Era of totalitarianism army intelligence report

Thesis: The army intellegence report is a blatant statement of the universal disgust with WWI in the eyes of the Russian soldiers. The Northern Front, 12th army, Western Front and Southwestern front all find fault in the continuation of the war and it shows in the rebellious attitudes of the soldiers. The final conclusion made is the necessity of providing properly for the soldiers as they begin to face the winter. I. Northern Front

• Lack of confidence in purpose


• soldiers believe they cannot be punished for what they do.


• general weariness in army


• The influence of Bolshevik ideas spread very rapidly in military

II. 12th Army

• Aside from Bolshevik not a single political movement has any popularity


• Favor of an immediate cessation of military operations on all fronts


• Battallions and regements refuse orders

III. Western Front

• general weariness


• bad nourishment


• mistrust of officers


• intense defeatist agitation accompanied by refusals to carry out orders


• threats to the commanding personnel


• attempts to fraternize with the Germans in hopes of achieving peace and getting out of the horrible war


• Calls for peace to avoid winter in the trenches


• Issue at Gomel, where eight thousand soldiers refused to be shipped off and instead stormed the armory, taking fifteen hundred suits of winter equpiment and assaulting the Assistant Commissar and a member of the front committee.

IV. Southwestern Front

• Defeatist agitation increases


• Bolshevik "wave" grows


• Discussions amongst soldiers almost entirely about peace at any cost


• No confidence in the majority of officers


• Plundering surrounding country estates

V. Conclusion

• The approaching winter campaign has accelerated disintegration of the army and increased the longing for peace.


• complete demoralization will result IF everything to prepare the soldiers for winter is not done.