Rasputitsa
Rasputitsa (from ) is a season of the year when travel on unpaved roads or across country becomes difficult, owing to muddy conditions from rain or melting snow. Etymology. In Russia, the term "rasputitsa" refers to the spring or fall, and also refers to road conditions during such a period. The Ukrainian equivalent () usually refers to springtime, but rarely 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. Similar terms are Swedish ("bad going"), and Finnish ("broken state of roads"), although both also apply  to when water is too iced over for boats but not strong enough to cross on foot or in other vehicles. Finnish eastern dialects also have a loan term "rospuutto" () used in the same meaning as "rasputitsa". Effects. Civil. The term is applied to muddy road conditions in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, which are caused by the poor drainage of underlying clay-laden soils found in the region. Roads are subject to weight limitations and closures during the period in certain districts of Russia. The phenomenon was a hindrance in the early 20th century in the Soviet Union since 40 % of rural villages were not served by paved roads. Wartime. "Rasputitsa" seasons of Russia are well known as a great defensive advantage in wartime. Common nicknames include "General Mud" and "Marshal Mud". A spring thaw probably saved Novgorod from conquest and sacking during the 13th-century Mongol invasion. The mud was a great hindrance During Napoleon's invasion of the Russian Empire in 1812. On the Eastern Front during the Second World War, the months-long muddy period slowed the German advance into the Soviet Union during the Battle of Moscow (October 1941 to January 1942) and may have helped  save the Soviet capital from German occupation. The advent of mechanized warfare had the disadvantage that while tanks could operate effectively in summer or in winter, they proved less useful in spring and autumn, when the functioning of an efficient railway system came into its own. Prior to the 2022 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. When Russia did cross the border, many of its mobile units found themselves stranded in fields and limited to major roads, where resistance and logistical  issues significantly slowed the advance toward Kyiv and elsewhere.