Operation Faustschlag
As surgical punch (also: company punch ) a major offensive of the Central Powers in World War I is called, which began with a focus in the southern sector of the Eastern Front on 18 February 1918 as a result of the failed attempt to ceasefire with Soviet Russia. In the offensive, the Soviet troops, consisting largely of the remains of the army of the empire and armed peasants were beaten quickly. Thus, an armistice with the Central Powers for the fledgling revolutionary Soviet Russia was mandatory.
Background
Offensive
Therefore, the GHQ ( GHQ ) of the Empire under Erich Ludendorff decided on an immediate continuation of combat operations, especially in economically important south of the eastern front. At the company about half a million men was involved. The battle of the strongest standing on the Eastern Front German units had been previously deducted for the spring offensive on the Western Front. The offensive began on 18 February 1918, some 50 German divisions. The German troops was hardly resisted, so their advance went into high speed vonstatten. The February 18, even 250 km away from the front and only weakly defended Minsk could be taken after just three days. On February 24, the major circle city Zhytomyr fell in the northwest of present-day Ukraine. On March 3, the Ukrainian capital Kiev fell after a short siege in German hands. Thus, equipped only with weak quotas Central Powers were in less than two weeks, about 500 kilometers to cover, which corresponds to a daily quota of 35 kilometers.
Emperor Charles I had initially consent to the participation of kuk Army refused but agreed, at the urging of Chief of Staff Arz, who feared a loss of influence in Ukraine, on February 24, 1918 but to. On 28 February, as well as Austrian troops prevailed, the direction of Odessa in motion.