begin a retreat from Mons
August 13, 1914 Germany defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg in East Prussia
August 17, 1914 Germany captures Amiens.
August 24, 1914 Battle of the Masurian Marshes, East Prussia. German units were repelled by Russian troops.
August 26, 1914 Lviv battle. Russian troops occupy Lviv, the fourth largest city in Austria-Hungary.
On August 31, 1914, the offensive of the French and English armies continued on the River Enes in northern France.
Moscow September 1914
Student Golovin Alexei Mikhailovich externally passed the final exam for the full course of applied mathematics at Moscow University and the other day received a diploma from this very institution. Actually, this was nothing out of the ordinary, except for one circumstance, the young man who graduated from the University was nineteen years old and this promising student managed to finish his studies in three years instead of the prescribed five. Its teachers, associate professors and professors could not help but rejoice at a promising student who grasps any educational material on the fly, and predicted a brilliant scientific career in the future.
Yesterday, the young child prodigy himself was full of plans for his scientific career, and really hurt his scientific work was quite impressive, and most importantly promising.
And just half an hour ago, everything collapsed. No, nothing has changed in his scientific career, his desire to do something at all has changed, the young man wandered the streets of a noisy city in a depressed state, not noticing anything around him. Despair settled in his soul.
He was unceremoniously expelled from the house of a professor, his beloved teacher, and for that because he dared to speak negatively about the war. No, he was not a pacifist, and wholeheartedly wished victory for Russian weapons, but he intuitively felt that this war would end for Russia in great disaster, which he expressed in public. As a result, he was accused of cowardice and almost of betrayal of the Fatherland. And most importantly, his first and so far only love, Verochka, the daughter of a professor, scornfully expressed to him that while Russian people pour blood for him, he dares to talk about the defeat in the Russian war. And made a contemptuous remark whether the German spy, Mr. Golovin, was really German.
His despair knew no bounds, shame and resentment prevented him from concentrating and pulling himself together, he wanted to scream, you people just didn’t understand me…
In the pocket of the student’s frock coat, a hand groped some kind of letter, it popped up in my head as an assistant professor Kislitsyn at the exit from the house slipped an envelope to him. Alex recalled the words of support of the associate professor, in the heat of the ears, that they say he believes in him and that they say Alex will prove that he is not a coward and not a traitor, but that he, his good friend, will do him a favor. Here is a letter of recommendation on the address envelope, upon presentation of this letter he will be helped to join the ranks of the defenders of the Fatherland.
So stop, all of a sudden, unexpectedly, as it always happened to him, insight and understanding came that he became a victim of intrigue. The whole picture has developed, well, what a fool he is. This associate professor has long and hopelessly courted Verochka. And today he actually provoked him into frankness about the war.From the very beginning, Alexei did not like the patriotic hat-making fervor permeating Russian society. And not once among his acquaintances he spoke critically about this, but today he was caught as a boy.
Well, the decision is made, I’m going to join the ranks of the defenders of the Fatherland, everything is better than being known as a coward. As the saying goes, I’ll put on the uniform of the imperial army. I’ll go to the professor’s house, then we’ll see what Verochka will say. But my answer will be unequivocal, I’m going to lay my head for Russia, let this patriot cheer…
Alexei did not think what would be said and made yesterday by his love, it became easier for him from the decision, and he somehow unexpectedly briskly walked to the specified address. Parting on the go with all his dreams, plans, thoughts, and his civil life yesterday, he even felt a kind of exciting feeling of imminent change.
The address indicated on the envelope turned out to be a public office on Kutuzovsky, where the draft commission was located on the ground floor. Captain Kovalchuk, who should have turned, turned out to be a short fat man, with a magnificent mustache and inexhaustible energy. The cabinet, on the door of which hung the sign “Authorized Staff Captain Kovalchuk”, was littered with folders in the corners and walls, which greatly reduced the living space for the cabinet owner. Not having time to close the door to the office, Alex almost at the threshold, faced headquarters captain, who surprisingly for his complexion dexterously jumped from the table and literally in a few rapid steps was next to the visitor.
“Well, sir, what have you come up with?”
Alex silently handed the envelope. Zhivchik energetically opened the envelope and delved into the contents of the letter.
– M-yes, and so darling, do you want to become a volunteer and defend the Fatherland with breastfeel? Well then, well, meritorious, meritorious. Let me take a look at your documents.
Alexei silently pulled out his passport and diploma from the inside pocket of his coat and handed it to the captain.
He took what was stretched out and slowly returned to the table and began to carefully study the submitted documents.
– You are kind, still too early in the army. You are nineteen, and they have been drafting into the army since twenty-one years old, and so, sir, dear Alexei Mikhailovich.
Finally, the head-captain gave a voice, while drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the table, and looking somewhere on the top of the visitor’s head.
– But on the other hand, if you can’t, but really want to, then why not, do you really want to?
Alexei, not giving a voice, nodded his head.
“I see, I see, my dear, it reads on your young face…”
What the master of the office read on the visitor’s face remained a mystery, as the staff captain was writing something energetically.
– well, sir, my young friend.
Having finished writing, he turned to Alexei.
– According to the decree of his Imperial Majesty of September 18 of this year, it is prescribed to organize a school of ensigns to replenish the junior officers and now they are enrolling in this school. Here is the direction for you, go to the specified address and become a cunker of this wonderful school, and do not thank my young hero.
At these words, he slipped Alexei his documents and another envelope, patted his shoulder, turned around and sat down at the table, paying no attention to the visitor.
Alexei could not even hear the retreat. Leaving the office, he was a little dumbfounded by the reception of the head-captain, turned the envelope, read the address and moved in the given direction.
In the evening of the same day, fatally tired, from all the events that had taken place, drastically changing the fate of Alexei, he finally reached the house. At school, giving instructions to the staff, leaving the passport in the same place, in return having received a document confirming that he is a cadet of the ensign school, signed in the journal, notifying that he should appear on the first of October at the indicated address, as well as passing The interview with staff captain Rotmistrov finally left for home, as it turned out he still had a week of peaceful life.
He was met at home by his aunts, excited by his long absence. He was an orphan, his parents were replaced by his two aunts, the younger sisters of his father and mother, who from his birth were engaged in his upbringing and did not cherish souls in his Aleshenka. Actually, they were his family.
Ironically, the two aunts had