Sztab połowy Rosyjskiej Cesarskiej Marynarki Wojennej w latach pierwszej wojny światowej

Abstract

The article presents the organizational structure and the staff of the Field Headquarters of the Russian Imperial Navy during the First World War. After Russia had been involved in the war, land and sea military operations were coordinated from the Headquarters which comprised of the Commandor-in-Chief, his Staff and specialized military service. In the years 1914-1916 the Navy did not have a regular field staff within the Headquarters, which would practically secure a centralized control system over the military operations at sea. The lack of experience and disregard for probable successful operations of the Russian Fleet which Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich appointed as Commander-in-Chief and the Tsar’s Generals showed, gave the reason for creating the Navy Board which aimed at a full-scale control over the operating fleet within the Commandor-in-Chief s land-based Headquarters. The situation changed after the Tsar had been appointed the Commandor-in-Chief. In February 1916 Nicholas II, who felt a great respect for sea affairs, ordered to establish the Field Headquarters of the Russian Imperial Navy and appointed admiral Aleksandr Rusin its supreme commandor. After the Headquarters had been reorganized, two - theoretically equal in importance - Field Headquarters of the Land Army and the Navy started their activities. The newly created body coordinated military operations at sea. However, the attempts to make the generalship of the Russian Armed Forces work better were found unsuccessful. The outbreak of the February Revolution, the Tsar’s abdication and the growing unruliness of the army resulted in another reorganization of the Headquarters. In November 1917 the Field Headquarters of the Russian Navy were dismissed. From that time, the only operating Headquarters were in fact that of the Land Army within which the Navy reactivated their Board.