What Were the Christmas Battles?

Latvian Riflemen of the Russian Army

On the Eastern Front, Germany's 8th Army advance was halted near Riga in October 1915.  It would remain stuck in Latvia up to the February Revolution in 1917. German forces proceeded to build a strongly fortified, 30 km-long position, built with heavy lumber, known as the German Wall. Much of it was built across the Tirelis Swamp. After the failure of the 1916 campaigns on the Romanian territory the Russian commanders of the 12th Army received an order to attack on the Riga front. It was planned to attract the German reserve troops, thus helping their allies to resist on the Verdun and Somme battlefields.  With frost already forming on the battlefield Russian commanders decided to launch a surprise attack at Christmas time.

The Former Battlefield in Summer

The ensuing series of attacks—know as the "Christmas Battles"—were conducted from 23 December to 29 December 1916 (Julian Calendar) or 5 January to 11 January 1917 (Gregorian Calendar). They involved the Imperial Russian Army and Latvian Riflemen engaging the German 8th Army near Jelgava, Latvia. Commanded by General Radko Dimitriev, the Russian 12th Army launched an offensive in a swampy region known as Tirelis, with the main assault force being the 6th Siberian Rifle Corps, which included two brigades of Latvian Riflemen. 

The Location and Direction of the Attack on the German Wall

The attack commenced in the early hours of 23 December, catching the German forces off guard as they anticipated a quiet Christmas. The Latvian Riflemen, utilizing white winter camouflage and the cover of a snowstorm, breached the German barbed wire and captured the first line of defenses after a brief skirmish. Despite the harsh winter conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -35°C, the battle continued for two days, resulting in the capture of the German second defensive line at Mangaļi. However, the Russian advance was hampered by a mutiny among the Siberian units, which refused to engage further, while the Germans received reinforcements and launched counterattacks. On 25 December, Russian forces attacked the fortified position known as Machine-gun Hill, ultimately breaking German resistance and capturing around 1,000 prisoners, creating a gap of over 7 kilometers in the German lines.

Restored Trenches on the Battlefield

Following the initial success, the German 8th Army regrouped and launched a counteroffensive on 23 January 1917, employing a massive artillery barrage followed by infantry assaults across Tirelis. The Latvian and Siberian regiments defended their positions for three days, but faced heavy losses, particularly during failed counterattacks. Despite the harsh conditions, the Germans managed to reclaim 80 percent of their lost territory, although Machine-gun Hill remained under Russian control. The operation resulted in significant casualties for both sides, and the Russian command subsequently punished the Siberian Riflemen for their mutiny, with some facing execution and others being sent back to Siberia.

Sources:  History Maps; Camino Latvia