itary mission undertook to reorganize the army, and to give it a thorough education based on the principles of the conduct of modern warfare. This task it had finished by the summer.
The Battles N. of Focgani in the Summer of 1917. In the spring of 1917 events took place of the most far-reaching significance for the conduct of the war in the East : the deposition of the Tsar, the outbreak of the revolution in Russia and the beginning of the collapse of the Russian army. As on all parts of the eastern front, so in Rumania, the Russian infantry had no more desire for fighting; the Russian artillery, left to carry on alone, were threatened by the infantry; indeed it came to regular battles between the two arms. It was only with difficulty that the numerous officers of the Western Powers distributed among the higher commands could prevent the collapse of the eastern front. The fighting value of the Russians did indeed improve at the time of the Kerensky offensive of June 1917, but the improvement was not a lasting one. The Rumanian troops remained untouched by all these happenings. Indeed it seemed as if Rumania's fighting strength increased in proportion as her ally became less reliable.
In the second half of July the reorganized Rumanian I. Army was placed between the Russian IV. and VI. Armies from a point E. of Nemoloas,a to S. of Tecuciu on the Sereth front.
In connexion with the operations in East Galicia the Central Powers intended to strike a decisive blow against the Russians and Rumanians in Rumania, in order to shake the whole Carpathian front and if possible to gain Moldavia. The opera- tion planned across the Sereth at Nemoloa^a was to begin in August. The preparations for this were in train when the Rumanians anticipated the attack.
Rumanian Attack at Soveja. On July 25 the Rumanian II. Army, with the IV. and II. Corps, and tfie Russian VIII. Corps on the N. wing of the Russian IV. Army, broke through the weak front of the 21 8th Inf. Div. and the ist Cav. Div. and threw them far beyond Soveja back into the mountains, the wing division of the IX. Army being thereby surrounded on the N. and N.W. by the Russian VIII. Corps. Even though there was little need to fear Rumanian advance against Kezdivasarhely in the rear of the I. Army, on account of the width and impassable nature of the mountains, there was all the more danger that, after the capture of the Mt. Odobeshti (Odobeti), the whole front of the IX. Army, which covered the sphere of the earlier Danube Army and was commanded by Gen. Kosch, might be rolled up from the north. This was obviously the intention of the Rumanians and Russians, but the troops in carrying out the operation did not strike hard enough. Precious time was thereby lost. On account of the want of roads direct support of the 21 8th Inf. Div. was hardly possible. It was only slowly that one regiment of the ii7th Inf. Div., and then half the 37th Honved Inf. Div., which had been set free from the N. wing of the I. Army, could be brought up. The 2 1 7th Inf. Div. was supported by single regiments and battalions of 5 different divs. of the IX. Army, and the attack was thus barred.
In the counter-operation planned by the Central Powers it was intended to take up again the original plan of penetrating far into Moldavia. For this purpose the IX. Army was to con- duct the main attack from Focsani W. of the Sereth in the direction of Ajudu Nuou, and simultaneously to cover this attack by the construction of a bridge-head on the E. bank of the Sereth in the direction of Tecuciu. A second push was to be delivered by the Gerok group from the Ojtoz valley on Onesci. By this means the Rumanian II. Army, which had advanced into the basin of the Soveja, was to be cut off.
Engagements North of Focsani and South of Ocna. For the attack which was to start from Focsani the following were placed in readiness under the command of Lt.-Gen. von Morgen (I. Res. Corps): the i2th Bavarian Inf. Div., 76th Res. Inf. Div., and the 8gth Inf. Div., to be followed in second line by the 2i6th Inf. Div. As army reserve there stood at Focsani the 2 1 2th and usth Inf. Divs. On Aug. 6 the attack began, and had indeed the desired success on the first day in a N.W.
direction. The attempt to cross to the E. bank of the Sereth, however, failed.
The Russian Corps which were attacked (the VII. and behind that the XXX.) put up a surprisingly obstinate defence. It was only after throwing in the army reserves that the German I. Res. Corps succeeded in overrunning the Susita sector. Moreover, the sth and gth Rumanian Divs. of the Rumanian I. Army also came forward to face the attacking Germans, and caused considerable delay, especially at Marasesti (Marasheshti), by their violent, deeply echeloned counter-attacks.
On Aug. 10 the VIII. Corps with 3 (partly combined) divs. reenforced the attack of the Gerok group on both sides of the Ojtoz valley. They attacked the Rumanian IV. Corps (6th and 7th Inf. Divs.), and gained ground as far as just S. of Ocna and Grozesci. But on account of the obstinate resistance of the Rumanians the objective, Onesci, could not be reached.
Left of the I. Res. Corps the XVIII. Res. Corps, reenforced by the Alpine Corps, once more in action, had meanwhile joined in the attack with their left wing, and after heavy engage- ments had taken Panciu N. of the Susita. On Aug. 15 the S. wing of the Gerok group (2i8th Inf. Div. and sections of the nyth Inf. Div., half the 37th Honved Inf. Div. and the Sth Mountain Bde.) and the 2i7th Inf. Div., standing on the left wing of the XVIII. Res. Corps, also joined the attack and slowly drove the Rumanians out of the basin of the Soveja. A bridge-head on the W. bank of the Sereth threatening the German flank, held by the Rumanian 5th Div., was stormed by the 2 1 6th Inf. Div. of the I. Res. Corps on Aug. 14, severe losses being inflicted on the Rumanians. The further attempts of the I. Res. Corps, under which was placed the newly arrived i3th Rifle Div., to advance over the line Marasesti-Panciu, failed through Russian and Rumanian counter-attacks.
In consequence of the events in East Galicia and in the Bukovina, where the Russians were driven back to the old boundary of the Empire, a regrouping of troops and new distri- bution of the armies in Moldavia was effected. The troops of the Russian IV. Army were withdrawn to the N. to the VII. Corps, and the Russian IV. Army Command took over from the IX. Army Command the sector on the Transylvanian E. front as far as the Slanic valley. The Rumanian I. Army also took over the sector held earlier by the Russian I. Army, so that the two Rumanian armies now stood side by side.
On Aug. 28 the XVIII. Res. Corps, with the 2i6th Inf. Div. and the Alpine Corps, attacked from the line Panciu-N. edge of the Mt. Odobeshti in a N.W. direction, to gain the upper course of the Susita. After stubborn engagements lasting for m'any days against the Rumanian II. Corps, Jresci and the heights S. of the Susita were captured, upon which practically the old line, as it stood before the Rumanian attack, was reached. On Sept. 3 attacks from the German side were again suspended.
At the beginning of Sept. the Rumanians with the IV. Corps conducted a series of violent attacks against the advanced positions of the VIII. Corps, especially against the 225th Inf. Div. standing just S. of Ocna, but they were bloodily repulsed.
On the side of the Central Powers, after this unsuccessful enterprise, the troops which could be spared (the Alpine Corps, the i3th Rifle Div., the ii7th Inf. Div. and much heavy artillery) were withdrawn for transfer to other theatres of war. The remaining units again went into permanent positions. On the Rumanian side the fruitless attacks ceased. They had suffered heavy losses in killed and wounded, and important loss in prisoners and material. The newly formed Rumanian divs., in- structed by the French, had succeeded in defending their country from complete conquest. The battle of Marasesti, as it was called by the Rumanians, is the most famous page of the Rumanian Army in the World War.
Armistice of Focsani. On Dec. 5 the commander-in-chief of the Russian S.W. front, Gen. Shtcherbachev, asked for an armistice. On Dec. 7 the negotiations began at Focs,ani under the presidency of Lt.-Gen. von Morgen; representatives of all the participating armies took part, and they were concluded on Dec. 10. (R. K.)
