New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-11
Germany Has Lost Her Chance to
Stave OFF a Winter Campaign
in the East.

NcNe'H+ANA'~N
as to the difficulties Of active campaigning IN
thst region in what is practically the first month
- The long Russian winter. That the Russian
armies should have pushed westward from war
saw ard Ivangorod all the way to the borders OF
silesia and Posen in one week-and that the first
week in November-goes far toward upsetting
the traditions which have long clustered around
the fatal retreat of NspoleOn's Grand Army from
Moscow to the Beresina
No doubt those traditions were greatly dis
torted. The most intelligent critics are agreed
that the ruin which overlook the Grand Army
was due more to its own weaknesses OF organi-
Astion and discipline than to the seventies OF
tho climate. The retreat began late in October
and was over early in December For the greater
mart Of the time the weather was abnormaly
mild. The Beresina was not frozen over when
the remnant Of the French army reached 1t.
But 50 great has been the spell Of NapOleon's
genius that rather than recognize the faults OF
his leadership in Russia the world has persuaded
itself that the destruction of the Grand Army
was due primarily TO the rigors Of the Russian
winter.
That belief has, however, not interfered with
military operations this year, and is not likely
to interfere with them so far as Russia Is con-
cerned. Evidently the late fall weather IN
Poland has been less Of an obstacle to campaign
ing than it would have been if it had lived up
10 its reputation. From October 10 on there Is
usually in Poland six weeks season Of rain
and snow, and this is followed after December !
bv two weeks period of bitter cold, in which
the east wind blows from the snow covered Rus
sian steppes. After December 10 the country
freezes up and stays frozen up until April.
These conditions drive the inhabitants to shell
ter and ordinarily send armies to their canton
ments. 1t was undoubtedly the plan of the
German General Staff TO have the main army in
the east winter in and about the Polish fortified
towns on the line of the Vistula River. By
throwing the Russians back into Eastern Poland
and re-establishing the Austro-Hungaran III
Eastern Galicia Germany would have monopo-
Gzed the benefits of a suspension of operations
during the winter months. Her eastern borders
would have been secured and standing on the
defensive there she could have spared troops for
use in France, where winter campaigning can be
carried on without much hindrance. The inva-
SIGN of Poland was therefore an important factor
in the general German plan of offence and de-
fence, and its success would have meant nearly
as much as the success Of the western armies in
establishing themselves in secure position in
France and Belgium.
With the Russians on the border Of Silesa and
Posen, threatening Cracow and Breslau as well
as the outfanked provinces Of East and West
Prussia, no shift Of forces from the east to the
west can be risked. The peril of winter inva-
sion will remain ever present and any weaken
ing of the eastern armies would merely invite
Russia to break into Posen in force and make a
dash for the line of the Oder River.
Active winter operations in Eastern Europe
would not be without precedent. Napoleon con-
Quoted the campaign Of Eyleu in January and
February, the battle of Eylau in East Prussia,
being fought on February 8, 1907. In 1919
Russia made winter campaign in Hungary,
overthrowing the Kossuth republic there and re-
storing Hungary to Francis Joseph Further
SOUTH in the Russo-TurHsh War Of 1877-'78,
Russia continued operations in the Balkans
throughout the winter, and the Balkan War of
l912-I3-frst between the Balkan League states
and Turkey and then between Bulgaria and her
two former allies, Servia and Greece-lasted
fro.a October until the following spring.
The Russians, in fact, are by 10 means unac-
custoned TO winter campaigning. In Manchuria
in 1904-'O5 they fought the battle Of Sandepu
against the japanese about the end Of January
in the middle Of a sub-Arctic winter. Their
troops are trained to endure cold and know how
70 live and get about even when the thermometer
roes below zero. Moreover they know how to
A;ntain cold weather transportation and cont
,ariat service.
or roads disappear after the snow covers