Editing Brusilov offensive (section)

==Battle==
[[Image:В атаку! (1916).jpg|thumb|Attack of Russian cavalry (1916)]]
On 8 June, in response to appeals for help from Conrad, [[Erich von Falkenhayn]] organized five German divisions under the command of Linsingen, concentrating them near Kovel for a counterattack. Brusilov moved to protect his northern flank, while all of his armies continued to maintain pressure all along his Southwest Front.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|170–178}}

On 9 and 10 June, Lechitsky's 9th Army advanced upon Doroschoutz, Okna and Czarny Potok, as Pflanzer-Baltin's 7th Army troops retreated.  According to Buttar, "It was a graphic demonstration of Brusilov's theories. Pressure across a broad front forced the defenders to commit their reserves and left no sectors that could release troops to aid others." By 11 June, Pflanzer-Baltin's ''Gruppe Benigni'' and XII Corps were forming new defensive lines to the west, as his XI Corps retreated south across the [[Prut]].  According to Buttar, adding those killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, "...the Austro-Hungarian 7th Army was a shadow of its former self."<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|178–182}}
[[File:With bayonets!.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Russian bayonet attack]]

On 11 June, [[Felix Graf von Bothmer]]'s [[South Army (German Empire)|South Army]] prepared a counterattack using [[Arthur Arz von Straußenburg]]'s VI Corps. However, Scherbachev was ready and the front line remained unchanged.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|183–184}}

On 11 June, while pursuing the Austro-Hungarian Army in [[Duchy of Bukovina|Bukovina]], Russian forces [[Mamornița border clash|inadvertently crossed]] into [[Kingdom of Romania|Romanian ]]territory, where they overwhelmed the border guard at [[Mamornița]] and had a cavalry patrol disarmed and interned at [[Hertsa|Herța]]. Having no intention to force the hand of the Romanian government, the Russians quickly left Romanian territory.<ref>Leonard Arthur Magnus, K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company Limited, 1917, ''Roumania's Cause & Ideals'', pp. 118–119</ref><ref>Glenn E. Torrey, Center for Romanian Studies, 1998, ''Romania and World War I'', p. 113</ref>

Lechitsky kept the XXIII and XLI Corps moving westward, while the XII and XI Corps advanced south to capture [[Czernowitz]], and III Cavalry Corps threatened [[Kolomea]].  By 12 June his Russian troops were attacking Austro-Hungarian positions along the [[Pruth]], and crossing that river by 14 June. By then, the Austro-Hungarian losses amounted to 205,000, of which 150,000 were prisoners.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|185,193}}

On 17 June, the Russians captured Czernowitz, and Alexeyev transferred the 3rd Army from Evert's West Front to Brusilov's Southwest Front.  Meanwhile, Bothmer's South Army prepared to attack southwards, hoping Pflanzer-Baltin's Seventh Army could hold its ground.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|202–206}}

On 18 June, Lechitsky was able to capture Kolomea. On 19 June, Russian cavalry, led by [[Mikhail Promtov]] crossed the [[Siret (river)|Siret]], and on 20 June reached the [[Carpathian Foothills]]. However, by the end of June, Southwest Front's casualties amounted to a costly 285,000.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|209, 225}}

On 15 June, Linsingen ordered a counterattack, concentrating around the Lutsk [[salient (military)|salient]] formed by Kaledin's offensive. Attacking forces included Puhallo's 1st Army, Tersztyánsky's 4th Army, [[Georg von der Marwitz]]'s German X Corps, and [[Friedrich von Bernhardi|''Gruppe Bernhardi'']]. However, after three days of fighting, little was changed in the position of the front lines, even after the addition of [[Eugen von Falkenhayn|''Gruppe Falkenhayn'']] on 21 June. Linsingen then decided to reinforce that attack group in a thrust towards Lutsk, but under the command of Marwitz, with the attack to commence on 30 June. Brusilov was preparing his own continued offensive, with [[Leonid Lesh]]'s 3rd Army advancing towards [[Pinsk]], Kaledin's 8th Army towards Kovel, the 11th Army towards [[Brody]], while the 7th and 9th Armies continued their advance. Brusilov met the German attacks on the Lutsk salient flanks by attacking in turn the German flanks. However, the Germans achieved only moderate success, pushing back the Russian XLV Corps 5&nbsp;km.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|211–231}}

From 27 June to 3 July 1916, Brusilov carried out, on his own initiative, the deportation of 13,000 German civilians from the Volhynian areas that had been conquered during the offensive.{{sfn|Lohr|2003|p=137}}

On 2 July, Evert's West Front finally started its offensive, with [[Alexander Ragoza]]'s Fourth army attacking north of [[Baranovichi]]. Yet, according to Buttar, "it was in almost every respect a replay of the disastrous attacks of March...an imprecise artillery bombardment, mass infantry attacks that struggled to make progress and lacked sufficient support to sustain early gains...". On 9 July, Evert suspended the operation, with the 4th Army losing 80,000, having advanced only 5&nbsp;km. Likewise, [[Kuropatkin]]'s Northern Front offensive in mid-July failed to appreciably change the front line.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|231–235}}

On 4 July, attacks by Lesh's 3rd Army and Kaledin's 8th Army forced Linsingen to withdraw westwards to the [[Stochod river]] on 6 July. On 5 July Archduke [[Charles I of Austria|Karl]] took command of the new [[12th Army (Austria-Hungary)|12th Army]], while on 9 July, Kövesz 3rd Army was created from a portion of Pflanzer-Baltin's 7th Army that had retreated westward.  Pflanzer-Baltin remained in command of the 7th Army that had retreated towards the Carpathians.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|239–242}}

Recognizing Southwest Front had the best chance to advance the Russian front lines, Ragoza's 4th Army was dispersed into Brusilov's 2nd and 10th Armies, and Brusilov was given [[Vladimir Bezobrazov (soldier)|Bezobrazov]]'s Guards Army. Southwest Front now had a force of 700,000 men, compared to an opposition force of 421,000. Brusilov planned to advance towards Kovel on 20 July. Before then, on 16 July, the Siberian Corps forced ''Gruppe Marwitz'' to retreat back to the River Lipa. In an attempt to strengthen Marwitz, Puhallo's 1st Army was disbanded, and redistributed to Marwitz and Böhm-Ermolli's 2nd Army.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|245–250}}

On 23 July, Sakharov's 11th Army attacked towards [[Brody]], capturing it on 28 July, forcing Böhm-Ermolli's 2nd Army 7&nbsp;km to the west. On 28 July, [[Paul von Hindenburg|Hindenburg]] was placed in command of the front up to the Austro-Hungarian 2nd Army, with Archduke Karl in command from that point south.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|254, 259–261}}

On 24 July, artillery preparations began for the Russian assault in the [[Battle of Kowel|Battle of Kovel]].  According to Buttar, "The fighting that extended from 28 July into early August was curiously disjointed...Although Lesh, Bezobrazov and Kaledin all launched their attacks on the same day, none of them were able to maintain their efforts for long..."  Lechitsky's 9th Army and Shcherbachev's 7th Army made simultaneous attacks further south, with Lechitsky able to advance the front line to outside [[Ivano-Frankivsk|Stanislau]], capturing it on 11 August.<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|262–279, 292}}

On 7 August, Brusilov resumed his offensive to take Kovel. By 8 August, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians had stopped the Russians, and on 9 August, Brusilov halted any further attempt to take Kovel. The offensive was essentially over, according to Buttar, "Attacks continued on until the autumn rains turned the roads to mud, but other than add to the already terrible casualty list, nothing was achieved."<ref name=rlg/>{{rp|282–289, 294, 297}}