New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-17
The Development of the Russian
Attack.

mans met at first with uninterrupted successes
,Then in the Battle of the Marine they suffered
repuIse which threatens to cost them practically
all the ground they had gained. In the eastern
theatre of war the Russians have been cDecAeu
twice in their campaign in East Prussia, but these
checks have been of only minor consequence and as
= whole. the Russian advance on Berlin has MADE
continuing md astonishing Roadway. Russia has
accomplished vastly more in Galicia than Ger
many Inns in Northeastern France, and the German
Austr Hungarian resistance in the east has fallen
enormously short of the defence made in France
by the Franco British armies.
Dispatches from Petrograd which are corroDo-
rated by admissions coming through Berlin, show
that the situation of the Austro Hungarian armies
in Galicia is pretty nearly hopeless. There has
been lighting on a vast scale on line running
from Kielce, in Southern Poland. west OF the
Vistula River, eastward to the neighborhood 81
Iublin, and thence southeast past Zamosc and
Tomazow to Lemberg and the Austrian crown
province of Bukovina The Acknowledgements
forces were not strong enough to hold such ez'
tended positions and in engaging in headlongl
offensive movement into Southern Poland they
committed an error of strategy which bas cost
them over 100000 men, vast quantities of war
material and the loss Of practically all that part
Of the Dual Monarchy lying north and east of the
Carpathians.
The first line Austro Hungarian army on a war
footing consists of sixteen corps Six corps, after
the mobilization was completed, were held on the
southern frontier and in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The ten others were massed in Galicia. There is
no good reason for thinking that Austria Hungary
sent an army corps TO the help of the Germans
ON the French border. But even if any Austro-
Hungarian troops reached Alsacc and Lorraine
they were undoubtedly soon diverted to the east
and one Bavaran corps has been reported by the
Russians as having been transferred to Galicia
and Poland. The Vienna government has there
fore had at least ten corps of first line troops
about 100000 in all-operatng against the Rus
slams.
At the beginning of the war two Austro-Hun-
garian armies, with Cracow as a base, began IN
invasion of Poland. They were commanded by
General Won Nuremberg and General DankI, re-
spectively and, largely outnumbering the Russians
modified along the vistula River south of Ivan
gorod made considerable Roadway in the direction
OF I.ublin A third army was assigned to the de-
fence Of Lemberg.
The invasion of Poland in force was intended
TO Offset the Russian invasion of East Prussia. 1t
was counter stroke in the interest of the German
defence of Berlin and not in the interest of an
Austro- Hungarian defence of Budapest or Vienna
1t took the bulk OF Francis Josephs forces off to
the north and thus separated them from the
weaker contingent protecting Lemberg.
The Russian plans were not disturbed by the
movement of Generals Aufenberg and DankI.
strong Russian army advanced on Lembcrg from
the southeast and crushed the isolated Ausro-
Hungarian army defending it. Then the victorious
Russians pushed northwest and joined hands with
the forces which had been lighting to hold Won
Auffenberg and Dankl near Lublin. Fresh troops
also came up the vistula from Warsaw, operated
against the Austro. Hungarian left wing and fought
OF German reiafOrcements arriving from the direc-
ton Of Breslau The two main Austrian armies
were attacked on both TANKS and were threatened
from the rear With enormous losses-estimated
even in Berlin at 10 per cent-they have been
driven back from Poland into the triangle in
Northern Galicia between the San and Vistula
rivers, and are now retreating either eastward to
Jaroslav and the fortress Of Przemysl, or west
ward to the fortress Of CracOw.
The Russians have crossed the San River north
OF Jaroslav, and are also within days march II
Przemysl from the southeast II the remnants OF
Won Auffenberg's and Dsnkrs armies move east
they will be surrounded If they retire toward
Cracow they viii leave practically all Of Galicia
10 the bands of the enemy Even Cracow could
not be held long against the superior numbers OF
the Russian armies now In Gacia.
The victories reported by the Germans in East
Prussia have no great military value, because they
are not likely to hinder the main Russian attack,
which win come through Poland and Posen, OF
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