Evening star., 1915-08-05

were swept back, but before last win
ter set in they had succeeded in press
ing their way through Galicia and were
nearing Cracow, which is almost di-
rectly on a line south of the Polish
capital.
In the spring, however, after
Przemysl had fallen into their hands
and the victorious Russian armies were
threatening the German border and an
invasion of Hungary, came the organ
lied Austro-German movement which
recaptured the great Austrian fortress
and swept the Russian lines back far
ther east in some sections than they
had been early in the war. The War
from the south was additionally threat
ened by the German advance in the
Baltic provinces, which acted not only
as supporting movement to the flank
attack on Warsaw, but threatened to
cut on the retreat of the Russian ar
mics.
The first determined drive against
Warsaw from the west occurred last
man advance guards penetrated to
within nineteen miles of the city, over
which German aeroplanes and Zeppe-
Inns flew. The Russians moved troops
been pressing the Austrians hard. and
Warsaw slipped from the hands of the
Germans in the face of a vigorous Rus
sian counter offensive, which swept
Second Attempt Is Launched.
Shortly afterward a second attempt
was launched from the same direction
and gathered force until a great bat
tie developed along the Rivers Warta
and Vistula. The Germans at first
were reported successful. but the fight
ing turned in favor of the Russians
off nd lol
two German CORPS who bravely man.
aged to cut their way out. Later
pitched battles were fought around
Lodz, which the Germans capture on
December 6. and before long the two
armies found themselves intrenched
along the famous Bzura-Rawka front.
After that the fighting on this front
assumed the form of trench warfare,
as it had in the west.
Germans Try Again.
Another attempt at Warsaw occurred
in February after the Russians had for
the second time been driven out of East
Prussia. This time the attack came
from the north. and Field Marshal Won
Hindenburg's forces reached and cap
tured Przasnysz, with 10000 prisoners,
February 25. Three days later. how
ever. the Russians recaptured it, and
put the Germans on the defensive.
Hammering along this line and at other
sections south and west from the east
Prussian frontier continued for months,
but not until the inception Of the pres
ent campaign was there anywhere a
serious break in the Russian defenses.
Center of Previous Wars.
The city which the Teutonic forces
have taken lies on the Vistula, 625
miles southwest of Petrograd. and 800
miles east of Berlin. 1t is an important
industrial center. and tis population il
estimated at not far from 100000.
Wars for the possession of Poland
ragged around it in the middle ages,
and in the early part of the seventh
century 1T supplanted Cracow, the an
cient capital, as the seat of Polish
government.
Prussia held 1t from 1875 to 1906 and
for seven years after that 1t was in
the possession of one of. Napoleons
vassals The Russians entered 1t in
1913, when it became the capital of
the new kingdom of Poland. In 1880
the population rose against the Rus
slams. and in September of the fol-
lowing year the forces of the Russian
re-entered the city