Dunajec-San offensive
Quick Summary
The Dunajec-San offensive was a major German summer offensive on the Eastern Front during World War I, occurring from May to September 1915. The offensive aimed to defeat the Russian army and relieve pressure on Austria-Hungary.
The offensive began on May 2, 1915, with a massive artillery bombardment on the Dunajec River. German forces, led by August von Mackensen, achieved immediate success, driving Russian forces back with heavy losses to the San River. The offensive continued, with German and Austro-Hungarian forces retaking key cities like Przemyśl and Lemberg.
Despite capturing a large number of prisoners and bisecting the Russian front, the Central Powers missed an opportunity to decisively defeat Russia due to delays in exploiting their gains. While the offensive pushed Russian forces back and resulted in the occupation of Poland, the Russian army was not broken and managed to retreat and establish a new defensive line. The offensive highlighted strategic disagreements between German commanders regarding the best approach to defeating Russia.12
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