“Everyone’s little freedom-loving newspaper”, St. Petersburg, August 1
This socio-political publication decided not to invent anything and published a standard set for any war: official reports on how monstrous the enemy is, how good “ours” are.
“Russian troops on the Austrian border launched an offensive. Our troops, having crossed the border of Galicia (a province of Austria-Hungary), fought their way to Sokal, which was occupied by Austrian infantry and cavalry detachments. (Sokal is a town on the Western Bug River, the terminus of the Lviv-Sokal railway. It is 10 miles from the border). Our cavalry, having driven the enemy out of Sokal with serious losses, blew up 3 bridges, driving the enemy across the Bug River. The city of Sokal and the railway station of the same name were occupied by our troops, who destroyed the station buildings, preparations for the Austrian crossing of the Bug River, the telegraph line and some houses from which the inhabitants fired.”
Mobilization of soldiers to the Russian army in 1914
DEA News
It was reported that people living in Western Europe had gathered in Odessa and were trying to return home by sea.
“Türkiye closed the straits to Russia and did not want to allow even a single ship to pass.” [иностранцы] They had to return to Petersburg. Will half-decayed Turkey really decide to intervene in the war? The mobilization of Turkish troops is taking place with serious friction and with the West’s massive evasion of conscription.”
“There are great unrest among the Slavs in the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A full-scale uprising is expected at any moment. The ‘patchwork monarchy’ is spreading…”
“The German troops continue their savage attacks in enemy countries. So they burn down peaceful villages in Belgium. The Germans set fire to the village of Afleville on the French border while the villagers were in church. In addition to all this, the Germans are forcing peaceful people to become Kabul: they threaten to shoot the Belgian villagers if they do not want to shoot theirs. What other disgusting things will the “cultured Germans” come up with?
“The Germans even went so far as to arm their churches with cannons. News came from Cologne, Germany, that the Cologne Cathedral and other Cologne churches were armed with cannons against aircraft by the German military authorities. It would be enough for the Germans to arm sausage factories and maternity hospitals with cannons…”
“Kuban Cossack Messenger”, Yekaterinodar, August 3
The editors of the Cossack Herald adopted a right-wing, conservative, patriotic position and expressed satisfaction with the unity of all peoples and classes around the throne.
“And the Baltic Germans, and the Latvians, and the Poles, and the Muslims, and the Jews – all united by a great sense of boundless love and devotion to the common mother of Russia. To observe this cherished unity of all the nations of Russia and the entire great Russian people with the government, to feel and feel this passionate beating of hearts, to be filled with love for Russia and its Supreme Leader and to feel anger at the enemy who violates the serene peace and tranquility, I want to cry out from the Motherland: “An, stop, you are great! The storm that is sweeping across all of Europe is great, but the spirit of the Russian people is great, their heroic stance is great, we deeply believe that against this all the waves of enemies filled with hatred and malice towards Great Russia, the Slavs will be broken.
Manifestation in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on the day of the declaration of war with Germany, 1914
RIA Novosti/RIA Novosti
This is not the first time that the enemy has taken up arms against Russia, but never has our homeland been in such favorable conditions against the enemy as now. We once fought alone against all of Europe, and now, against our own enemy, the better representatives of the world of culture have risen with us – our ally France and our friend England. Also, small but brave Belgium is fighting heroically against Germany. But the most important thing that especially strengthens us in the trials ahead is that the truth is on our side. The Germans declared war on us because Russia, a Slavic power, did not want to watch indifferently as Austria brutally struck down the small Slavic people, the Serbs.
“Woman Reporter”, Moscow, August 1
A women’s magazine decided to place the outbreak of war in a global context and made an unexpectedly good historical tour.
“It began about half a century ago. It began with great violence. A united Germany crushed France, weakened by twenty years of oppression by the political adventurer Napoleon III and his followers. But the evil genius of Germany and the whole world, the “iron” Bismarck, was not satisfied with either the victorious trophies that crowned the German flags or with the fulfillment of the great national task – the creation of a united Germany; the gold-laden reparations wagons were not enough for him. Bismarck tore Alsace-Lorraine from France, whose population was forced to resign to its fate in deep despair. An unhealing wound was opened in the body of France…
The evil act of violence bore bitter fruit. There were times when provinces and entire states obediently submitted to foreign conquerors and passed from hand to hand. National life had little influence, and for the conquered the change in historical destiny was often expressed only by a change in the reigning dynasty. But those times are gone. […]
Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow at the consecration ceremony of the women’s shock battalion before its departure to the front in Red Square during World War I, 1917
TASS
The nightmarish fear of the approaching French revenge strongly determined the next event. It was impossible for the Germans to disarm and devote themselves to cultural work, to the cultivation of the national genius that had given the world so many great and glorious names before these unfortunate victories. Moreover, warlike appetites were running wild. A new German patriotic slogan was proclaimed. Drang nach Osten. “This attack on the East” met with a powerful barrage of Russian military power. […] But the “attack” was immediately directed in the direction of least resistance, against the Slavic peoples who were rising to national life. [Балкан]. […]
But now the tightly united German centre will not be able to attack the different peoples and states of Europe in turn, plundering and ruining each one separately. The urgent need created by the Germans has forced their neighbours to resort to weapons of retaliation and has called upon Russia, France and England to a strong trilateral alliance. The war that has begun will therefore be of unprecedented proportions; whatever the outcome, the shock it will produce is incalculable. The existence of our civilization, all the great achievements of the human spirit, are at stake. The world is being shaken to its foundations.
Russia has faced its lot with joy and faith in a happy final outcome, in the triumph of justice, and we will endure to the end. There has never been a war in our history in which we have faced purer, more disinterested, and therefore more sacred goals: the defense of our brothers who are being robbed, the defense of our own historical existence. With this awareness we will be strong, strong not only with the support of our allies, but also with the universal sympathy of the civilized world.
“Don” Newspaper, Voronezh, 1 and 2 August
This newspaper reported on the “ordeals of the Russians” who managed to escape from Austria before the outbreak of war.
The first story tells how Countess Vorontsova-Dashkova, who has fled Germany to Denmark, appeared at the station in Hamburg to report that one of her traveling companions had been arrested by the Germans, but was met by an angry crowd.
“The crowd shouted, ‘This woman wants to hide something!’ and demanded a search. Drunken Landwehr soldiers with cigars in their teeth climbed into the carriages, pushed the countess onto the platform with their rifle butts and roughly searched her, seizing her by the hair and dress.
The crowd went completely crazy, shouting that they would not let the train move, so all the Russians had to get out with their luggage, and only after long negotiations was it possible to send the train away. The conductor of the train told Baron Knoring: […]He said that “there are already quite a few challenges for the Russians and he will try to put even more obstacles in their way.”
Revolutionary-minded soldiers of the Russian army returning from the fronts of World War I, 1917
DEA News
The second story is about the Russians’ attempt to leave Austria via Romania.
“[Во Львове] They were convinced of the inevitability of war by the speeches and songs of the Austrian soldiers. Most of the songs ended with the chorus: “Let’s go and kill the Muscovites!” […] [В Черновцах] A gendarme, hearing the Russian dialect, approached them and invited them to the inspector’s room. From there the Russians were sent to the Chernivtsi police department. They were taken under heavy escort. When one of the Russian ladies stopped, the soldiers immediately took their weapons and attacked the passengers. The Russians were kept in the police department from 9 am to 5 pm. They did not give me water. Even the ladies were escorted by soldiers to the toilet.
“Pieces”, St. Petersburg, August 2
This is one of the oldest Russian humorous magazines. They also tried to make jokes about the upcoming war. Probably the author tried to force something on the topic of the day, so the jokes were not funny, but nowadays they tell a lot about the culture of that time.
“The German is talking to the Russian. The German knows Russian well and says: ‘We only want peace!’ The Russian thinks the German is talking about the world written in octal numbers, but the German is secretly hinting at a desire to own the whole ‘world,’ at least Europe.
Anti-war rally in support of signing peace against the continuation of World War I, Petrograd, 1918
DEA News
“Two people pass by a long-forgotten poster of the St. Petersburg Duma, pasted on a door long ago: “Do not drink raw water.” Now we must print another poster in German and hang it outside every house in Vienna: “Do not eat lead nuts!”
“At the restaurant. The guest looks at the “Food Map” book and asks the waiter:
– What kind of food did you draw with ink?
– “Wiener schnitzel… The guests are still boycotting it!”
“Among diplomats.
– If Austria can fight with Serbia, then only next door!
– Why burn?
“Only with one half, because the other half of his army is Slavic!”
Within a few months the tone of the newspapers would cease to be cheerful and philosophical and would become dark and alarming. The war would demand all efforts and would cause great losses, against which the idea of saving the “Slavic brothers” would be forgotten. The authors of the articles would increasingly raise the issue of Russia’s self-preservation.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.