DAY BY DAY WITH
THE RUSSIAN ARMY
1914-15
THE AUTHOR.
DAY BY DAY WITH
THE RUSSIAN ARMY
1914-15
BY
BERNARD PARES
Official British Observer with the Russian Armies in the Field
WITH MAPS
LONDON
CONSTABLE & COMPANY Ltd.
1915
TO
NICHOLAS AND MARY HOMYAKOV
PREFACE
For the last ten years or more I have paid long visitsto Russia, being interested in anything that might conduceto closer relations between the two countries.During this time the whole course of Russia's public lifehas brought her far nearer to England—in particular, thecreation of new legislative institutions, the wonderfuleconomic development of the country, and the first realacquaintance which England has made with Russianculture. I always travelled to Russia through Germany,whose people had an inborn unintelligence and contemptfor all things Russian, and whose Government has donewhat it could to hold England and Russia at arm's lengthfrom each other. I often used to wonder which of usGermany would fight first.
When Germany declared war on Russia, I volunteeredfor service, and was arranging to start for Russia whenwe, too, were involved in the war. I arrived there sometwo weeks afterwards, and after a stay in Petrograd andMoscow was asked to take up the duty of official correspondentwith the Russian army. It was some timebefore I was able to go to the army, and at first only incompany of some twelve others with officers of theGeneral Staff who were not yet permitted to take usto the actual front. We, however, visited Galicia andWarsaw, and saw a good deal of the army. After these[Pg x]journeys I was allowed to join the Red Cross organisationwith the Third Army as an attaché of an old friend, Mr.Michael Stakhovich, who was at the head of this organisation;and there General Radko Dmitriev, whom I hadknown earlier, kindly gave me a written permit to visitany part of the firing line; my Red Cross work was intransport and the forward hospitals. My instructionsdid not include telegraphing, and my di