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Show Why Germany Jjenl Easl The first phase of tho Great war has long ngo becomo clear In the mind of all observers. In August of last year tho whole German military ma-chlno ma-chlno was directed against Franco with tho purposo of eliminating the ropublle from tho conflict In tho first six weeks.. Tho failure at tho Marne was followed by tho repulso on the Yser. Not only was Germany unable to get a decision In her first enm-pnlgn, enm-pnlgn, but sho lost much of tho territory terri-tory occupied by her troops In tho first great advance. Moro than this, ns recent reports begin to mako clear, Germany not only missed a decision, but Bho lost tho great chance to occupy tho Channel Chan-nel ports of Franco and thus obtain a baso for her attacks upon Great Hrltaln. When tho main effort had been checked at tho Marno and German Ger-man troops woro safe behind tho Alsno, thero camo tho second and Inst effort in tho west tho drlvo at Calais which was Btoppod at Ypres. With this drlvo Gorman offensive operations op-erations In tho west ended. Tho great deadlock was an accomplished fact nftcr November 1, nnd tho Inst shots of the Ilattle of Ypres wcro fired on November 15. Meantime tho wholo faco of tho situation had changed. Austria had failed utterly In her mission. Hero was tho duty to hold to Russia whllo Germany disposed of Franco. For six weeks U10 Hapsburg armies woro to hold buck tho Czar's masses. Hut In four, tho Austrluu armies had bcon routed nnd wero lleolng from Lorn-berg Lorn-berg to tho San. Gormany had not lit six weeks disposed of France but long boforu this tlmo was up Russia was well along In tho work of disposing dispos-ing of Austria. It Is well ,thcn to fix on November I, as approximately tho dato when Germany decided to turn east, to ro-verso ro-verso hor program and, whllo holding back French and llrltlsh troops In tho west, strlvo to ollmlnato Russia. In tho meantime, enrly In October sho had sent troops from the wost to aid tho Austrlnns and Von lllnden-burg's lllnden-burg's first drlvo nt Warsaw made with n relatively small forco and a raid rather than a sorlotis bid for decision, de-cision, had temporarily rollevod tho prossuro upon tho beaten Austrlans nnd held up tho Russian advance toward to-ward Crncow and tho Carpathians. Succossful In postponing Austrian dlpastcr, Hlndenburg's first campaign domonstrnted clearly that Russia was becoming too formldablo to bo loft to Austria. Austria, too, had become far too weak to bo rolled upon for nny great feat of arms In tho futuro except when her armies should bo reorganized by Germans nnd her massoa stiffened by Gormnn contingents. contin-gents. in December, then, wo havo tho first of tho long series of Gorman operations op-erations In tho East, which woro do-signed do-signed to bring about a doclslon In this Hold. For, noto tho unity and conslstonoy of Gorman thought nn ro-vealod ro-vealod in her stratogy, It wos essential essen-tial that Germany should get a decision deci-sion over ono of her foos, beforo thoy could collectlvoly beat Iter down. What she had tried to do against J Frnnce, it was now oven moro essential essen-tial that she should accomplish against Russia. Sho had planned to bring her victorious armies west from Franco to destroy Russia. Sho must now fight a campaign to release all her eastern armies for use against tho Allies In the west. Thus, in a military sense wo are witnessing today tho closing operations opera-tions In tho second phase of tho war. Germany's second bid for a decision Is nt tho critlcnl point. Within tho next few weeks wo shall know whether wheth-er tho decision that was not to be had in tho west has been attained in tho cast and tho victory lost at tho Marno has been retrieved at tho Vistula. Vis-tula. In view of tho Importance of tho eastern operation, In view of tho obvious ob-vious fact that It constitutes the most colossal military operation of modern mod-ern war, in numbers, in oxtcnt of territory, ter-ritory, In strategic combinations, I purpose to devote most of my comment com-ment for this month to a slightly detailed de-tailed review of tho eastern campaign nnd leavo to another number the discussion dis-cussion of other phases of the war, as yet wholly Insignificant by contrast. con-trast. Review of Reviews. |