“Maneuvering Water”: Strategic Waterlogging of Galicia and Polesie during the First World War 1914–1917 and its Ecological Consequences

In this paper, based on documents from Russian military archives, the author reconstructs the practice of Russian military hydrogeology on the Eastern Front during the First World War and examines the ecological impact of strategic waterlogging on the lowlands of Galicia and Polesie. The study focuses on the constructions of “our” and “enemy” land, exploring notions of controlling nature through modern engineering, as well as the tensions between expert knowledge, civil administration, and military authorities. By analyzing visual sources and interwar professional publications, the author sheds light on both the immediate and long-term consequences of industrial warfare on the environment and biodiversity.