Russian occupation of Eastern Galicia (1914–1915)
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On August 18, 1914, the Russian Empire invaded the Austrian Crownland of Galicia. On August 19, the Imperial Russian Army defeated the Austro-Hungarian Army, advanced 280–300 kilometers into the territory of Austria-Hungary and captured most of eastern Galicia. The principal city, Lemberg (now Lviv) fell into Russian hands on September 3.[1] Eastern Galicia had a population of approximately 4.8 million people.[2]
Greek Catholic Ukrainians made up approximately 65% of the population of Eastern Galicia while Poles made up 22% of the population.[3] It was the last large Eastern Slavic territory and the last historic part of the medieval state of Kievan Rus' to fall under Romanov rule. The Russian Empire controlled and administered this territory of Austria-Hungary from September 1914 until June 1915. Throughout the occupation, the Tsarist officials pursued a policy of integrating Galicia with the Russian Empire, forcibly Russifying local Ukrainians, and persecuting both Jews and Greek Catholics.