Villanova Digital Library - The Fatherland v. 4 no. 24 :: Digital Library@Villanova University

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Full Title	The Fatherland v. 4 no. 24
Author	Viereck, George Sylvester, 1884-1962. Ed.
Date Added	11 January 2014
Format	Newspaper
Language	English
Publish Date	1916-07-19
Publisher	New York : International Monthly Inc.
Topic	World War, 1914-1918 > Periodicals. Europe > Politics and government > 1871-1918 > Periodicals.
About	More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers	Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement

OCR .‘x fer E F A T H E R IJ"A N D I I 1tUSS'IllAl”S, OFFENSIVE iN THE LIGHT OF FACTS‘. IT is not at all surprising ,that"the sympathizers of the Central Powers in this country should feel alarmed regarding the pres- ent Russian otfensive. The reason isleasy to explain. The famous British cable from London to New York was particularly busy from the 5th to the 20th of June. Between these two dates, with the aid of the Russian press bureau at ,Petrograd, the British cables smashed the Austrian front, captured 200,000 prisoners, took Kovel and Lemberg, annihilated the Archduke’s armies-and did a great many more deeds of similar importance. Special credit must be given, however, to the unstinted use of printers’ ink without which these great “victories” could hardly have been accomplished. This is not the first time that the Austro‘-Hungarian forces have been touted. In September, 1914, after the battle of Lemberg, it was reported in the same journals which are so energetically boom- ing the Russian offensive to-day, that the Austro-Hungarian army was almost extinct and that the Dual Monarchy had ceased to be a factor in the European war. After the fall of Przemysl in March, 1915, the same sfory was again repeated. According to the dispatch- es of the day the Grand Duke stood before the gates of Budapest and Emperor Francis Joseph was begging for a separate peace. It took months before these AngloeRussian cloudbursts of lies finally vanishedlbefore the light of truth. To-day when the world is re- sounding again with the wild claims of General Brusilolf it might be well to look at the facts as they actually exist. , Vile must remember that Italy has also been in the war. In fact, during the month of May the Italians were very much in the public eye. For the Austro-Hungarians had rolled them back across posi- tions which were deemed absolutely impregnable. This disaster destroyed with one blow the hopes of the Irredentists. It also destroyed the Italian ministry. The fall of the Salandra cabinet revealed the real sentiment of the Italian public. The politicians were alarmed. Unless the Entente immediately relieved the Austro- Hungarian pressure on Italy that country threatened to declare a separate peace. The only point where Austria-Hungary could be touched was at the Eastern front. Russiapwas, therefore, ordered by the Allies to begin an offensive at this front. Furthennore, it was known that Russia was negotiating with American bankers for a war loan of $50,000,000. The moment was an opportune one not only to help Italy but also to give greater stability to the declining Russian ruble. To be just it must be admitted that Russia did achieve the polit- ical and economic points for which she spent such prodigal wealth in men and materials. Austria-Hungary for the time being has ceased her offensive against the Italians and the‘ Russian loan of $50,000,000 was floated in New York, although there is little likelihood that any partof this money will ever reach Russia. But from a military viewpoint, what has been the gain to Russia since her theatrical - advance in Bukowina? Her gain has been almost nil. She has overrun the unimportant Bukowina province at a price which yet will stagger mankind. For Bukowina, from a strategic viewpoint, - is valueless. The Russian offensive is a failure notwithstanding that the Russians in their first dash succeeded in occupying some ' . ‘Austrian territory. .' The cause for this failure may be seen in the light of events now transpiring at the VVestern' front. Undoubtedly, the time chosen by V the Russians for their offenlsive was ill chosen. It commenced just one month too late. It would have been much more successful had it coincided with the important Franco-British action on the‘ A ‘ Somme. Perhaps this was the original intention of the Allies. But By ":1 Former Member of the Austro-Hungarian General Staff the Russians were forced in May‘to begin theirattack. It was easier for the Central Powers to resist this isolated'action than if all their fronts had been attacked simultaneously. To confirm the statement that the Russian offense was :1 failure let us first establish the position of the Teutonic forces at the south wing of the Eastern front just before the Russian offensive began. Adjoining the German army of General von Linsingcn in the Kolki district on the Strypa River stood the Austro<Hungari.1n army of Archduke Joseph Ferdinand and thearmy groups of General Pu- hullo occupying the district of Kremcncz south of Dubno and front- ing towards the east. These forces were joined by those of General Boehm-Ermolli, whose line stretched west of Tarrnopol to the upper Strypa River, fronting with a slight bend towards‘thesouthwest. The continuation of this line was formed by the army of General Bothmer along the Strypa to the Dneister, whose front ran exactly north to south. The endpoint of the eastern front was formed by the Austro-Hungarian army of General Pfianzer-Baltin. The Russian plan was to pierce the Teutonic line at three points. The purpose of the attack from Rowno against Luzk was no less than to separate the Austrian forces from the Germans north of the Pripet swamps and to flank the Austrians from the north. The object of the attack from the Tarnopol region in the direction of I-Cmbefg W35 t0 Capture the capital of Galiciax The attack along the Dneister was generated in order to roll back the Teutonic hosts from the south. The most important of these offensive movements ““d0“bted1)’ Was the drive against Kovel. The success of this scheme would have been of incalculableevalue to the Russians. It would have brought to Russia results of the most momentous mili- tary importance. ' ‘ Why did the complicated plan of the Russians fail? Chiefiy we Shmlld judge because of the overestimation of their own strength- Although Russia has about 1,800,000 men at this front, she did not V ha.“ enough forces to break throughlat three places on a line 250 “"1” long. She also lacked sufficient railroad facilities to quitkll’ transport troops from one point to another. I The ‘success of the Russian attack in the Bukowina is of small 5U‘3fCglC importance. The right wing of the Austrian front even if exlfndlng behind Stanislau can always lean their flank, if they 50 dC5“’9: against the Carpathian Mountains. The Russian army south of the Dneister is always in danger of being flanked from the north as long as the Germans hold the Strypa front. ' The reason for the Russian failure to break through the Germans at Kovel was due to the fact that they did not possess enough ff‘ Sefves to f0“0W “D their first fourteen days’ success. Should Gen- "31 Llnslngenfbe able to continue his march towards the cast, it will be 07113’ 3 mattcf of time before the Russians will have to evacuate Bukowina. The loss-of Bukowina was an unpleasant loccurrence just now to A“5“'l3'HUngafy,‘but it is offset by the failure of the Russians in Volhynia and- eastern Galicia. According to Count Tisza new A“5”0‘Hlm8?irian reserves are already proving towardslthe eastern front and presently the‘Archduke Ferdinand will be in a position to start a counter-offensive south of the Dneistein At thfz "mment Rf “’l’i‘l“8 the entire eastern front is under attack In Pilfmlllafu flit? lighting around Riga has become bitter and in‘ tense. Nowhere, however, has the German line been pierced. T56 capture of a few hundred yards of trenches on :1 front hundreds of mil.“ longfs of m’ Paflicular importance except to the nesvsP3-P5“ ‘vhlch 3Dl33rently know more of what is going on in Eurolle ‘hm all the General Staffs of the belligereuts. ‘ ' SHOW Y OUR COL'ORS the Austro-Hungarian offensive against Italy was so successful that THE time has come for members of Congress to con- fess color. After the example set them by the Rc- publican House leader, James R. Mann of Illinois, and by William Bennet of New York, that they are not ruled from London, or Times Square, or Wall Street, it is up to the a New York members to make clear just where they stand, so that theirconstituents have a line on them for future . l guidance. So far the New York members have been 50, bus)’ gazing at the pie counter that they, have not had time’ to express their sentiments on the foreign policies of the administration. But this is not going to be a campalg“ 0 Where the, fact that a candidate has succeeded in hidlllg himself will be overlooked. And this applies to all Repfe‘ sentatives with large racial constituencies. - w V A

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