Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-08-24
THE WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

Duenahuru Tor Dvinsk), the prin-
cipal gate guarding the road from the
southwest to Petrograd and the key
to the defense of the great Dvina
River, through which the Germans
are apparently aiming at interior Rus
STA and all the line of military and
industrial bases in the west. is de-
scribed by the National Geographic
Society in today's war primer as fol-
lows:
"Duenaburg, on the noreastern bank
Of the broad Dvina. is the heavily for
titled front door to Great Russia, that
division of Russia which stands in the
same relationship to the Empire that
Prussia holds to Germany 1t is stu
ated where the Dvina makes a sharp
angle toward the west, midway on the
rivers course from Vitebsk through
marsh and lake land to the opulent
commercial and industrial city of Riga
upon the Gulf of Riga The line be-
tween Riga and Duenaburg is ITO
miles long BY way of the river 1t
Duenaburg. east-southeast. to Vitebsk
is 162 miles This line roughly divides
Great Russia from White Russia
White Russia, to the south of the
Duenaburg line, Is probably the poor
est. most backward part of European
Russia While some 5000, 900 acres of
swamp lands have been drained within
its water-soggy surface. its general
aspect is still largely that of marsh.
swamp. lake and spongy meadow land.
In general. the peasants Of White Rus
STA are very poor. and have a severe
struggle to wage for their existence.
One writer says that the memory
which he held most characteristic of
this land was the picture of weather.
SCARED, gray-headed peasant standing
waist deep in the chill waters of the
marsh cutting sedge. This poverty
hlighted country. where no great COM
mercial, industrial or cultural center
is to be found. is that which now lies
before the German armies. Beyond the
Great Russian front door at Duena-
ricultural country Of the central en-
pire. while west from Lemberg and
Kholm lie the rich agricultural lands
Of Little Russia. or the Ukraine, and
the great city OF Kief.
"Duenaburg is a fortress Of the first
class. 1t Is also fortress with ira
ditions; for here in July, 1912, Ma
poleon's headlong troops, under the
| command of Oudinot, hurled them
selves again and again in vain against
the strongly defended bridgehead. II
was not until some weeks later that
the town was captured by the French
| under Macdonald. The city was or
iginally founded as a fortress, in 1878
by the Livonian Knights of the Sword
| It was mortgaged by one of the grand
masters OF the order to the king OF
Poland; was overwhelmed by the
legions of Ivan the Terrible of Rus
STA; retaken by Poland in 1882; held
| alternately by the Swedes and Rus
slams during the 18th century, and fl.
nally Incorporated In the Muscovitt
realm in 1772.
THE city is situated at the inter.
| section of two main railway lines and
a very important branch. These ar,
the Warsaw Viina-Petrograd line, thu
(; Riga Vitebsk- Smolensk line and tn,
branch to the fortified Baltic port O.
Libau. the only port that Russia pos
eessed before the war whose road
stead was always open. The mali
features of the city are it's fortified
| lions. It has a population of abou
| $4,000. about one-half of which Il
Jewish. It's industries include saw
mills, four-mtlls, brick kilus, mattel
factories. tobacco factories and tan
neries. II enjoyed a moderate degre,
Of importance before the war as
commercial center, doing considerable
trade in gEains. fax, hemp. tallow ant
timber"