Galicia 1914-15: The Great Fortress of Przemyśl

In the autumn of 1914, just a month into the First World War, the Russian Army laid siege to the multi-ethnic fortress-city of Przemyśl, the Habsburg Empire’s main stronghold in the east. The Habsburg Field Army had been bloodied and routed in immense clashes on the borders, and Przemyśl, with its obsolete defences and garrison of 130,000 terrified middle-aged reservists, was in those critical weeks all that stood in the path of a Russian invasion of Central Europe.” Here’s some great videos on this (little known in the west) key fortress and the pair of sieges it underwent that singlehandedly probably prevented the complete destruction and collapse of Austro-Hungary within the first weeks (and later first few months) of World War I…

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Don’t Let Them Get The Commissariat’s Train!

Somewhere in Galicia in sight of the Carpathians, 1916 – the Brusilov offensive is in full swing and the Austro-Hungarian front line has temporarily collapsed – The Russian forces are pouring into and across Galicia rapidly and in huge numbers… Brusilov has achieved a stunning success (advancing up to 40 miles on a wide front in just a few weeks)… The Austro-Hungarians are in turmoil, and Archduke Josef Ferdinand has only just escaped Lutsk by the skin of his teeth as the speed of the Austro-Hungarian line’s disintegration meant Cossacks had already entered the city before the Austro-Hungarian Army Command realised the extent of the breakthrough!

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The Carpathians Will Rumble

Russian Infantry

The Russians and Austro-Hungarians arrive!

The latest addition to my World War I stable has been both Russians & Austro-Hungarians – which will be ideal for not only the Carpathian Campaigns & Brusilov Offensive; but also the Russians will also serve for Caucasian Campaigns against the Turks; and as allies for my long planned Rumanian Troops which the Austro-Hungarians will provide opposition for! I’ve taken some quick preliminary photos of these chaps to get a basic gallery up until such time as I have reorganised them and/or played a game and taken photos…

As mentioned in previous articles I’ll be using the TSATF (The Sword and the Flame) for my 28mm WW1 gaming and as such troops will be organised into Infantry Companies of 20 figs each, Cavalry in Squadrons of 12 figs each, and MGs & Artillery in Platoons, Companies, or Batteries of 1-3 guns (each model representing 2 real life guns).

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