<P> After the Battle of Sarikamish, the Russo - Turkish front quickly turned in favor of Russian forces . The Turks were concerned with reorganizing their army and committing the Armenian Genocide . Meanwhile, Russia was preoccupied with other armies on the Eastern Front . However, the appointment of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich as Viceroy and Commander in the Caucasus in September 1915 revived the situation of the Russo - Turkish front . </P> <P> When the Allies withdrew from Gallipoli in December, the Caucasus Army's Chief of Staff General Nikolai Yudenich believed Turkish forces would take action against his army . This concern was legitimate: Bulgaria's entry into the war as Germany's ally in October caused serious alarm, as a land route from Germany to Turkey was now open and would allow for an unrestricted flow of German weapons to the Turks . A "window of opportunity" appeared that would allow the Russians to destroy the Turkish Third Army, as the British required assistance in Mesopotamia (now modern day Iraq). Britain's efforts to besiege Baghdad had been halted at Ctesiphon, and they were forced to retreat . This led to an increasing number of attacks by Turkish forces . The British requested the Russians to attack in an attempt to distract the Turks, and Yudenich agreed . The resulting offensive began on January 10, 1916 . </P> <P> This offensive was unanticipated by the Turks, as it was in the middle of winter . The Turkish situation was exacerbated by the Third Army's commander Kamil Pasha and Chief of Staff Major Guse absence . Coupled with an imbalance of forces--the Russians had 325 000 troops, while the Turks only 78 000--the situation appeared grim for the Central Powers . After three months of fighting, the Russians captured the city of Trabzon on April 18, 1916 . </P> <P> Allied operations in 1916 were dictated by an urgent need to force Germany to transfer forces from its Western to Eastern fronts, to relieve the pressure on the French at the Battle of Verdun . This was to be accomplished by a series of Russian offensives which would force the Germans to deploy additional forces to counter them . The first such operation was the Lake Naroch Offensive in March--April 1916, which ended in failure . </P>

How many troops did russia have in ww1