termined to secure the advantage of the French air scouts produced the impres-
initiative by striking through the lost sion that a comparatively weak German
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine and in force was defending the Rhine country
vading Germany across the Rhine. There below Metz. Consequently a general of-
was no doubt that the Germans would fensive was undertaken by the French
violate Belgium, but it was hoped that Army in Alsace, under General Pau, and
the resistance at the fortified triangle the army of Lorraine, commanded by
Liége, Namur, and Antwerp-would General de Castelnau.
greatly delay the invasion of Northern The plan was to attack along the
France, and meanwhile it was hoped that whole line from Nancy to Belfort, and
a strong diversion could be created by by Aug. 15 the French had captured most
the invasion of Germany below Metz. It of the passes through the Vosges and
would be worth much to make German were looking down on the plains of Al-
soil, instead of French, the scene of sace beyond. Attempted diversions by
war's devastations, and then, too, French German columns from Metz were defeat-
patriotism cried out for the redemption ed by de Castelnau, and Pau pressed
of the provinces torn from France forty forward, capturing Dannemarie, Thann,
four years ago.

Mulhouse, and Saarburg.
France struck an eager blow, but with By Aug. 17 not only the entire range of
forces not really sufficiently mobilized the Vosges had been captured, but at
to give the effort the weight it required Saarburg the French were astride the
for so great a mission.

railway communications between StrassOn Aug. 7 a brigade from the fortress burg and Metz. This point and date at Belfort crossed the frontier and routed marked the high tide of the French insmall German detachments which en vasion, for by Aug. 20 an overpowering deavored to defend Altkirch, an Alsatian German Army fell upon their left from town in the plain between the southern the direction of Metz. The French atend of the Vosges Mountains and the tempted to retreat, but a division on the Swiss frontier. An invasion of Germany left was overwhelmed and practically demade through this gap between the stroyed in the battle of Metz. By the 22d mountains would, after crossing Alsace, the French armies of Alsace and Lorstrike Southern Württemberg, with Ba raine had lost all the ground gained, and varia beyond and the Austrian Tyrol be the pursuing Germans were threatening low. Certainly it would have been a the whole French sector between Toul brilliant stroke of genius if France could and Nancy. Their victorious advance have transferred to those South German was halted by de Castelnau's splendid dekingdoms the which has since fense of the field works which he erected wrecked Flanders, Artois, Picardy, and on the wooded hills about Nancy. Champagne. But not only would that From the 6th to the 9th of September have required a great force for the at the Bavarians were encouraged in des.tack, but another army would have been perate attacks by the presence of the needful to guard the flank against the Kaiser, but they were unable to gain German strongholds at Strassburg and ground in face of the deadly fire of the . Neu Breisach. To be successful, the French 75-millimeter guns, which made effort launched here should have had great practice at shore ranges. On Sept. something like the weight in men and 9 the Germans lost their positions in the material with which Germany struck Forest of Champenoux, and the French down from the north.

war

Eastern Theatre of War-Rise of He had used every ounce of his influence Hindenburg

at Berlin to block the project of a land One of the earliest surprises of the

improvement company, who had prowar was the prompt mobilization of the

posed to drain the lakes and marshes. Russian Army, which all professional An army of something like 150,000 critics looked upon as a brave, slow army men was given to von Hindenburg, and good for defense, but lacking in initia he brought this force together east of tive. The notion was proved wrong by a

Thorn and Graudenz. Rennenkampf, very speedy mobilization and a quick after his series of early successes, swept and effective attack upon East Prussia on confidently to the investment of Ködesigned to relieve the

nigsberg, a first-class pressure upon Rus

fortress, with a garsia's allies in the west.

rison of 50,000 and Within the first

1,200 guns. Samsonov week of August Gen

pushed on toward the eral Rennenkampf, a

north of the lake rehero of the Manchu

gion, but was quite rian war, crossed the

out of touch with RenPrussian frontier, cut

nenkampf. He turned the railway which

to pierce the lake reskirts the Masurian

gion to his west via Lakes, and drove back

Allenstein, probably the whole line of Prus

with the intention of sian outposts. Gen

striking in between eral von François, the

Thorn and Danzig. Prussian commander,

He had about five made a stand at Gum

army corps, of probbinnen, but after three

ably 200,000 men, and or four days' fighting

certainly outnumbered against greatly

von Hindenburg's perior artillery and GENERAL VON HINDENBURG

SU

war.

from doing as by what he did. Midway mobilization and strike without waiting of the battle he had a great victory sure to be struck. To their astonishment they ly within his grasp, and could have driven soon met the armies of Ruzsky and Brua defeated enemy headlong back into siloff, each with over a quarter of a millRussia. He withstood the temptation, ion men.

A third and smaller Russian and carried the battle on for sevaral days army under General Ewerts was to enwhile he continued to entangle Samsonov gage the Austrians while the larger arin a position whence there might be no mies should envelop them. escape. By Aug. 31 von Hindenburg had By Aug. 27 Brusiloff took Tarnopol scored the only complete victory of the after a hard battle, and a few days later

Samsonov and most of his corps he captured Halicz and proceeded to inand division commanders were killed. vest Lemberg, which was in the hands Perhaps 20 per cent. of the Russian force of the Russians by Sept. 3. In the escaped via Ortelsberg. The Germans week's series of battles the Russians took took nearly 90,000 prisoners and so much 100,000 prisoners and great quantities of artillery and booty that they had hard ordnance abandoned by the Austrian work to handle it.

armies, whose retreat was a rout. From This tactical victory made von Hinden Lemberg the Russians pursued the deburg a national hero, for, with a smaller

moralized Austrians into the Carpathian force, he had surrounded and destroyed passes, taking many towns en route. To the larger army. Von Hindenburg turned

the north, Ivanov, who had succeeded north against Rennenkampf, who instant Ewerts, attacked a mixed Austro-Gerly abandoned the attack on Königsberg,

man army under General Dankl and the and retreated precipitately into Russia

Archduke Joseph, and on Sept. 10 won a via Gumbinnen, where he fought a rear splendid victory. At Rava Russka, von guard action.

Auffenberg, in command of Dankl's
Poland and Galicia

right, was crushed and his army dis

persed. The utterly defeated remnants To the south early in August the Ger of the Austrian armies retreated to mans crossed the frontier and occupied Cracow, Przemysl, and Jaroslav. The without opposition several towns in Austrians were expelled from Poland, Western Poland, and from the mining and the Russians were going deep into region began to ship coal back to Ger

Austria, many via Posen.

On the Serbian Front In Galicia Austria concentrated for an When Austria declared war on July 28 important campaign against Russian Po

a bombardment of the Serbian capital at land. One army, whose base was at Belgrade began, but the Dual Monarchy Przemysl, was for the attack toward the

met unexpectedly stiff resistance when north, while the second army, with a base

attempts were made to cross the Danube. at Lemberg, faced east. These armies A combined Serbian and Montenegrin numbered over 300,000 men each.

force invaded Bosnia, and advanced toThe first army pushed north with no ward Serajevo. On Aug. 17 a larger very serious opposition. A Russian army Austrian army was soundly beaten at under General Ruzsky crossed the fron Shabatz by a Serb force, and a few days tier, took Sokal, and advanced upon Lem later they suffered another reverse on berg. General Brusiloff, with another the banks of the Jadar. Both defeats army, joined in the attack upon Lem were costly, and the Serbs took many berg. The fighting was general along a prisoners and much artillery. They line between the Vistula and the Dnies showed a surprising ability to withstand ter. Austria's plan was to take advan whatever forces Austria dared divert tage of the expected slowness of Russian from the Russian front.

[Continuation in May Issue]

By Lieutenant Charles C. Gill

United States Navy This article, describing the concluding phases of the Battle of Jutland, is the fourth oë a series contributed to CURRENT History MAGAZINE by Lieutenant Gill of the superdreadnought Oklahoma-with the sanction of the United States Naval Department-for the purpose of deducing the naval lessons furnished by the sea engagements of the European war.

IV.-The Battle of Jutland_Continued

DIAGRAM OF LATER PHASES OF BATTLE OF JUTLAND