The Red Cloud chief., 1915-08-05
FIRST YEAR OF The
WAR IN The EAST

The first twelvemonth of fighting
between the Russians on one side and
the Austrians and Germans on
the other Is a story Of great changes
of fortune. both combatants being re-
peatedly driven back only to shOT
the greatest resiliency in defeat and
soon I o resume the offensive In q most
surprising manner.
The end OF the year. however, finds
the pendul,nm swinging strongly
against the car. He may recover
and take again the roads to Cracow,
Vienna and Berlin, but Just at pres
emit he Is on the whole in worse plight
than In any hour since the war
started.
Russia's losses in the first year Of
the wal are not approached by those
Of any nation in any war of history.
According to reliable estimates, she
has had between $500, 900 and 4.000,-
900 men killed, injured and captured.
Despite these horrible gaps made In
her ranks. she still has millions In
the field, and her great reservoir Of
personnel does not show signs Of ex.
haustion. 1t is not men she lacks. but
guns. shells and brains.
Slow to Mobilize.
On August 1, 1914, Germany de-
clared wal on Russia. Almost imme-
diately the Germans crossed the from
tier at Thorn and the Austrians south
of Lublin. They were practically un-
opposed because of the slowness Of
mobilization In Russia. The Grand
Duke Nicholas N~icholaievitch was
forced to gather his main armies we'll
to the rear of the line of great fort.
resses running through Kovno. Grod-
no. Ossowetz, Novo G~eorgievsk, War
saw and I%vangorod.
On account Of his desire to do all
he could to relieve the French. who
we're being driven from northern
France by the amazing German rush
through Belgium. Nicholas attacked
sooner than he otherwise would have
done. AS a result, he met two disas-
ters.
He sent General Samsonoff into
East Prussia from the south and
General Rennenkampf into East Prus.
sia from the east. the latter winning
the first large engagement of the war
in the East at Gumbinen.
At this moment the Germans, be-
lieving that the French were we'll in
hand and about to be surrounded on
their eastern frontier, quickly with
drew $1,000 men from France and
hurled them by rail into East Prus'
STA, where they fell upon Samsonoff
with crushing force In the great Ger
man victory Of Tannenberg (Aug. 28),
Meanwhile, the Austrians. leaving
only a few troops In Gallcia to hold
back the Russians advancing from
Tarnopol on the line of the Gnila.Lipa,
struck the Russians en- masse at kras'
mix and routed them to Lublin.
Most Bloody Drive Of War.
With two armies in difficulty. the
grand duke decided to abandon one
to its fate and save the other. He
threw re-enforcements into Lublin
and ordered the line of the Gnila
Lipa river be forced at any cost. In
n Of the most bloody drives Of the
WoT tuo nubbloub S0vhuCou iuIO oooG
srn Galicia and occupied Lemberg
The Russians then advanced tC
Rawa Ruska and took the Austrian
armies in Poland In the rear. cutting
them up frightfully.
Meanwhile Won Hindenburg had
completed his victory over Samsonor
by turning on Rennenkampf and clear
ing East Prussia Of Muscovites. Blu,
though Rennenkampf had been do
feated and Samsonoff almost an%i
hilated, the Germans.
The Russians were now as far wes'
as Tarnow In Galicia, while theii
Cossacks were able to make raids into
Hungary farther south. Hindenburl
concentrated a great force suddenly
In Silesia and began a drive from The
I west against Warsaw and Ivan
gorod. The Siberian corps arrived
IN the nick of time to save WARSAW
from the enemy.
Hluh Tide Of Russian Invasion.
Hindenburg then drew of the north
section OF his army in Poland u
north, thinking TO take the pursu