The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-17
WINTER DOESN'T
SCARE GERMANY
Berlin Military Writers Show
How Disadvantages May Be
Overcome

VVcICOme
Berlin, Nov. 1.-THE prospect Of a
winter campaign in Russia presents
writer's, now dealing with the problem
Of a long continuance Of the war. Far
from anticipating a repetition of
NapOleon'S disastrous experience in
the Moscow campaign, they look
upon the great Corsican's
General December and General Janu-
airy, as allies who will remove for
them two of the greatest obstacles to
operations against the Russians.
namely, the transportation problem
ana that OF overcoming the natural
defenSeS Of the country,-its swamps
and rivers.
The expert Of the Deutsche Teges-
zeltung points out, too, that the Rus
SLAMS, IN order to stem the GerL-an
advance, have relied largely on en-
trenchmentS laid out on a tremendous
scale. Once the ground is solidlv
frozen the construction of such works
for defense will be greatly hampered.
Every battle las demonstrated the
Vaiue TO the Russians of the trenches
and other military field work" saws
the writer. 1T has been difficult in
all cases TO AXE positions so protect
ed, and the Russian successes have
NS "a ~ lIe ldylIlS-OuC OF
fortified positions in the open field.
With the ground frozen and no
longer easily worked with pick and
shoVel, the laying-out Of earth-Works
VIII be made extremely difficult, and
the Russians, whose forte from the
times Of Napoleon to Mukden, has
IAN In the defence Of field fortifi-
oatlons' VIII thus lose the most i'm
portant factor in defensive tactics.
"Trops operating on the offensive
must deal with the fifth element as
Napoleon called the Russian mud. In
the winter the bad roads are covered
with snow and may then be used by
slelghs, n the great rivers and
sWamps Which form the principal fac
tors in the Russian defense lines will
then be covered with ice, permitting
easy crossing everywhere.
The idea that winter was the best
season In which an attack on Russia
might be made is that Of a genial SOL
der of history, Charles XII, of Swe-
den, who afterwards demonstrated
the correctness of his conclusion. He
waited with his advance into Russia
in 1907 until cold weather had set in.
n after the rivers and swamps Of
Poland had been frozen over. he
crossed the Vistula on December 20
and advanced rapidly as far as Wilma,
where he intended to overtake the re-
treating Russians. The enemy, how
ever, retreated again, and this winter
campaign brought no result, because
King Charles could not get the Rus
slams to stand.
Napoleon counted on the aid of
winter in his campaign in 1906. But
the weather was against him. Deem
Der Of that year left the roads as soft
as they had been in the autumn, and
the French were Obliged to quarter
themselves upon the Poles and wait
for cold weather. Frost finally came
on February LIST, and six days later the
battle of Prussian-Eylau was fought.
Napoleon, a. we'll as King Charles,
availed themselves of the opportunity
offered by harder roads and frozen
rivers.
LAS Carl Bleibtrau in his work on
the campaign Of Napoleon in Russia in
1912 has shown, it was not the cold
that demanded the greatest sacrifices
in human lives. Napoleon lost 200
600 men on his advance into Russia,
and only 100, 900 on his retreat. It
was also shown then that the Russians
suffered as much from the cold as did
the French, and that both armies were
hampered by the ice. Napoleon's re-
treat was due to a shortage of powder,
only one-half Of the quantity thought
available being on hand. The supply
service had failed altogether"
Major Moraht. the military EXPERT
of the Tageblatt, points out that rail
roads ave also r~evolutionized condi-
tons since NapOleon's time. Railroad
construction now advances almost as
fast as an army. and to an army pro-
vided with half a dozen lines OF steel
leading back to its base. the problem
Of ammunition and food supply pre-
sents no difficulties. ever in Russia.