Christmas Battles

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Christmas Battles
Part of the Eastern Front of the First World War
German scheme of the Riga front and Christmas battles
Date Russian offensive: 23 – 29 December 1916 (O.S.) 5 – 11 January 1917 (N.S.) German counterattack: 9 – 21 January 1917 (O.S.) Location Tīreļpurvs (Tīrelis Swamp) near Riga Result Russian victory[1]
Belligerents
Germany	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Friedrich von Scholtz	Nikolai Ruzsky Radko Dimitriev
Units involved
8th Army	12th Army
Strength
unknown	189,000[2]
Casualties and losses
3,500, including 1,000 captured[3]	23,000[4]

The Christmas Battles (Latvian: Ziemassvētku kaujas; German: Aa-Schlachten; Russian: Митавская операция) were offensive operations conducted by the Imperial Russian Army and Latvian Riflemen during World War I in the area of Jelgava, Latvia, by the Russian 12th Army of the Northern Front. The operation took place from 23 December until 29 December 1916 according to the Julian Calendar (or 5 January to 11 January according to the Gregorian Calendar). The 12th Army was commanded by Gen. Radko Dimitriev; it was opposed by the 8th German Army.

The battles took place in a swampy region, Tīreļpurvs (Tīrelis Swamp), between Lake Babīte and Jelgava. The main assault force was the 6th Siberian Rifle Corps which included two Latvian Riflemen brigades ("strēlnieki" who became a part of Latvian folklore and an important factor in the Latvian national awakening movement).