Carpathian Front 1915

1914 Eastern Front - reserve

Jan. 31 - Germans used tear gas at Bolimow in Poland.

Feb.-Mar. - German offensives in Poland led by Gallwitz failed.

Mar. 22 - Przemysl surrendered to Russians, Austria lost 119,000 pows and 700 guns.

Mar. 29 - Brusilov took Lupkow Pass, has taken 70,000 pows in 10 days

Apr. 4 - Conrad asked for German help; Falkenhayn puts Mackensen in command of 11th Army Apr. 9, and will also command Austrian troops

May 1 - Germany launched Gorlice offensive in Galicia with 8 divisions taken from the western front added to the German 11th Army of 120,000 and Austrian 4th army of 80,000, with 1000 rounds for each field gun, or 1m rounds total, against Russian army led by Ivanov. Mackensen began attack May 1 with artillery barrage from 610 guns that fired 700,000 shells including gas shells. On May 2 the infantry attacked when weather was good and roads passable, against Russian 41 divisions in front of Przemysl. Mackensen focused attack on Golice to break through Russian line. The Russian army was still unable to move reserves quickly to a battle, and railways were slow, and Russia remained committed to the horse, 1m horses in Russian army needed support from railroad and roads. Horse supplies required 1850 wagons per day, soldiers required 1095 wagons.

May 3 - German attack successful, opened 12-mile gap in Russian line.

May 16 - Germans crossed San River on 15 bridges, took oilfields near Uzsok by May 18.

May 21 - Russians began evacuation of Przemysl

May 23 - Italy declared war on Austria, but army not ready, and unable to launch major offensive.

June 16 - Germans on 3rd Battle of Lemberg, captured city by June 22

July 1- After 8-week campaign, Germany won one of the greatest victories in WWI, at a cost of 90,000 German casualties, Russia evacuated Lemberg and began general retreat from Galicia, lost 1,800,000 including 700,000 pows.

July - Falkenhayn launched double offensive in the north at the Narev under Gallwitz and in the south in Galicia under Mackensen to envelop Poland , while keeping the third offensive in Courland attacking.

Aug. 4 - The Germans entered Warsaw

Aug. 19 - Russians wanted to hold Novogeorgievsk, "the symbol of Russian rule in Poland" but whereas Przemysl had been defended by mud, big guns unable to move, the Polish fortress could be hit by guns, The Germans captured the fort's chief engineer with his maps, and the fort surrendered Aug. 19 with its 1600 guns and 1m shells

Aug. 26 - Mackensen took Brest-Litovsk, and Gallwitz took Osowiec.

Aug. 17 - Germans took Kovno, and the Czar dismissed the generals of the Stavka and assumed command of the armies himself

Sept. 18 - Germans took Vilna, but the German offensive came to and end in the harsh terrain of eastern Poland, the Russian army had successfully retreated and was intact. Russian scorched earth policy only partial, against Jewish lands, but non-Jewsih Polish noble families paid the retreating Russians to leave their estates alone Russia since May lost 2m soldiers, incl 1m pows. The Austrian army strength had fallen from 500,000 to 200,000. Brusilov counterattacked from the marshes south of Brest-Litovsk and took Rovno. But fighting ended for the winter, Russia reorganized, Germany and Austria shifted efforts to Serbia.

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