soon connected
with Von Hindenburg's army before Novo Georgievsk and Warsaw. The
latter had been there practically ever since early in January, 1915,
when after the fall of Lodz it had gradually advanced against Poland's
capital, but was held within seven miles of it along the Bzura and
Rawka Rivers, where many bloody engagements were fought.

At the same time that these two groups formed a junction Von Mackensen
came up with his forces from the south, taking Zamost and Lublin and
investing Ivangorod. Immediately the drive for Warsaw began from all
sides. Pultusk, on the Nareff, fell on July 25, 1915, and on July 30,
1915, the Russians began the evacuation of Warsaw and retreated toward
a very strongly fortified line that had been prepared and ran from
Kovno south through Grodno and Brest-Litovsk.

CHAPTER XX

THE FALL OF THE NIEMEN AND NAREFF FORTRESSES

The 5th of August, 1915, was a fateful day for the Russian armies. The
fall of Warsaw, on that date, was confirmed by the occupation of
Poland's ancient capital by German forces under the command of Prince
Leopold of Bavaria, brother of King Ludwig III of Bavaria and
son-in-law of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria-Hungary. This in
itself would have been a severe setback to the Russian arms. But the
consequences which this event was bound to have were of even greater
importance.

In an earlier part of this work we heard at some length of the
arrangement of Russia's girdle of fortresses which--to repeat only the
most important--stretched from Kovno in the north through Oliha,
Grodno, Ossovetz, Lomza, Osholenka, and Novo Georgievsk to powerful
Warsaw and from there to the south and east to Ivangorod and
Brest-Litovsk. These permanent fortifications were supported by strong
natural barriers or obstacles in the form of rivers. The Niemen, Bobr,
Nareff, Vistula and Bug, with their interminable windings, made more
difficult to cross in some places by extensive swamp lands, had,
together with the fortified places, offered ideal means for strong
defense. Again and again, throughout the first thirteen months of the
war, German and Austrian troops had driven the Russian forces back to
these defensive lines--but no farther. Behind this shelter the
Russians were able to recuperate from the severest reverses and,
thanks to a very extensive and comparatively scientific network of
railways, reserves and reenforcements could be brought up from
interior points until armi