[1] In 1879 the government of the Russian Empire decided to carry out a major expansion of the fortress, which would incorporate a system of large forts surrounding the whole city.

As a result of the defeat in the war with Japan in 1904-1905, the Russian Empire carried out a major rethinking of its military strategy.

In 1913, with the worsening international situation immediately before the outbreak of the First World War, the decision was reversed, and hasty work started to return the fortress to combat readiness.

These defenses were never put to the test, as Warsaw was evacuated by the Russian army without a fight in August, 1915, during its general retreat that summer.

After Poland regained its independence in 1918 the dismantling of some fortifications resumed, others were taken over by the Polish Army and used as storage sites or barracks, though over the years these were gradually abandoned.