Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-06
Review Of Most Terrific
Contest Of the War==That
for WarSaW'S Possession

The fall Of Warsaw marks the Gull
hination Of the greatest sustained or
fensive movement Of the European
war. Thrice before Teutonic armies
have knocked at its gates only to be
denied by the strength OF its defences
and the resistance Of the forces hold
ing 1t. Apparently impregnable In the
face Of direct attack, it was compel
led to capitulate before the sweep OF
a vast movement which threatened TO
encircle the capital and with 1t the
Russian armies engaged in the cam
paign Of which it was the storm cen
ter.
From the north, the northwest. the
west and from the south and south
east the Austro-German forces have
been pressing upon the Polish capital
in the effort to drive the Russians out
Of Poland and, If possible. to break
their offensive power for an indefinite
period. The movement may be said
to have had it's inception in May when
the great Teutontc march through Ga
licia began. To get at the Russian
armies in Poland from the southeast
it first was necessary to clear the
greater part of Galicia Of the troops
Of that nation.
Won Mackensen's Campaign
Field Marshal Won Mackensen's cam
.aign in its first important stage Gull
minated when, late in June, Lemberg
was retaken and the Russians were
driven over the Galician border. Then
early in June, the Teutonic forces
coming up from the south halted while
preparations were made for the next
stage Of the campaign.
Signs Of the form this was to take,
soon were apparent. Great armies
had been assembled to the north, and
these early in July began pressing
down upon the Russians. A vigorous
offensive was opened in the Baltic
provinces, the Teutonic troops attacked
from point to point along the east
Prussian border. and with Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg directing the
general operations along this section
of the fighting front determined drive
began in the Przasnysz region.
simultaneously in the south Won
Mackensen resumed his advance, CO.
operating with the Austrians. Step
by step the Austro-German hosts
pounded their way toward the DOOM
ed city from north and south, while
on the west activity was resumed.
Nicholas Falls Back
Grand Duke Nicholas began to fall
back. Przasnysz, to the north of War
saw was occupied and by July 10 the
Germans had forced the Russians back
to the line of the Narew river and
,pushed their way to within 20 miles
,of their goal. The fortress of Ostolen-
ka was taken and the key to Warsaw
ION the north, the Nowogeorgievsk for
ttihcation. was approached. To the
lsouth Radon was occupied and the
rRussian lines Of communication IN the
sLublin region were threatened.
Then began Tightening Of the Ger
imam lines around the capital. The
lTeutons forced their way past the
iBlonie line southwest of the city,
pushed their way across the river
.Narew below Ostrolena and the bat
!tering at the fortified gates of the city
was begun in earnest on Tuesday of
this week by Bavarian troops under
command of Prince Leopold of Ba-
varia.
From the beginning of the war the
salient in the Russian line formed by
the band necessary to include War
saw and a large portion of Poland had
been a thorn in the flesh Of the Rus
sian military authorities. They showed
this by their desperate and at times
partially successful attempts to
straighten their fighting front. Before
they could advance at the center and
move west from Warsaw the wings
must be brought up SO as to prevent
successful flanking movements.
Before last winter set in they had
succeeded in pressing their way
through Galicia and We're nearing
Cracow. which is almost directly on
line south of the Polish capital.
Spring Movement
In the spring. however. after Pre-
mysl had fallen into their hands and
they were threatening to move toward
the German border and to invade
Hungary, came the organized Austro-
German movement which re-captured
the great Austrian fortress and swept
the Russian lines back further east in
SOIIlc ScSlloIS lIldl they ldQ USeu
early in the war. The Warsaw salient,
thus exposed hazardously from the
South. was additionally threatened by
the German advance in the Baltic
provinces, which acted not only as a
supporting movement to the flank at
tack on Warsaw but threatened to cut
off the retreat of the Russian armies
The first determined drive against
Warsaw from the west occurred last Oc-
tober and within a short time the Ger
man advance penetrated to within 10
miles of the city over which German
aeroplanes and Zeppelins flew. The Rus
SLAMS moved troops hastily from Galicia
and Warsaw slipped from the hands Of
the Germans in the face Of vigorous
Russian counter-offensive which swept
them back to the borders.
Shortly afterward the second attempt
was launched from the same direction
and gathered force until a great battle
developed along the rivers Warta and
vistula. The Russians cut of and appar-
emily surrounded two German corps
which, however. managed to cut their
way out. Later pitched battles were
fought around Lodz, which the Germans
captured on Dec 6 and before long the
two armies found themselves entrenched