In June of 1916, with American reinforcements pouring in, it seemed as if the war could be turned around for the Entente. Coordinating with their western allies, the Russian Army began the Brusilov Offensive (named after its creator, General Aleksei Brusilov) to push back the bulk of the Central Powers' armies, and prevent them from reinforcing the west. With the use of novel small unit tactics, the Russians found a large number of tactical victories in the field, inspiring the Germans into developing their own stormtrooper tactics. However, with mounting casualties and no western material support for the East, the Central Powers correctly assessed that the Russians would not be able to reinforce in time, and that they were in a perfect situation to counter-attack. By September of 1916, when the Russians had exerted all their efforts, the Germans began the Ludendorff-Hindenburg Counter-Offensive, which completely mauled the Russian Army, forcing them back on a second retreat. With total defeat on the horizon, and political collapse imminent, the Russians resorted to desperate measures.
World War I - The Brusilov Offensive
World History - World Wars
June 1916 to February 1917