The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1915-08-07
FIRST YEAR OF THE
WAR IN The EAST

7 first twelvemonth of fighting
between the Russians on one side and
the Austrians and Germans on
the other is story Of great changes
of fortune, both combatants being re-
peatedly driven back only to show
the greatest resiliency in defeat and
soon to resume the offensive in a most
surprising manner.
The end of the year, however, finds
the pendulum swinging strongly
against the car. He may recover
and take again the roads to Cracow.
Vienna and Berlin, but Just at pres
ent 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 war are not approached by those
of any nation in any war of history.
According to reliable estimates, she
has had between 100000 and 4,OO0.-
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 war on Russia. Almost imme-
diately the Germans crossed the from
tier at Thorn and the Austrians south
NJ ubI;u rhox xvoro v,rc - m tn ,,,
opposed because of the slowness of
mobilization in Russia The Grand
Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch was
forced to gather his main armies well
to the rear Of the line of great fort
resses running through Kovno. Grod-
no. Ossowetz, Novo Georgievsk, War
saw and Ivangorod.
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 result, he met two disas-
ters
He sent General Sansonof into
East Prussia from the south and
General Rennenkampf into East Prus-
STA 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 well in
hand and about to be surrounded on
their eastern frontier. quickly with
drew 250.U00 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. 2S).
Meanwhile, the Aystrians, leaving
only few troops in Galicia 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
one of the most bloody drives of the
war the Russians advanced into east
ern Galicia and occupied Lemberg
The Russians then advanced to
Rawa Ruska and took the Austrian
armies in Poland in the rear. cutting
them up frightfully.
Meanwhile Won Hindenburg had
completed his victory over Samsonof
by turning on Rennenkampf and clear
ing East Prussia of Muscovites. But
though Rennenkampf had been de-
featod and Samsonoff almost ami
h!lated, the Germans.
The Russians were now as far west
as Tarnow in Galicia, while their
Cossacks were able to make raids into
Hungary farther south. Hindenburg
concentrated q great force suddenly
in Silesia and began drive from the
west against Warsaw and Ivan
gorod. The Siberian corps arrived
IN the nick OF time to save Warsaw
rom the enemy.
i. High Tide Of Russian Invasion.
Hindenburg then drew on the north
arn section of his army in Poland to
the north, thinking to take the purse