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Great European War. Russian Troops Capture Galich Under the Command of Lieutenant General A. A. Brusilov, Who Was Awarded the Cross of Saint George of 4th Class for This Operation

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Great European War. Russian Troops Capture Galich Under the Command of Lieutenant General A. A. Brusilov, Who Was Awarded the Cross of Saint George of 4th Class for This Operation
This print showing Russian troops capturing the area of Galich (in present-day Ukraine) is from the collection of World War I lubok posters held at the British Library. The caption explains: “As reported from the Commander in Chief's Headquarters, our left wing covered 220 versts from August 4 to 21, while being engaged from August 7 to 21 in a continuous battle with the enemy. The main forces of the enemy had established strong positions between Kamenka and Galich, where they were destroyed on August 18 and 19. In the lower reaches of the Hnyla Lypa River alone, where the enemy's location was breached on August 18, the enemy lost about 20,000 dead and wounded. Here are some accounts of the battle from the wounded near Galich. The first group of the wounded brought to Odessa from the Battle of Galich recall that the Austrians surpassed us in number. Three Russian regiments fought in the first battle, the rest of the troops were in reserve. Our center opened fire, the Austrians responded with frequent gunfire. Suddenly the Austrians raised a white flag. Our men ceased fire. The Austrians allowed us to come closer and then resumed firing. The Russian commander ordered the use of bayonets. The enemy responded to the attack but forgot to establish a flank cordon. We took advantage of this by forcing our way through. With our right flank we went around the enemy's left flank and hit them from the rear. One group of the enemy managed to break our ring, the other group was destroyed with huge losses. We approached Galich. The Austrians began fighting fiercely, but soon fizzled out, as the Slavs fought sluggishly. Two soldiers wounded near Galich said that they wanted to go back to the army.” Lubok is a Russian word for popular prints created from woodcuts, engravings, etchings, or later, by using lithography. The prints were often characterized by simple, colorful graphics depicting a narrative, and could also include text. During World War I, lubok informed Russians about events on the frontlines, bolstered morale, and served as propaganda against enemy combatants.

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