Battle of the Vistula River The Battle of the Vistula River , also known as the Battle of Warsaw , was a Russian victory against the German Empire and Austria - Hungary on the Eastern Front during the First World War . Background . When the Austro - Hungarian Army was being driven from Galicia in the Battle of Galicia , the German industrial area of Upper Silesia , left undefended by German troops , was threatened with a Russian offensive into the heart of Germany . In order to counter the Russian preparations , as well as to support the shattered Austro - Hungarian Armies , Erich von Falkenhayn , the German commander in chief , ordered the bulk of the German 8th Army from Eastern Prussia to be transferred into the area of Cracow for an offensive against the Russian centre around Warsaw . The newly formed German 9th Army , commanded by Paul von Hindenburg , consisted of the XVII , XX , XI , Guard Reserve and " Landwehr " Corps , as well as a mixed Landwehr Division from Silesia and the Saxon 8th Cavalry Division . In early October , the Army was reinforced by the 35th Reserve Division from East Prussia . Thus , Hindenburg had at his disposal 12 Infantry and one Cavalry Divisions . The battle opened on 28 September by the Ninth Army and was joined by 30 September by the Austro - Hungarian First Army . Engagement of Opatów - Klimontów . To guard the northward crossing of their 4th and 9th Armies over the Vistula , the Russian command deployed the 75 . Reserve Division ( IV . Army ) at Radom , as well as the group General Delsalle , consisting of the Guard Rifle Brigade , 2nd Rifle Brigade and 80 . Reserve Division , at Opatów - Klimontów . Both groups were screened by the Cavalry divisions of the Corps Nowikow . As Hindenburg suspected two to three corps in the area , he concentrated the German XI . , Guard and Austro - Hungarian I . Corps against Delsalle ' s group . On 3 October , the 3rd and 7th Austrian Cavalry Divisions engaged the Russian Guard cavalry Brigade , supported by Infantry from the 80 . Reserve Division , at Klimontów , and were defeated and forced back . Thus , Hindenburg had no idea of how weak the forces opposing him were in reality . In response to the Austro - German threat , the Russians were ordered to retreat on their own . While Nowikow ' s cavalry obeyed the order , General Delsalle believed that he would be able to hold his position . The next day , his group was destroyed by the much superior enemy . The Central Powers captured 7 , 000 prisoners , only a few Russians managed to escape . The German troops lost 571 men - Austrian casualties are not known . Battle . Hindenburg reached the Vistula River by 9 October and was only away from Warsaw . Here , the German offensive began to falter . General Nikolai Ruzsky , commander of the Russian Northwest Front , brought up significant reinforcement against the Ninth Army . At this time , Hindenburg learned of a planned Russian offensive into Silesia from a captured Russian soldier . However , Hindenburg continued to push the offensive against Warsaw . The Germans were unfamiliar with the land and unable to bring sufficient reinforcements to the Ninth Army , therefore allowing Ruzsky to concentrate his front against Hindenburg . On 17 October , Hindenburg ordered a retreat , and by the 31st the battle was over . Outcome . On 1 November , the German Ninth Army was back where it had begun , with the loss of 21 , 350 soldiers , while the Austro - Hungarian First Army had lost 50 , 000 soldiers . The Russians had lost 15 , 000 dead and 50 , 000 wounded . This was the first of a series of attempts by the Germans to capture Warsaw . After the battle , Colonel General Hindenburg was appointed commander of the whole Eastern front . The IX . Army was taken over by General August von Mackensen , former commander of the XVII . Corps . Ten days later , Hindenburg made another attempt at Warsaw culminating in the Battle of Łódź . Superior numbers on the Eastern Front had given the Russian army the advantage in the fall of 1914 . Order of battle . Russian forces . Russian North - Western front . Commander - in - chief – Nikolai Ruzsky