Nelson's history of the war. Vol. XI., The struggle for the Dvina, and the great invasion of Serbia

100 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

to the Strypa. Throughout October he maintained the ground won, and in the Tarnopol region and on the Styr he continued his attacks, taking large numbers of prisoners, and preventing any thinning of

the German right wing for the Balkans or for the northern front. In one day’s action, for example,

on 22nd October, north of Tarnopol, near Novo

!

Alexinetz, he captured 148 officers and 7,500 rank and file, two howitzers, and a number of machine

guns. This offensive, combined with the enforced

stagnation on the German centre and the stubborn resistance on the Dvina line, showed not only that

the operations were controlled and conducted by a single master mind, but that the Russian army had recovered its strength, and maintained—what it had never lost—its confidence. For six months on a front of 700 miles blow after blow had been rained on it. Its one defect had been munitionment ; that was now partially remedied, and if it had not yet the weapons for offence on the grand scale, it had enough for defence. The first stage of the war in the East had ended at the beginning of May with the check to the Russian movement on Cracow. The second most critical stage closed at the end of October with the definite stoppage of the torrential German invasion. The third stage was now beginning—the interregnum between defence and offence during which Russia was mustering and organizing her strength. No great blow could be struck till the spring, and then it must be no isolated attack, but part of a concerted advance by all the Allies. The winter might see local offensives, but they would be preparatory and partial, and not the great premeditated stroke.