Page:EB1922 - Volume 32.djvu/963

Rh VISCONTI-VENOSTA, EMILIO, MARQUIS (1829-1914), Italian statesman and diplomat (see 28.129). After representing Italy at the Algeciras Conference the Marquis Visconti-Venosta retired into private life, but on account of his great experience, profound legal and political culture and sound judgment, he was often consulted by his Government, especially on questions of foreign affairs. He explicitly approved of Italy's declaration of neutrality on the outbreak of the World War. He died in Rome Nov. 28 1914.

VISTULA-SAN, BATTLES OF THE. In the Austro-German autumn campaign of 1914 against Russia (see EASTERN EURO- PEAN FRONT CAMPAIGNS; also Map, PLATE I., under same heading), the battles of the Vistula and the fighting on the San, with the battle of Chyrow, from Sept. 9 to Nov. 5, form a series of operations which are described below.

The retreat of the Austro-Hungarian armies in the middle of Sept. to the San and the area around, and S. of Przemysl had hardly been completed when the Russian forces made ready to cross the San at its mouth with a view to enveloping Dankl's army, both at that point and on the left bank of'the Vistula.

After the recent heavy fighting, in which Austria-Hungary had drawn upon herself alone the whole weight of the superior force of Russia, her army was exhausted and anything but fit to hold the San against the on-coming, steadily increasing mass of Russians. And yet if they were allowed to advance any further, not only would the Austro-Hungarian army be shat- tered but one of the main German industrial areas Upper Silesia would be in danger. For the protection of this area and the support of her ally, it was necessary for Germany to send immediate reinforcements. Negotiations to this end began be- tween the two army commands by the middle of September.

Considerable portions of the German VIII. Army had been set free after the successful battles on the Masurian lakes. While the Austro-Hungarian armies were shaking off the enemy, a IX. German army under the command of Gen. von'Hindenburg had been constituted in S. Poland and Upper Silesia out of the German XI., XVII. and XX. Corps, the Guard Res. Corps and a combined Corps, together with the 8th Cav. Division. This army was drawn up for deployment along the line Przynow- Lelow-Wolbrom-Cracow by the end of September.

On Sept. 16, protected by the Przemysl fortress, which was left to its fate, and the bridgeheads of Sieniawa and Jaroslaw, evacuated on Sept. 18 and 20 respectively, the Austro-Hungarian armies resumed the retreat which led them back to the line of the Dunajec, the Biala, and the farther side of the Carpathian ridge, by the end of the month. The Russians attempted no real pursuit, but sent only weak forces after them to beyond the Wislok. They regarded the Austro-Hungarian army as worn- out, and turned their attention to preparing a powerful push through Poland into the heart of Germany.

The Austro-Hungarian armies, after re-establishment, were to join the German IX. Army in a new offensive which aimed at beating the Russians and relieving Przemysl.

The Austro-German Advance on the San-Vistula Line (Oct. g 1914). The idea underlying the new offensive was as follows: Hindenburg's army was to advance on the stretch of the Vistula between Zawichost and Ivangorod and envelope the Russians from the north. The Austro-Hungarian armies were to advance with a small group on the N. bank of the Vistula, but with their main forces to the S. of the river by way of Rzeszow and Krosno to the San and on Przemysl, while the II. Army moved forward correspondingly in the region S. of Przemysl.

The Russians were well aware of these measures, and as soon as the advance of the Allies began they abandoned the siege of Przemysl and withdrew their forces remaining in Galicia to the San and to the E. and S. of Przemysl, where they fortified their positions. Their main strength they concentrated in the first instance at Ivangorod, and later at Warsaw, in order to fall on Hindenburg's northern flank and thus compel the Allies to retire, early as Sept. 22 the latter received the first news of the for-

.tion of a Russian IX. Army in the region round Ivangorod,

.d from this time reports kept pouring in of the shifting of xxxn. yt

strong Russian forces northward. It therefore became incumbent upon the Austro-Hungarian army to make a vigorous onslaught on the Russians, in order to contain as large a number of their forces as possible. The demand thus made upon it that army was in a position to meet only conditionally owing to the superiority of the Russians, who had meanwhile been reinforced by Siberian and Caucasian troops.

While on Oct. 4 the main forces of the Austro-Hungarian armies were advancing eastward S. of the Vistula, the German XI. Corps at Opatow and the Austro-Hungarian 3rd and ;th Cav. Divs. at Klimontow on the N. of that river came upon the enemy and drove him behind the stretch of the San between Sandomierz and Zawichost by Oct. 5. The Austro-Hungarian main forces in the area S. of the Vistula encountered at first only Russian cavalry. Until the San was reached only comparatively slight resistance was offered by the Russians. Only the IV. Army, of which the command had been taken over by the Archduke Joseph Ferdinand in the beginning of Oct., and the N. wing of the III. Army had to battle with and overcome strong Russian forces round Rzeszow, Lancut, and Barycz on Oct. 7 and 8. The I. Army, after some brief combats, was able to drive over the San the portions of the Russian V. Army which had remained in the angle of the San and Vistula. By Oct. 10 the Russians were over the San and behind Przemysl, with the exception of parts of the Russian III. Army, which held out until Oct. 12 at Jaroslaw on the W. bank of the San.

While the advance was still in progress news came of a north- ward diversion of the Russian V. Army. Large Russian forces were also debouching from Ivangorod and Warsaw. All the indications pointed to the fact that the Russians had transferred their centre of gravity to the Warsaw-Ivangorod stretch of the Vistula. The original plan of forcing the Vistula with Hinden- burg's army between Zawichost and Ivangorod could not now be carried out. Instead, while the Austrian I. Army advanced gradually down the Vistula to the mouth of the Kamienna, Hindenburg was to cross the Vistula below Ivangorod, having first driven the Russian forces from Warsaw and Ivangorod back across the Vistula. The Austro-Hungarian main army was to make a vigorous effort to force the San and once more push on toward Lublin and Chelm.

Battles of Warsaw and Ivangorod (Oct. lo-Nov. f). The ad- vancing corps of Hindenburg's army came into contact with large Russian forces to the S. of Ivangorod and Kalwarija and at Mszczonow-Grojec, and these they drove back on Oct. 10. South of Warsaw, where the resistance offered was only slight, the German corps gained ground, taking Blonie; but at Ivangorod and Alexandrya the attacks of the III. Caucasian Corps made things very uncomfortable for them.

The Russian offensive advance across the Vistula below Zawichost seemed to be getting well under way. The German IX. Army was reinforced without delay by two divisions on its right wing, and three more divisions of the I. Army were pushed forward into the Radom- Ilzanka area. To Hindenburg's left wing were sent two Landwehr Brigades and the Austro-Hungarian yth Cav. Div., which, with the German 8th Cav. Div. was formed into a Cav. Corps under Gen. von Korda.

The fighting persisted stubbornly on both sides. In view of the constant Russian reinforcements, Hindenburg could achieve a decisive success neither at Warsaw nor at Kalwarija or Ivangorod.- When, on Oct. 15, his left wing was forced back at Blonie-Grodisk, the Allied Army Commands were more and more inclined to think that the Russian main attack was about to be launched from Warsaw with two armies, the II. and V. Armies. The Allies decided to meet this attack by the German IX. Army on the line Lowicz-Skierniewice-Rawa-Nowemiasto-Radom. The Austro-Hungarian I. Army meanwhile was to concentrate seven divisions in the Radom-Ilzanka sector in readiness for an attack on Ivangorod. This concentration of the I. Army was completed by Oct. 21. The IX. Army held its ground against the numerical superiority of the Russians until Oct. 19, when, after Korda's Cav. Corps had dispersed a Russian Cav. Corps near Sochaczew, it retired to the above line.