against Petrograd.

Throughout May, 1917, the disorganization of the Russian army
continued. In the early part of the month the Council of Workingmen's
and Soldiers' became more and more radical in its demands, both as to
the share it was to have in the control of the army and as to the
disciplinary measures under which soldiers were to live. So serious
became the crisis that Minister of War General Gutchkov, as well as
Generals Kornilov, Brussilov, and Gurko resigned their commands. A. F.
Kerensky, then Minister of Justice, assumed the War portfolio, and it
was primarily due to his sagacity that the government and the council
finally agreed on May 16, 1917, on a basic program including the
continuation of the war.

While these serious events were happening at Petrograd nothing of any
importance occurred at the front. The Germans still were playing their
waiting game and, according to reports, were exerting all their
influence toward a separate peace with Russia, both in Petrograd and
at the front.

Military operations during May, 1917, were practically negligible.
Here and there skirmishes would occur between outposts and other small
detachments, and occasionally artillery duels would be fought for
short periods. Only a few times throughout the entire month were the
engagements important enough to be mentioned specifically in the
official reports. Thus on May 6, 1917, in the region of the village of
Potchne, on the Beresina River (western front), Russian artillery
dispersed a German attempt to approach the Russian trenches. In the
direction of Vladimir Volynski, south of Zubilno, after an intense
fire with grenades and bombs, a German company left their trenches and
began to attack the Russian trenches with hand grenades. Russian
artillery drove them back to their own trenches. On the
Kabarovce-Zboroff front the Germans carried out an intense
bombardment.

Again on May 8, 1917, German artillery was active in the direction of
Vilna, in the Smorgon and Krevo sectors, in the direction of Vladimir
Volynski, and in the Zatorchy-Helvov sector. In the region of Zwyjene,
to the east of Zlochoff, the Germans exploded two mines which damaged
Russian trenches. Northeast of Brzezany Russian artillery caused
explosions among the German batteries. "Elsewhere on the front there
were the usual fusillades and scouting operations," continued the
Russian official report.

CHAPTER XC

THE BEGINNING OF RUSSIAN REHABILITATIO