Rasputitsa (from ; literally "season of bad roads"[ lead to muddy conditions that make travel on unpaved roads problematic and even treacherous.][
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Rasputitsa has repeatedly affected wars by causing military vehicles and artillery pieces to become mired in the mud. In conjunction with the Russian Winter, rasputitsa has been credited with encumbering the military campaigns of Napoleonic France in 1812 and Nazi Germany during Operation Barbarossa, as well as all belligerents in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In countries of the former Soviet Union, the concept is applied to two periods during the year – spring and autumn – and also refers to impassable road conditions during such a period,
Etymology
The Russian term rasputitsa is derived from the root путь ( put′), 'road, way, travel' + the prefix рас- ( ras) 'discrepancy, divergence' + the diminutive suffix -иц ( it͡s) + the feminine noun ending а ( a).
The Ukrainian term () usually refers to spring, and occasionally to autumn, when rain and/or melting snow on unpaved roads, tracks, paths, or any poorly-drained off-road area turns the route into impassable deep mud.
Effects
These conditions in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are caused by high moisture storage capacity of black but not limited solely to the area of chernozem found in the region and works as a sponge. Roads are subject to weight limitations and closures during the period in certain districts. The phenomenon was a notable hindrance in the early 20th century, since 40% of rural villages in the erstwhile Soviet Union were not served by paved roads.[ The problem is less pronounced in elevated areas than in lowlands.
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Roads that run through wetlands are particularly susceptible to damage. This phenomenon not only affects motorists but also pedestrians, mining, logging and agricultural companies creating deep ruts and furrows. During the time of rasputitsa, some farm products cannot be delivered to the city (i.e. to market) and must be destroyed.[Julia Olsen, Marina Nenasheva & Grete K. Hovelsrud (2021) ‘Road of life’: changing navigation seasons and the adaptation of island communities in the Russian Arctic, Polar Geography, 44:1, 1-19, DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2020.1826593]
Autumn thawing occurs when the average daily air temperature drops to +5°C, which reduces the evaporation of moisture, and the frequency of rains saturating the upper soil layer increases.[ Распутица] In Canada there is definitely a rasputitsa period, though it does not occur everywhere or necessarily in the fall, and it is not considered a rasputitsa by name.[ Do Siberia and Canada have a rasputitsa?]
Climate change in Russia and warmer winters in the Russian Arctic are a big disadvantage: rasputitsa lasted previously for 2–3 weeks, and now it reaches two months, as an inhabitant of an island near Archangelsk said in an interview.[Julia Olsen, Marina Nenasheva & Grete K. Hovelsrud (2021) ‘Road of life’: changing navigation seasons and the adaptation of island communities in the Russian Arctic, Polar Geography, 44:1, 1-19, DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2020.1826593]
Armed conflict
The rasputitsa seasons are well-known as a defensive advantage in wartime.[ FAQ regarding what made Napoleon fail in invading Russia, Napoleon -series website][ (regarding November 20, 1812)] Rasputitsa reduced the mobility of both armies but it seemed to be more favorable to the defender.
- Already on 29/30 June 1812 (five days after crossing the Russian border on their march towards Vilna) "Marshal Mud" played a significant role, when a violent thunderstorm struck Lithuania during the night and continued for a day. Ca 15 or 18,000 horses were lost; they sank to their knees on the primitively constructed roads through mostly swampy areas near Trakai. The Grande Armée lost 50,000 men in two days due to fatigue and want.
"General Mud" is a nickname (sometimes) used in the Western Front in the Battles of Ypres in December 1916.[ Natural hardships: The campaign against “General Mud” on the British Western Front][Burns, E.L.M. (1970) General Mud. Memoirs of Two World Wars]
During World War II, the months-long muddy period slowed the German advance into the Soviet Union during the Operation Typhoon on the Eastern Front, and may have helped save Moscow from falling under a German military occupation.
Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some analysts identified the logistical challenges of the mud season as a likely hindrance to any large-scale invasion in spring.[ ][ “General Mud” Has Usually Been on Russia’s Side in War. Not This Time]
See also
Sources
