German cars in the Russian army during the first world war: Features of the military transport crisis

St. Petersburg State University, Institute of History, 7–9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, Russia

^* Corresponding author: ndprigodich@gmail.com

Abstract

The article discusses the challenges of supplying the formations of the army of the Russian Empire with automotive equipment on the eve and during the First World War. Prior to the war, the utilization of road transport in the army and rear was fragmented. However, as of 1914-1915, the advantages of road transport in military logistics became evident to both the command and government. Nonetheless, ordering new cars from the Entente countries posed several difficulties. Drawing from the documents of the military-technical department of the General Staff of the Russian army, the article highlights the extent of dependence on German production. It delves into the complexities faced by the Russian government at the onset of the war. The research convincingly demonstrates that, contrary to previous studies and customs statistics for Russia, the primary issue lay not in the inability to replace cars from Germany, but rather in the necessity to multiply the number of cars when altering the logistics of supplies from other countries that also had to pass through Germany. These two interconnected problems became key issues that proved insurmountable for Russia, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences.