Influence of the negative phenomena of the russian occupation government on the population of Galicia and Bukovyna during World War I

Abstract

The article deals with the situation of the population on the Eastern Frontline during World War I. The main focus is on the living conditions of the frontline population with the enemy army and the way of life under occupation. Large focus is on the attitude and behavior of the population of Galicia and Bukovyna to the Russian military. The aspect of interaction between the local population and the occupying forces is important in the article. The author considered the specifics of looting and robberies by the occupying army of the local population. The prevailing attitudes of the population towards Russian soldiers are analyzed, and the attitude and perception of the Russian military in Galicia and Bukovyna are separately considered. The author pays special attention to the evolution of the views of the local population in relation to the enemy troops, so if initially there was mutual interest, then already the 2nd and 3rd occupations show indifference and even hostility towards the Russian soldiers. In the conclusions, the author emphasizes that the situation of the population often depended on the situation at the front. If the situation at the front was difficult, the troops robbed and looted the occupied population. The article draws attention to the fact that the military did not despise away from robberies, looting and corruption, and the life of the population was difficult under the conditions of occupation. In general, the author does not observe large-scale cooperation between the population and the occupying forces. Summing up, the author notes that the occupations of the Russian troops differed in many ways, but the goal was basically the same: joining new territories to the empire, only the methods of achieving this goal were different.

Keywords

• World War I
• frontline population
• refugee
• marginalization
• eastern front
• defence line