hat the Russian offensive had to come to
a standstill, and that Russian disorganization not only set in again,
but came much nearer to a total collapse than it had been previous to
the beginning of the Russian offensive. At the same time the new
German offensive developed in strength and extent. Even then it was
likely that the Russians not only were to lose the territory which
they had gained so recently, but possibly a large portion of East
Galicia that had been occupied by them for a long time. Whether the
Central Powers would be able to follow up their offensive in Galicia
with similar undertakings at other points of the eastern front, of
course, was a matter that depended not only on conditions at the
eastern front, but also on how things were going in the west.

The Austro-German forces made good use of the opportunity created for
them by the defection rampant in the Russian armies. In East Galicia,
on July 20, 1917, behind the hastily retreating Russian forces, of
which only parts made a stand for rear-guard purposes, German troops
in impetuous pursuit crossed the Zlochoff-Tarnopol road on both sides
of Jezierna on a width of twenty-five miles. Wherever the Russians
made a stand they were defeated in swift assaults; burning villages
and great destruction showed the route of the retiring Russians.

Again the Russians had to admit officially that their army
organization was going to pieces. They did this, in regard to their
retreat toward Tarnopol, in the following words:

"Our troops on the whole did not show the necessary stability, and at
some points did not fulfill military commands; consequently they
continued to retire, and toward evening they paused on the line
Renov-Hlatiki-Pokropuvia-Vybudow."

North of Brzezany Austro-Hungarian troops after hard fighting
recaptured positions they lost on July 1, 1917. North of the Dniester
Russian attacks broke down before the Austrian lines. South of the
river the Russians were driven out of Babin. At Novica German and
Austro-Hungarian troops stormed the Russian height positions in spite
of a stubborn defense. From the Stokhod to the Baltic the activity of
the artillery increased occasionally. It reached special intensity
between Krevo and Smorgon and at Dvinsk.

At this critical point the Provisional Government again decided to
make a change in the command of the Russian armies fighting in
Galicia. Early in June, 1917, General Gouter had been placed in
supreme com