The question was complicated by the presence in Russia of a large army of Czecho-Slovaks (check’o-slovaks’).  These soldiers were natives of the northwestern Slavic provinces of Austria-Hungary.  They had been part of the Austrian army during the victorious Russian campaigns in Galicia and had been taken prisoners.  The Czecho-Slovaks had always sympathized with the Allied countries and had fought for Austria unwillingly.  Many, indeed, had later fought as part of the Russian army.  When Russia left the war they feared that they might be returned to the hated Austrian government.  To avoid this their leaders sought and obtained from the Bolshevik government permission to travel eastward through Russia and Siberia to the Pacific.  Here they planned to take ship and after a voyage three quarters around the globe take their place in the armies of the Allies.  The long journey began.  Then the Bolsheviki, probably acting under German orders, recalled the permission they had given.  The Czecho-Slovaks went on nevertheless, determined to proceed even if they had to fight their way.  They were opposed at different points by Bolshevik troops with the assistance of organized bodies of German and Austrian prisoners, but the Czecho-Slovaks were victorious.  In fact, with the aid of anti-Bolshevik Russians they seized control of most of the Siberian railroad, and of parts of eastern Russia.

ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA.—­At last the Allied nations and the United States decided that it was time to undertake military intervention in Russia.  This was carried out in two places.  Bodies of American and Japanese troops were landed on the east coast of Siberia to cooeperate with the Czecho-Slovaks.  The latter, thus reenforced, changed their plans for leaving Russia and decided to fight for the Allied cause where they were.  They were encouraged by the fact that they were recognized by the Allies and by the United States as an independent nation.

Another small Allied army was landed on the north coast of Russia and marched south against the Bolsheviki.  Large parts of Russia north and east of Moscow declared themselves free of Bolshevik rule.  It was the hope of the Allies that that rule—­now marked by pillage, murder, and famine—­would shortly be overthrown and that a new Russia would rise and take its place among the democracies of the world.

THE WESTERN FRONT.—­Early in 1918, after the failure of the German peace offensive in the west, rumors came from Germany of preparations for a great military drive on the western front.  The “iron fist” and the “shining sword” were to break in the doors of those who opposed a German-made peace.  There were good reasons for such an attack in the spring of 1918.  Germany had withdrawn many troops from the east, where they were no longer needed to check the Russians.  Further, although a few American troops had reached France, it was thought that not many could be sent over before the fall of 1918, and the full weight of America’s force could not be exerted before the summer of 1919.  It was to Germany’s interest to crush France and England before the power of the American nation was thrown into the struggle against her.