outside the city. ^[5] This was celebrated as a great victory by the local patriots. Through, on July 17, the Battle of Czernowitz resulted in a Russian victory and forced the Austrian army's into a retreat and Russian generals would maintain a occupation of the city until a 1917-1918 offensive would retake the city. ^[5]

References

1. "Chernivtsi | Ukraine, Map, History, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2025-07-07. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
2. "World War I - Eastern Front, 1916, Trench Warfare | Britannica". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2025-08-10. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
3. "[Cz-L] World War One in Bukowina from Charles Rosner on 2010-10-17 (The Czernowitz-L Archive)". czernowitz.ehpes.com. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
4. Barrett, Claire (2016-07-01). "Almost Victory". HistoryNet. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
5. "History of Jews in Bukowina [Volume II, page 28]". www.jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2025-12-02.