A Popular History of The Great War/Volume 1/Page 186

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE IN GALICIA


The Russian concentration in Western Poland was not yet complete, but a considerable army had been collected west oi the river Bug with its left protected by the fortress of Zamosc. It was with this army that Dankl first came in contact, but as the Russians were considerably outnumbered they slowly fell backontheBug. AstheRussianscontinuallygavegroundthe Austrians were able to report almost daily successes to Vienna and Budapest. These reports had a political as well as a military value. The Austrian empire—“the ramshackle empire/' as it was often called—had a mixed population. A considerable proportion of its people were Slavs whose secret, and, in some cases, open, sympathies >vere with Russia and Serbia. N^ws of Russian victories would have fostered the spirit of rebellion which existed among them : every Austrian victory lessened their hope that they could look to Russia for relief from an alien domination. Pressing back the small liussian forces opposed to him Dankl advanced towards the towns of Lublin and Kholm, some fifty miles into Russian Poland. Meanwhile the Russians had collected very considerable forces between Warsaw and Kiev. By August 25 the Austrians were within striking distance of therailwaywhichconnectedIvangorodandWarsaw. Theyhad reached the line between the Vistula and the Bug, where tlie grand duke Nicholas had resolved to hold them. iVIeanwhile a Russiancounter-offensivewasbeingplanned. AsecondRussian army under General Russky was assembled, based on the fortresses of Lutsk and Dubno, and appearea to be merely the left wing of the Russian army resisting an advance into Poland. The other army under General Bnisilofl was to advance on Galicia from the north-east. To screen this threat to Lemberg from the east a constant series of Co.ssack raids had been carried out from the beginning of the war on the eastern frontier of Galicia. The actual defence of Lemberg was left to the army of General Auffenberg. The Russian plan was that the ist army should fall back before Dankl, the 2nd army, under Russky, was to drive a wedge between Dankl and Auffenberg, while Brusi- loff with the 3rd army turned Auffenberg's right flank. Brusiloff accomplished his advance with complete secrecy. It took place ifi daylight, over a period of thirteen days, from August 19 to August 31. The Austrians had a host of spies, working with Teutonic thoroughness; they had a large force of well-mounted,

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