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Battle of Rawa | |||||||
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Part of the Eastern Front during World War I | |||||||
Eastern Front, September 1914. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Russian Empire | Austria-Hungary | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Pavel Plehve Nikolai Ruzsky | Rudolf von Brudermann Moritz von Auffenberg | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Third Army Fifth Army | Third Army Fourth Army | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
60,000 casualties | 350,000 [1] |
Battle of Rawa (also written as -Rava, -Rawa-Ruska, -Rava-Ruska, or -Rava-Russka) was an early stage World War I battle between Austria-Hungary and Russia, from 3-11 September, 1914. The Russian armies had defeated their opponents and pushed them back to the Carpathian Mountains. The battle was part of the series of engagements known as Battle of Galicia.
According to Prit Buttar, "Conrad issued further orders to prepare for what he hoped would be a decisive blow by Auffenberg's Fourth Army. Leaving only four infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions facing north, under the collective command of Archduke Joseph Ferdinand, Auffenberg was to turn and march southeast. Meanwhile, Ivanov finally prevailed upon Ruzsky to turn northwest, so that he could march to the aid of Plehve's army. Unwittingly, the Russians and Austro-Hungarians thus created the circumstances that would lead to a head-on collision between Auffenberg's Fourth Army and Ruzsky's Third Army." Auffenberg's IX, VI, and XVII Corps were located between Niemirów and Rawa Ruska. The Russian Third Army consisted of the IX, X, XI, and XXI Corps. On 6 September, the Austro-Hungarian XVII and VI Corps met the Russian IX and X Corps respectively, while the Russian XXI Corps extended beyond the left flank of the Austro-Hungarians. At the same time, Plehve's Fifth Army advanced to the south. Joseph Ferdinand now faced the Russian XXI Corps to the east, the Russian Fifth Army to the north, while the Austro-Hungarian First Army retreated towards the south. Protecting the Austro-Hungarian Fourth army's rear, Joseph Ferdinand located his men north of Rawa Ruska. [2]
On 8 September, fighting continued along Auffenberg's front, as the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army was in danger of being surrounded. Outnumbered two to one, the Austro-Hungarians continued to resist Russian advances, especially along Auffenberg's exposed northern flank. Joseph Ferdinand had only one division to block Plehve's Russian V and XVII Corps, advancing from Komarów. On 9 September, Auffenberg started his retreat westwards towards the River San. [2]
The Austro-Hungarian armies did not stop at the River San, instead retreating to the Dunajec and Biala Rivers, abandoning the Przemyśl Fortress to a Russian siege. On 29 September, Auffenberg received a letter from Archduke Frederick stating, "...I call upon you to give to your Fatherland the greatest sacrifice that a soldier can be asked to make, that is, to report sick and to resign the command of the Fourth Army." [2] : 274–275
Rosa Zenoch, sometimes spelled Zennoch or Hennoch, [3] was an Austro-Hungarian girl, also known as "heroic girl of Rawaruska" ("das Heldenmächen von Rawaruska"), who is known for being injusted in the Battle of Rawa. According to contemporary accounts saying that Zenoch was 12 years old she can be deduced to have been born around 1902. She was said to be daughter of a farmer in the village Byala in Rawa Ruska. Apparently her real name however was Rebekka Henoch. [4] She had at least three siblings ,one of them a brother who was enlisted in the army and stationed [5] at Przemyśl Fortress
During the battle, Zenoch voluntarily brought water to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. [6] After being injured, she was brought to Vienna accompanied by her mother , where her left leg had to be amputated. According to the historical narrative, Emperor Franz Joseph as well as other members of the Habsburg family visited her in the hospital and the emperor promised to pay for her prosthesic foot and gifted her a golden chain. [4] [7] Her mother was also gifted 1000 krona. [4]
In historic photographs, she can be seen bearing the Decoration for Services to the Red Cross. It is unknown what happened to her after World War 1. [8] [9] [10]
The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 23 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of half of the Russian Second Army and the suicide of its commanding general, Alexander Samsonov. A series of follow-up battles destroyed most of the First Army.
The Battle of Łódź or Lodz operation, took place from 11 November to 6 December 1914, near the city of Łódź in Poland. Battles were fought between German units of the Eighth army, Ninth Army, Austrian First Army, and the Russian First, Second, and Fifth Armies, in harsh winter conditions. The Germans redeployed their Ninth Army around Thorn, so as to threaten the Russian northern flank, following German reversals after the Battle of the Vistula River. The German objective was to prevent an invasion of Germany, by encircling and destroying the Russians, as a result, Germans themselves were surrounded and actually lost 2 corps, although the invasion of Germany was prevented Battle had a strong impact on both the Western and Eastern fronts. It ended with the victory of the Russian troops, although the planned invasion of Germany was canceled.
The Siege of Przemyśl was the longest siege in Europe during the First World War. The siege was a crushing defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Army by the Russian Army. Przemyśl was a fortress-town and stronghold on the River San in what is now southeastern Poland. The investment of Przemyśl began on 16 September 1914 and was briefly suspended on 11 October, due to an Austro-Hungarian offensive. The siege resumed again on 9 November and the Austro-Hungarian garrison surrendered on 22 March 1915, after holding out for a total of 133 days. The siege has been referred to as "Austria-Hungary's Stalingrad".
The Polish Legions was a name of the Polish military force established in August 1914 in Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the Triple Entente on one side and the Central Powers on the other side, comprising the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. The Legions became "a founding myth for the creation of modern Poland" in spite of their considerably short existence; they were replaced by the Polish Auxiliary Corps formation on 20 September 1916, merged with Polish II Corps in Russia on 19 February 1918 for the Battle of Rarańcza against Austria-Hungary, and disbanded following the military defeat at the Battle of Kaniów in May 1918, against Imperial Germany. General Haller escaped to France to form the Polish army in the West against the anti-Polish German-Bolshevik treaty.
The Battle of Galicia, also known as the Great Battle of Galicia, was a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914. In the course of the battle, the Austro-Hungarian armies were severely defeated and forced out of Galicia, while the Russians captured Lemberg and, for approximately nine months, ruled Eastern Galicia until their defeat at Gorlice and Tarnów.
The Battle of the Vistula River, also known as the Battle of Warsaw, was a major Russian victory against the German Empire and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front during the First World War.
The Battle of Kraśnik started on August 23, 1914, in the province of Galicia and the adjacent areas across the border in the Russian Empire, in northern Austria, and ended two days later. The Austro-Hungarian First Army defeated the Russian Fourth Army. It was the first victory by Austria-Hungary in World War I. As a result, the First Army's commander, General Viktor Dankl, was (briefly) lauded as a national hero for his success. The battle was also the first of a series of engagements between Austria-Hungary and Russia all along the Galicia front.
The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by forces of the German Empire on 20 August 1914, was a German offensive on the Eastern Front during the First World War. Because of the hastiness of the German attack, the Russian Army emerged victorious.
Archduke Joseph Ferdinand of Austria, full name Joseph Ferdinand Salvator Maria Franz Leopold Anton Albert Johann Baptist Karl Ludwig Rupert Maria Auxilatrix; 24 May 1872 – 28 August 1942, was an Austro-Hungarian Archduke, military commander, from 1916 Generaloberst, and early advocate of air power. He later retired to live as a common citizen of Austria, and was briefly imprisoned in Dachau during the Nazi era.
The Gorlice–Tarnów offensive during World War I was initially conceived as a minor German offensive to relieve Russian pressure on the Austro-Hungarians to their south on the Eastern Front, but resulted in the Central Powers' chief offensive effort of 1915, causing the total collapse of the Russian lines and their retreat far into Russia. The continued series of actions lasted the majority of the campaigning season for 1915, starting in early May and only ending due to bad weather in October.
The Battle of Limanowa-Łapanów took place from 1 December to 13 December 1914, between the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Russian Army near the town of Limanowa.
Moritz Friedrich Joseph Eugen Freiherr Auffenberg von Komarów was an Austro-Hungarian Military officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army and Minister of War. At the outbreak of World War I, he took command of the Fourth Army.
The Battle of Komarow was a battle on the Eastern Front during World War I. It would prove a victory for the Austro-Hungarian forces, but one they would not be able to reproduce in the coming months of the war.
Archduke Peter Ferdinand of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia was an Austro-Hungarian archduke and an army commander in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.
The Battle of Gnila Lipa took place in early World War I on 29–30 August 1914, when the Imperial Russian Army invaded Galicia and engaged the defending Austro-Hungarian Army. It was part of a larger series of battles known collectively as the Battle of Galicia. The battle ended in a defeat of the Austro-Hungarian forces.
The Russian Fifth Army was a World War I Russian field army that fought on the Eastern Front.
Karl Freiherr von Pflanzer-Baltin was an Austro-Hungarian general who was active in World War I.
The 2nd Army, later designated East Army, was a field army-level command of Austro-Hungarian Army that was active during World War I. It was initially formed to take part in the Balkans Campaign before being transferred to the Eastern Front. In the final stages of the war, the army was evacuated from Ukraine before demobilizing in November 1918.
The Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army was an Austro-Hungarian field army that fought during World War I.
The Pitești–Târgoviște Retreat was a fighting-withdrawal operation carried out by the Romanian 1st Army in the face of advancing Central Powers' forces during World War I. The retreat lasted from 29 November to 3 December and culminated in a violent battle at Târgoviște, after which the entire Romanian Army started a general retreat towards Moldavia.