RUSSIA IN THE WORLD WAR

Format: 16mm

Description: This short, silent film released by Empire Safety Film Co. shows footage of the Russian Imperial Army in World War I. The film is an extract from a longer documentary or newsreel, and was one of a series of shorts produced by Empire for its line of "toy" home film projectors, which operated with a household lightbulb. As the title cards point out, Russian troops actually invaded Germany at the start of the war, only to be pushed back and eventually crippled as a fighting force. At the start of the film is footage of trenches and barbed wire entanglements. Smoke from artillery shells can be seen throughout the film. At :58, German snipers are shown hitting Russian troops. At 1:42, a wave of Russian infantry makes a charge into German positions. The outcome is disastrous as only two officers return from the assault.