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On 1 August 1914, Russia entered the First World War on the side of France and Great Britain against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The first action on the Eastern Front was the Russian attack on East Prussia and Galicia. The Germans were forced to remove several regiments from France and rush them to the east. Although her two armies in East Prussia were defeated, Russia enjoyed more success against Austria-Hungary.
In spring 1915, Germany decided to concentrate on the Eastern Front. While the Russians lost Poland and parts of the Baltic territories, White Russia and the Ukraine, the Germans did not succeed in their main aim – to knock Russia out of the war.
In 1916, German launched its main blow against France. Russia came to the assistance of the French by launching an offensive on the Eastern Front. General Alexei Brusilov broke through the Austro-Hungarian lines and Germany was again forced to remove troops from the Western Front to save her ally.
In 1917, the Russian army was too demoralised to gain any success in Galicia or White Russia. After the Bolsheviks seized power, they signed a peace treaty with the Central Powers in March 1918.