The Entente Offensive, Autumn, 1916
Here, too, the fighting power and resolution of the Austrian Army had diminished. General von Conrad, whom we saw very shortly afterwards, said that the Army had already protected the frontier for one and a quarter years and would continue to do so. More he could not say. This in itself was not particularly cheering.
Field-Marshal Prince Leopold of Bavaria had taken over the command of the German East Front. I had asked that Lieut.-Colonel Hoffmann might be given my former position, for I knew that in that case the work would continue on the same lines. The Army Group which the Prince had commanded hitherto was transferred to General von Woyrsch, who kept his own army as well. We anticipated further fighting there with a certain sense of security, although the crisis, especially as regards Lin singen's Group, was not by any means over.
The Archduke Charles's Group had not yet been able to make a stand, and a further retreat was only to be expected.
When Rumania declared war, the Carpathians assumed a new importance. The movement to envelop our southern wing was no longer restricted to the space between the Dniester and Mol davia. It now had the whole of Rumania for its starting-point and could become extremely effective.
Austria-Hungary had done nothing to protect her right flank and Transylvania, either in peace or war. The railway system was inadequate and the capacity of the few existing lines extremely small Fortifications had not been erected, in order not to " irritate" Rumania. But Austria-Hungary herself had calmly looked on whilst Rumania built works on Transylvanian soil close to the frontier.
At the eleventh hour weak forces were hastily concentrated there and battalions formed of miners. But there were yawning gaps everywhere. In the north Russian as well as Rumanian troops pushed their way across the frontier of Moldavia, and in Wallachia up the Danube into Transylvania and Hungary. The important mountain passes fell into the enemy's hands without a shot being fired. Kronstadt and Petroszeny, with their coal mines, were occupied as early as the 2Qth of August
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