My War Memories, 1914-1918
the Russians fell back behind the Bzura-Rawka sector, the upper Pilica, the Nida and the Dunajec.
The enveloping forces of General Boroevic from the Carpathians soon came upon a very superior enemy who attacked them without hesitation. The Austro-Hungarian troops which were trying to envelop the enemy were forced back into the Carpathians. Here a state of affairs was developing which was destined to exercise influence of the utmost importance upon the plans for
In the bend of the Vistula, especially on the front of the gth Army, some local fighting occurred which ought not to have taken place. We were still inexperienced in trench warfare. There was too much bickering. I should have pursued a bolder policy from the start. The danger was that the gain would not be commensurate with the loss. It is the duty of a leader to guard against that.
On the northern bank of the Vistula, the Russians took possession of Plock and penetrated as high up as Wloclawec. We were able to hold the heights along the left bank of the Vistula, east of the town, from which we controlled the railway line. Here, however, the flank of the gth Army from the mouth of the Bshura to Wloclawec was too long and needed constant watching. As it happened the Vistula did not freeze and so no danger arose to this Army.
No change occurred in the situation on the southern frontiers of our country, east of the Vistula. The 8th Army was able, on the whole, to hold its lines, though fighting was constant and severe. A break-through by the Russians in a section of the line between the Masurian Lakes proved merely of local importance.
On all fronts there was diligent work on the improvement of our positions.
During the operations we had great trouble in getting the railway lines, which we had ourselves previously completely destroyed, into working order again. We worked now with might and main to restore them, but considerable time elapsed before the railway communications were really in order. The troops, who were everywhere exhausted, suffered much on
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