g the lines. In south Poland the field
of action was at first north of Cracow, between the Rivers Warta and
Pilitza, and later between the latter and the River Nida. But although
the result of this fighting--which mainly was in favor of the
German-Austrian forces--to a certain extent influenced the result in the
central sector to the west of Warsaw, the details of it do not properly
call for consideration at this time and place. For it was directed much
more by the Austrian General Staff than by that of the German armies,
the forces involved were preponderantly Austro-Hungarian, and it was
more closely connected with the Russian attack on Galicia and the
Carpathians than with Von Hindenburg's attack on the Russian center. It
will find its proper consideration in another place in connection with
the Galician campaign. Suffice it to say here that the Austro-Hungarian
forces under Boehm-Ermolli, supported by the German division under
General van Woyrsch, carried successfully that part of Von Hindenburg's
general plan which had been assigned to it--the protection of the right
wing of his central group of troops and the shielding of Cracow from a
direct Russian attack.

To the north of the central group--north of the Vistula and between it
and the Narew--the Germans had assembled, as we have already stated,
another group which had as its bases Soldau and Thorn. Their chief task
was to protect the German provinces of West and East Prussia from a
Russian attack from Novo Georgievsk and Warsaw.

During November, 1914, these forces restricted themselves entirely to
defensive fighting along the border. With the beginning of December,
however, when the Russians had temporarily weakened their forces
fighting north of the Vistula in order to send additional support to the
defenders of Warsaw, the Germans attempted an advance which for a short
time was successful.

On December 10, 1914, Przasnysz, about twenty-five miles southeast of
Mlawa, was stormed after the latter place had been occupied some time
before. By December 15, 1914, however, the Russians had again stronger
forces at their command for this part of the front, and with them they
not only threw the Germans again out of Przasnysz, but forced them to
evacuate Mlawa and retire behind their border. A week later, about
December 22, 1914, the Germans again advanced from Soldau and
Neidenburg, and by December 24, 1914, Mlawa once more was in their
hands. Although the fighting