Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08

Leading westward thousands OF fright
eued peasants Streamed.
X
Then those in the seats OF the
mighty at Berlin bethought them
selves of an old grouchy retired gen.
eral, living at Hanover, named Hin
denburg, who had been boring people
for years by incessant talk about the
lake region of East Prussia, which he
considered a'splendid bulwark of de-
Tense against Russian onslaught.
They sent for him and asked him to
take charge of the defense against
Samsonoff and Rennenkampff. One
Ludendorff. who had entered Belgium
with the invading German army, was
assigned to Hindenburg at his re-
quest. as chief of staff.
Within a few days after he had been
snatched from his grumbling life at
Hanover, Hindenburg lured Samsonoff
into trap at Tannenberg and cut his
army to pieces. Thousands drowned
in the lakes of the region. The total
of prisoners, it is said, ran almost to
100000.
With Samsonoff done for, linden
burg turned on Rennenkampff, but that
Russian chieftain saw light just in
time and raced for the frontier as fast
as he could move. Hindenburg caught
him at Lyck, routed him and captured
$4,000 of his men, but Rennenkamph
escaped with a good part of his forces.
Tannenberg and Lyck close the tale
of the second grand reversal OF the
world war
The third and fourth also were
staged on the eastern front. Begin
ming we'll for the Russians. they too
ended in a smashing defeat for them.
We must go back again to the first
,,f I,n 1rynr nf
Russia. the armies OF Brusiloff and
HUSKY, under the supreme leadership
of the Grand Duke Nicholas. scat
tered the Austrians like chaff before
them, and, having won brilliant VIC
tories at Rawa Ruska and Lemberg
poured into Galicia and met nc
obstacle worthy of the name until
they reached the strong fortress OF
Przemysl, where an Austrian garri.
son of more than 100000 men under
Gen. Won Kusmanek barred their way
Led by Raoko Dimitrieff, Bulgar.
ian hero of the Balkan wars, who had
, offered his sword to Russia. and the
aged Russian Selivanov, the czar's
, men pressed the siege with vigor
until, in March, 1915. Kusmanek ant
the entire garrison capitulated.
From Przemysl the victorious Rus
crests of the Carpathians. whence
they looked down upon the terror
stricken plains of Hungary; and, fur
. ter north, they moved toward Cracow
the holy city of Poland, whose fal
seemed certainty.
, But while they were marchinf
triumphantly forward another trans
formation, so dramatic in it's sudden
ness as to vie with the Marine itself
: had been quietly prepared. German
, and AustrianS concentrated viii
swiftness and secrecy upon tn
! Dunajec river. a short distance cas-
of CracoW.
!. X
/ Won Mackensen, their leader, place.
4 along his lines mass OF artiller
r such as had never been seen up t
then in any military operation. o.
& May t. 1915, he struck Radko Dimit
+ rieff with cyclonic force. Most Of tn
Russians in his front were simpl
Il obliterated Those who were lef
II could only fall back, fighting desper
+, ately in search of another line o
p, defense in the rear.
;, In the meantime Brusiloff, on tn
II crcsts of the Carpathians. to tn
l.. south of where Mackensen had brok
= on through, was in serious DANCE
of being cut off and captured with al
- his men. But the Russian, who al
=, ready had won distinction and
n wear later WAS to earn place anon