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The beginning of June, 1917, saw the first signs of a decided change
in Russian military conditions. It became clear that those political
forces at Petrograd who were demanding a separate peace and an
immediate cessation of hostilities were losing ground. Strong as the
cry of the soldiers was for peace and sincere as their belief had been
that the revolution had freed them not only from czarism and all that
went with it, but also from the awful business of killing and maiming
in which they had been engaged for almost three years, it gradually
dawned on them that this was not yet time.

As early as June 1, 1917, reports came of increased firing at many
points of the eastern front. A few days later, however, it again
seemed as if Russia's military establishment was near to complete
collapse. General Alexiev, appointed commander in chief of all the
Russian armies as recently as April 15, 1917, resigned. He had been
forced out as a result of the opposition on the part of the Council of
Workingmen's and Soldiers' Deputies to his frankly pronounced belief
that adherence to most prerevolution conditions in the army was
essential if the army's discipline and effectiveness were to be
retained. General Brussilov, then commanding on the southeastern
front, was made commander in chief. Though this quick change in the
supreme command necessarily was for discipline, it augured well in all
other respects for a reconstruction of the Russian armies. The new
supreme commander was known to be an efficient general, a keen
fighter, and a sincere adherent of the Allied cause. His own command
at the southeastern front was assumed by General Gurko.

On June 20, 1917, it was announced that the Congress of Soldiers' and
Workingmen's Delegates from the whole of Russia which was then in
session in Petrograd had voted confidence in the Provisional
Government and unanimously passed a resolution demanding an immediate
resumption of the offensive and the reorganization of the army. It was
also reported that a war cabinet was formed including the leaders of
the Russian army and navy and technical representatives.

On the same day it was reported that near Lutsk (Kovel region), on
the Zlota Lipa, and Narayuvka (Lemberg region) and south of the
Dniester the artillery of both sides was more active than it had been
before. Russian raiding detachments, however, were driven off at
several points by the Germans.

Again on June 21, 1917, in some sec