Advance upon the Monastery of St Cyril

Pavlov, do you think we are in the best formation to withstand indirect artillery?

This is the same basic scenario as we played two weeks ago.  Only this time it will be on the eastern front in 1917.  The village will be replaced with a orthodox monastery somewhere in the Ukraine.  The first Russian revolution has occurred and a liberal Western government has replaced the inept Tsarist regime but is determined to stay in the war.  However, the July offensive has been an unmitigated failure and the German and Austrian armies are pushing into the Russian Empire whilst the new Russian government struggles to get a grip on the situation.  Meanwhile, the German army has smuggled Lenin into Russia and his Bolsheviks are undermining the will of the Russian people to continue the war.

This time the Austrians are defending the important cross roads and communication hub at the Monastery of St Cyril.  They will have the remnants of two brigades that will be tasked with holding this advanced outpost.  By this stage of the war morale was not good in the Austro-Hungarian Army, and many Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and other nationalities that made up most of the army, had a great deal of sympathy with the Bolshevik propoganda.  The Russians will be counter attacking at divisional strength but will have to cope with the poor command and control that was endemic amongst the Russians by this stage of the war, as well as the widespread defeatism at this time.

Well equipped Austro-Hungarians.  Good against the Italians but a bit dodgy when fighting the Russians.

Generals Miroslav Shakespearov and Ivan Ivanovich Okevski will take charge of the Russians.  Generals Broednitz and Fewtrelli will be leading the Austro-Hungarians.  I will send specific OOBs and objectives to you individually.