The article deals with the policy of the authorities in 1915 regarding those groups of the population that were considered «hostile». The documents, including
unpublished ones, describing concrete measures that were taken against the German colonists and Jews during the «great retreat» of 1915 are analyzed. It is concluded that the policy of the military command was based not on chauvinistic considerations, but on the idea of expediency «unreliable elements» in the war zone.
Keywords
the First World War, retreat of 1915, eviction, ethnically groups, German colonists, Jews, Russian army.
