Wielka Wojna na nadwiślańskim przedpolu Twierdzy Kraków / The Great War on the Vistula River outskirts of the Kraków Fortress

Abstract

The study presents a description of the theatre of war operations on the left bank of theVistula River, on the eastern foreground of the Austro-Hungarian Kraków Fortress during the Great War, later called World War I. The fighting took place in the area of the former Russian partition, on November 16–25, 1914 and December 2–6, 1914. They were fought in the area occupied from August 6, 1914 by Austria-Hungary after the declaration of war on Russia. In historiography, these fights are called the Battle of Kraków. It was aimed at stopping the Russian offensive heading west and preventing the capture of the Kraków Fortress and stopping the further march of Russian army on Silesia, Bohemia and Berlin. The result of these actions was the military success of the Austro-Hungarian army, breaking the front and pushing the Russian troops eastwards, paid for with great personal losses on both sides and the destruction of local infrastructure. The testimonies of these events are war graves and cemeteries located in the battlefields, as well as numerous finds – remains of battles.