Hungary. Here, too, the Austrians screened themselves behind an
island in the river, then hurled their forces across, driving the feeble
detachment of Third Reserve Serbian troops back across the plain up into
the hills lying to the southeast of Shabatz. Then the advance guard of
the Austrian Fourth Army occupied the town, strongly fortified it and
built a pontoon bridge across the river from their railroad terminus at
Klenak.

Further passages of a similar nature were forced that day, August 12,
1914, at other points by smaller forces; one at Zvornik and another at
Liubovia. In addition the Austrians also threw bridges across the river
at Amajlia and Branjevo. Thus it will be seen that the invasion covered
a front of considerably over a hundred miles and that six strong columns
of the enemy had crossed, all of which naturally converged on Valievo.
For Valievo was the terminus of a small, single track railroad which
joined the main line at Mladenovatz. Thus the Austrians would have a
convenient side door open into the heart of Serbia which was, of course,
their main objective. To this Belgrade was merely incidental. With this
line of transport and communication in Austrian hands, Belgrade would
fall of itself.

From Losnitza, where the main column of Austrians crossed the Drina to
Valievo, runs the River Jadar, along a level valley, which narrows as it
nears Valievo. On the left-hand side of the Jadar Valley rise the
southern slopes of the Tzer Mountains, covered with cornfields, prune
orchards, with here and there a stretch of thick timber. Continuing
southward, slightly to the eastward, up the Jadar Valley another range
rises, slightly smaller than the Tzer Mountains, forming a smaller
valley which branches off eastward. Along this runs the River Leshnitza,
parallel with the Jadar until it makes an independent junction with the
Drina. Still farther up the valley the foothills of the Iverak ridges
are lost in a series of fairly important summits which closely flank the
Jadar River.

To the south of the Jadar River the valley stretches into a rolling
plain, which rises abruptly into the giant Guchevo Mountains. It is this
range, converging with the Tzer and Iverak Mountains toward Valievo, and
forming the plain of the Jadar Valley, which was presently to become the
center of the first great battle between the Serbians and Austrians.

A military movement against Valievo, therefore, demanded complete
possession of the