The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1926. THE GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS IN THE GREAT WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, 10 April 1926, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1926. THE GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS IN THE GREAT WAR

Selection by a camarilla of Russian exiles of the Grand Duke Nicholas for the Czarship of their country, when they can manage to turn out the Soviets and Republicans, draws attention to a very striking figure of the Great War. At one moment, soon after the commencement, he was the most striking, and had his plans been more lucky or been seconded by abler’subordinates he would have been the most striking of all the figures engaged in the conflict. It was he who planned the Russian campaign to meet the Gernjan advance at the outset of the war. He began by mobilising the Russian armies with unprecedented rapidity, thus utterly upsetting the plans of the enemy. Rapid as his mobilisation was, he struck even more rapidly. Four armies on the left crushed the Austrians in a series of brilliant battles, got possession of Galicia, and one of them reached the passes of the Carpathians ready to descend on the Austrian capital. At the same time the armies on the right penetrated far into East Prussia, overcame all the resistance there was of the German forces, and found themselves within a few days’ march of Berlin with, very little to oppose them; the main forces of Germany being engaged in their swift rush for Paris. These successes gave rise to the legend of the Russian “steam-roller,” which many believed would grind its way- to Berlin and Vienna, ending the war before the thick of the winter of 1914. But the enemy, having obtained a. mighty host for attack on the Russian line, placing Austrian forces under German centrol; and at that moment the Russian munitions ga.ve out hopelessly. Mackensen leading this great, host, provided with the greatest artillery equipment the world had up to that date ever seen in field war, broke the Russian line at Gorlice on the Donajec, and forced it to general, retreat. 'The Grand Duke’s conduct ot that operation is one of the most remarkable in military history. It saved /the Russian armies, half unarmed as they weje; .and sheltering them behind the great- marshes of the Pripet, enabled Brusiloff to make his brilliant advance, which looked so like a turning point of the war.' But the Grand Duke was rewarded by being deprived of the command and sent to the obscure command of the Caucasus. ~ . But now,.Hie exiles have called upon him to lead them whenever the right time comes, the world will be reviewing his exploits’of the war and indulging hopefully some feeling of the gratitude which they ought to have manifested in and about the days of the “Russian Steam Roller.” In all probability the Grand Duke' never will get a place on the throne of the Czars. But his place in history ought to be recognised and kept cdnspicuous, for he certainly diverted-the strength of the enemy to the East at t-he most critical time in our affairs, and thereby very nearly woii the before 19i5- < ' v