Page:The Great War.djvu/128

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no The Great War Russian corps the Austrians had sixteen, less those charged with opposing the Servian Army, holding the southern Slavs in check in Austrian territory and protecting the coasts and the Italian frontier. At least four corps were required for this work and two were in Germany on the French frontier. Rus- sia could then reckon on a numerical advantage of at least two army corps against Austria, enough to remove all possibility of further Austrian reenforce- ments being despatched to the west. There remained the army charged with penetrat- ing Prussia towards Berlin. For this fifteen army corps would ultimately be available. To face these the Germans had left not more than five, possibly only four, corps in the first line or field army. To meet this tremendous disparity she had to rely upon her second line, which could not be mobilized until the first was in the field and was naturally inferior in equipment and in immediate military value. Pat- ently, the advantage of Russia in this field was enor- mous, if her regular army could be brought up. A portion of it at least had now come up, was in Prussia and the Russian offensive had begun. Again, it is necessary to review the whole field to get the true value of the German campaign in Bel- gium. Three weeks after the German declaration of war upon Russia, Russian troops were in Prussia, French troops were in Alsace-Lorraine, the British expeditionary army was on the Continent, the Bel- gian army was in the field and had made a wonderful

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