GERMANY INVADED SWIFT MENACE OF RUSSIAN ARMIES GRAND DUKE'S BRILLIANT STRATEGY.
The Russians have completed a wonderful series of victories in the east, and have commenced a fresh invasion of Germany at two points (wrote the London correspondent of the Age on 13th November). Russia began a succession of remarkable victories by driving back the Germans from the Niemen into East Prussia, inflicting on them heavy losses. Then the Russian army fell upon the flank of the German army advancing upon Warsaw, and broke it up. Nest, the main German armies were driven back from the line of the Vistula in headlong flight. Russia next grappled with a stubborn Austrian resistance on the San, fought the Austrians hard for three whole weeks, and ultimately compelled them to retreat in disorder. The latter victory, described by the Grand Duke Nicholas, Coramander-in-Chief the Russian armies, as the most important in the eastern theatre since the beginning of the war, was followed, in turn, by the Russian invasion of the German Empire at two points. Posen has been invaded, and the rich German province of Silesia is threatened. These Russian successes mark the end of Germany's great plan of wintering on the Vistula and San, and holding herself free from invasion while despatching all the troops she could to northern France to crush the allied armies fighting on French, soil. Germany hoped to be able to hold that very strong ' defensive line till next spring, while using the flower of her troops to destroy France and strike a vital blow at England. The clever Russian strategy, which brought up unsuspected fresh troops at Warsaw, upset that plan. It compelled the German army In front of the Polish capital to beat a precipitate retreat; the German retreat m the north compelled the whole Austjo-German line, right down to the Przemysl fortress in Galicia, to fall back as well. That withdrawal was delayed because of the slowness with which strategy develops itself in the huge battles of this war ; but it was none the less inevitable, and after some stubborn fighting the Russian com-mander-in-chief was able to announce a complete Russian victory on an unprecedented scale. Now the German Empire is, for the first time since the war began, seriously threatened with invasion on its own soil — on the Silesian frontier. Further, the retreat of the German armies in the north means that the East Prussian frontier of the empire is I also threatened, and this time there will be no word of Russia drawing back again. From these facts it is clear that the German plan of invading Russian Poland has ended in ignominious failure, and the new military situation which has arisen should soon react to the advantage of the Allies in the western theatre of war. Had the German plan of holding up the Russian armies proved successful, Russia, would have been prevented for months from giving any effective help to the Allies. Hex armies would have been held up till the spring. To achieve victory Russian, strategy took many risks. Important positions of strategical strength were given up to the enemy after pre> tended resistance. The Germans swept forward in what they believed to be a victorious march right tip to the gates of Warsaw. The Austrians crossed the San River, fondly imagining they were driving the Russians before them. The German and Austrian Emperors exchanged compliments and iron crosses oft the brilliant; "successes" of their armies. Then, as described in The Age, the Grand Duke Nicholas struck in front of Warsaw, and rolled the Germans back. The defeat of the Austrians followed. No wonder the Russian commander in chief permitted himself to call attention to the importance of these successes, and that the Tsar and his troops joined in a solemn Te Deura in thanksgiving on the field of battle. "We owe this victory to the inexhaustible goodness of God," the Grand Duke Nicholas announced, "Who has blessed the superhuman heroism of our warriors, of whom Russia has a right to be proud. This victory 'will allow our troops to proceed to the realisation of fresh tasks which will inaugurate a new period of hostilities.' 1 The Russians followed up their advantage with remorseless activity. The enemy were expected, after this defeat, to make a stand along a previously prepared defensive position behind the river Warta, but they appear to have evacuated these positions, and to be seeking safety behind the line of fortresses of Graudenz, Thorn, Posen, and Breslau. i The swiftness of Russia's invasion of Germany is a sure indication of tha magnitude of the defeat inflicted on the Austro-Gennan troops. It fs now manifest that Russia's magnificent successes against Germany and Austria have been brought about by superior Russian strategy and fine fighting on the part of the Russian troops. The military experts of Great Britain and Europe have been greatly impressed by the wonderful efficiency and elan displayed by the Russian armies in the western campaign. The German military caste has contemptuously under-estimated the Russian soldier since the Russo-Japanese j war, but Russia had laid the lesson of that war to her heart, as Germany has now discovered to her bitter cost, and 1 there is no better fighter on the battle fields of Europe to-day than the Russian soldier, and no better equipped and handled, armies than those of Russia. The great Russian nation is absolutely united in the determination to wage this war to a relentless conclusion, and the Russian soldiers and their officers, closely united in a bond of fellowship thatis entirely lacking in the German army, are equally determined to carry the national colours to final victory, regardless of cost or losses. A special war correspondent of The Times, who witnessed the whole of the Russo-Japanese campaign from the Japanese side, but is now with the Russian forces, has been much impressed with the machinelike efficiency of the vast Russian armies now attacking Germany, and the "incredible rapidity" of their advance. The transport is admirable, and the troops are pushed forward so rapidly that it is difficult to keep pace with them. Military experts have been equally impressed by the brilliancy of the Russian strategy, which has made the vaunted "military machine" of Germany appear a very cumbersome and creaky apparatus. The Russian strategy which rolled up tire great German and Austrian armies along a front of one thousand miles, and drove them back in headlong flight, has inspired the utmost respect, for Russian military prestige. The Times expresses the opinion that these successes make the Grand Duke Nicholas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armies, "perhaps the greatest individnal figure of the war." This is high praise, but not too high, considering the great feat he has successfully accomplished, comprising ' comprehensive and simultaneous military operations on a scale unparalleled in the history of tvarfare. After three months' fighting and the failure of the German offensive east and west, two salient facts are clearly revealed by the results in the eastern theatre of war. Russian strategy is better than German, and the Russian troops are better fighters than the Germans. It is not likely that Russia's rapid ' f&te jgf .advance .^Mi^eTCQnJtinued^^^je^
are three districts within their own frontiers for which the Germans and Austrians must fight, and fight hard. The great fortified city of Cracow will not be given up by the Austrians without a severe struggle. Nor will the Germans admit the Russians into the busy region of Upper Silesia, of which the centre is Tarnowitz, without the fiercest opposition ; and the great industrial and trading city of Breslau, the second in size in the German Empire, will- be defended by the Germans .to the extremity. It will be interesting to see how the Russian Commander-in-Chief win handle these three knotty problems. The general belief is that 'his strategy and determination will prove equal to them.
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Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1915, Page 2
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1,314GERMANY INVADED SWIFT MENACE OF RUSSIAN ARMIES GRAND DUKE'S BRILLIANT STRATEGY. Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1915, Page 2
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