New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-21
Germany's Supreme Effort.

-ANttNeANN - N'NAS
viewed in the light Of all the information
from all sides, the present German often
sive represents the second, conceivably the
final. bid of the Kaisers hosts for a deci-
sion. a favorable decision in the war.
Certainly not since that time, eleven
months ago, when the great drive to the
Marine began, has there been any such
momentous crisis as is now at hand.
BY this time the world is wholly familiar
with the German strategy of August, 1914.
France was to be removed from the Allied
battle line by one swift, terrible, final
blow which would destroy the military
power of the Third Republic and leave
Germany free to deal with Russia.
But France was not destroyed. The
blow was parried, and in the mean time
Russian hosts poured into Austria, and the
disaster that seemed to threaten France
in August in no small degree overlook
Austria in September. The grand scheme
of German high command was thus
thwarted There was left the necessity to
turn east with the western work unfin-
ished and rescue Austria.
Now, over weeks and months the Ger
man effort to save Austria was pushed
with varying success. On the whole, until
May /, with small success, in field, and
shining success back of the line, in the
reorganizing and re-ofiicering of the Haps-
burg forces. Until Austrian armies were
reorganized, new German forces put in
the field the campaign, after one desper-
ate effort eliminating at LODI, fell to the
level of local operations.
But we know now that behind these To-
cal operations there was the old idea, the
i6ea Of ending a war on both fronts by the
complete destruction of the foe on one
front. France, German high command
conceded, could not be disposed of-there
was left Russia. If Russia could be dis
posed Of there was still time to win the
war.
Little by little then German plans were
made. Russia continued to advance, but
Russian ammunition grew less and less.
The ice blockade and the German blockade
interrupted the inflow of supplies. At the
last moment, before the spring came and
Archangel and Vladivostok were opened,
Germany planned to strike.
Her blow was tremendous, instantly
successful, continued from May l to the
end of June and eliminated in the swift
reconquest Of Galicia, the repulse of Rus
STA to her own territory, the capture of
hundreds of thousands Of prisoners, the
most brilliant success Of the war.
But there was one limitation to the
success. Russian military power was
shaken, as was the French in August, but
it was not broken. Defeated, the Russian
army escaped development along the San
and the Dniester, and to this extent the
great campaign failed. The failure was
complete in this sense. For armies, not
position, must be the objective, their de-
struction the test Of success in the present
war.
German high command had, however,
envisaged this failure. 1t had hoped to
envelOp the Russian armies in Galicia be-
tween the army of Mackensen coming east
from Cracow and the Austrian troops
coming north over the Carpathians and
west from Bukovina. Now it fell back
upon a far more grandiose scheme in
volving an enormous extent of territory
and requiring troops in numbers unknown
in other wars.
Look at the map Of Russian Poland
and it will be seen that it is pushed into
Austro-German territory like fist driven
against pillow. To use another figure,
it is like a nut held within a cracker,
one Jaw of which is East Prussia, the
other Galicia. And in the military sense
Hindenburg is the upper, Mackensen the
lower jaw.
To-day the whole of the gigantic Ger
man conception is comprehended in an
effort to bring these Jaws together, crush
ing all Of Russia's military forces. Sue
cessful, the plan will practically destroy
Russian military power. All the Russian
troops west of the Bug, defending War
saw, holding the railroads TO Moscow,
Petrograd and Kiev will be pounded to
nothing. or captured. A Tannenberg ten
and twenty fold increased will be the re-
suit.
For the Russians the problem is SIM
pie They must defend, hold on to War
wv to the last possible moment. It's loss
will be a great and permanent injury, but
it is even more essential that they should
bring their armies out alive. Think al
ways of these two jaws of the nut-cracker
oIoeipO on Russian military fOrcpS in the
eastern field and the main circumstance Of
the new operation is simplfed.
If Germany can envelop the Russians,
if she can crush their main armies and
send their fragments behind the Bug, she
will then be free to send most Of the vic