Page - 315 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

Gorlice–Tarnów 315 experiences with them that they had collected on the western front, as well as a method of fighting that was different to that which was typical on the Eastern Front. In this way, the battle became a textbook example for later breakthrough attempts during the war. The offensive was initiated by means of a four-hour barrage according to an exact fire schedule ; this was something that was unknown on the Eastern Front, but prac- tised on all sides in the west. The first day of the offensive brought an unexpectedly big success : huge numbers of prisoners and the hoped-for breakthrough. The Russian commanders had felt secure and equal to the task. In the frontline, the troops had dug themselves in ; reserves stood ready ; what could happen ? But in the shortest of time the German artillery destroyed the Russian positions with the barrage. Since the reserves were unprotected and deployed close to the front line, they were immediately and most heavily decimated by the high angle fire of the mortars. There was no second system of positions and thus the Russians offered an easy target for the rifles and machine guns during their retreat over open terrain, which degenerated into a flight. In the immedi- ate vicinity of the breakthrough, the Russians lost 210,000 men from around 250,000 men within six days, 140,000 of these as prisoners of war. The victory was so big that even Falkenhayn got carried away and endorsed the de- livery of additional German divisions. During the first half of May, the German 56th Infantry Division arrived in Nowy Sącz, and in June five further infantry divisions and a cavalry division followed ; at the same time, three German infantry divisions were transported in the direction of the Serbian theatre of war at the end of May, two of which rolled on to Galicia in June and the third in July. After months during which the Central Powers had only been able to report minor victories, the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive achieved a complete turnaround. On 3 June, Bavarian troops arrived in Prze- myśl and the commander-in-chief of the army group, von Mackensen, who had been promoted to field marshal, did not miss the opportunity to lay the reconquered fortress “at the feet” of Emperor Franz Joseph. This dampened the joy of the Austrians and it was intimated to the Imperial and Royal 3rd Army that it had in fact been expected that Przemyśl would be reconquered by Austro-Hungarian troops.748 One thing had certainly succeeded as a result of the impressive military victories of the Central Pow- ers and the shift to a war of movement on the eastern front : Romania felt compelled to further maintain its neutrality and not to enter the war against the Central Powers. Italy was a different matter, however. But here the die had already been cast before the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive. And Italy was at least not so lastingly impressed as to revise its decision at the eleventh hour. The concern over Italy achieved one thing : at the last moment, Vienna discontinued its plans to install a military dictatorship.