The Year 1914

On 1 October, Turkey closed the Dardanelles to all shipping. The move caused incalculable harm to Russia, depriving her of a vital maritime supply route, leaving her only with ports at Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in North Russia and Vladivostok in the Far East.

On 2 October, on the Northwest Front, the Russian 1st Army retook Mariampol, began moving west toward East Prussia.

Romania again declared its policy of neutrality, informing Germany and Austria-Hungary she would block further shipments of war material from Germany to Turkey, quantities of which were beginning to pile up at German and Austro-Hungarian railway sidings.

Rasputin came to Tsarskoe Selo to bless the Tsar the day before he left for a visit to Stavka and a tour of the front.

On 3 October, the German 9th Army and Austro-Hungarian 1st Army opened a northeast offensive in southwest Poland, advancing toward Ivangorod and Warsaw.

The Russian 2nd and 5th Armies were deployed for the defense of Warsaw, while the 4th and 9th Armies were aligned to defend Ivangorod along the Vistula River.

On 4 October, on the Northwest Front, the Russian 1st Army attempted breaking the German lines. Heavy fighting lasted through the 10th.

In southwest Poland, the Austro-Hungarian 4th and 3rd Armies began their advance from Krakau and Neu Sandec, crossing the Wislok River. There was heavy fighting at Opatow.

Tsar Nicholas II arrived at Stavka at Baranovichi from Tsarskoe Selo. He left there on the 6th to tour Rovno and the fortress at Brest-Litovsk. On the 8th he visited Bialystok and Osovets, then traveled to Vilna (Vilnius) before returning to Tsarskoe Selo on the 9th.

On 5 October, the Tsar appointed General N.V. Ruzskiy, former commander of the 3rd Army, as Adjutant General. On the Northwest Front, there was heavy fighting in the Lyck – Suvalki sector which lasted until the 29th.

On 6 October, on the Northwest Front, there was heavy fighting in the Virballen sector, which lasted for six days.

The Russians fell back before the Austro-German drive along entire front in southern Poland and Galicia. The Russian 4th Army was concentrated along the Vistula River on a line from Garvolin - Ivangorod – Novo-Aleksandrovsk.