ning the breach made in the enemy's domain. This
clever move brought the Germans to the rear of Tarnow and onto the
lines of communications of the Russians holding it. It also prevented
reenforcements from reaching the truncated end of Dmitrieff's
right--or what had been his right--wing. By pushing on to Dembica and
Rzeszow, along which route assistance could otherwise have been sent
to the Russians, Von Mackensen opened a wide triangle into Western
Galicia, by drawing an almost horizontal line from Gorlice to Radymno,
between Jaroslav and Przemysl, and from there perpendicular down to
the Uzsok Pass.

From Uzsok to the Lupkow westward stood the Second Austro-Hungarian
Army under Boehm-Ermolli on the north of the Carpathians. To his left,
southwest of the Magora of Malastow, and adjoining the formidable
Germanic array facing the Dunajec-Biala line lay the Third
Austro-Hungarian Army under General Boroyevitch von Bojna. These two
armies, it will be remembered, took part in the first offensive in
January, and had been there ever since. Both of these armies now began
to advance into the triangle, and the brilliant simplicity of Von
Mackensen's geometrical strategy becomes clear. Let one imagine
Galicia as a big stone jar with a narrow neck lying on the table
before him, neck pointing toward the left hand, and he will obtain an
approximately accurate idea of the topographical conditions. That side
of the jar resting on the table represents the Carpathian range, solid
indeed, but with numerous openings: these are the passes. The upper
side of the jar represents the Russian frontier, across which the
invaders had swarmed in and taken possession of the whole inside,
lining themselves right along the mouths of the passes at the bottom
and across the neck upwards.

For months the Austrians vainly endeavored to force an entrance
through the thickest walls--from the lower edge, and from the base or
bottom of the jar (the Bukowina), apparently overlooking the rather
obvious proposition that the cork was the softest part and _that_ was
Dmitrieff's Dunajec-Biala line. Here at least no mountain range stood
in the way. It may also be regarded as a mathematical axiom that,
given sufficient artillery power, the strongest defense the wit of man
could devise can be smashed. What Mackensen did, therefore, was to
blow a hole through the cork, push in a pair of scissors up to the
rivet, meanwhile opening the blades to an angle of about fort