New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 2, May, 1915: April-September, 1915Various
History
New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 2, May, 1915: April-September, 1915
Various
World War, 1914-1918
The fall of Przemysl marks the most important event of the Russian
campaign this year. It finally and irrevocably consolidates the position
of the Russians in Galicia. The Austro-German armies are deprived of the
incentive hitherto held out to them of relieving the isolated remnant of
their former dominion. The besieging army will be freed for other
purposes. From information previously published the garrison aggregated
about 25,000 men, hence the investing forces, which must always be at
least four times as great as the garrison, represent not less than
100,000 men. From all the information lately received from both Russian
and neutral sources, the position of the Austro-German armies in the
Carpathians has become distinctly critical. The reinforcements for the
gallant troops of General Brusiloff, General Radko Dmitrieff, and other
commanders are bound to exercise an enormous influence on the future
course of the campaign in the Carpathians.
All honor and credit are given by the Russians to the garrison of
Przemysl and General Kusmanek. Russian officers ever had the highest
opinion of the personality of the commandant. I heard from those who
fought under General Radko Dmitrieff in the early stages of the Galician
campaign that when our troops, after sweeping away the resistance at
Lwow and Jaroslau, loudly knocked at the doors of the fortress of
Przemysl, they met with a stern rebuff. In reply to the summons of the
Russians to surrender the keys the commandant wrote a curt and dignified
note remarking that he considered it beyond his own dignity or the
dignity of the Russian General to discuss the surrender of the fortress
before it had exhausted all its powers of resistance. During the second
invasion of Poland by the Austro-German armies the enemy's lines swept
up to and just beyond Przemysl, interrupting the investment of the
fortress. The wave of the Austrian invasion began to subside at the end
of the first week in November. Only then could we begin the siege of the
mighty fortress, which proved successful after the lapse of four months.
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