German officer arguing with a Russian peasant on the Eastern Front, ca. 1915.


German officer arguing with a Russian peasant on the Eastern Front, ca. 1915.

Today 108 years ago, on June 22, 1915, the Central Powers recaptured the city of Lemberg (Lviv), marking the end of the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive on the Eastern Front, one of the most pivotal operations of the First World War.

The Germans and Austro-Hungarians had launched the Gorlice-Tarnów on May 2, 1915 in Galicia on the Eastern Front. Despite initial Russian resistance, by May 5 the offensive had resulted in the complete collapse of the Russian lines and tactical breakthroughs for the Central Powers across the front.

The offensive officially came to an end on June 22 following the recapture of the city of Lemberg, which had been in Russian hands since the Battle of Galicia on September 3, 1914.

In the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive, the Germans had suffered some 87,000 casualties, but some estimate as low as 40,000 casualties. Austro-Hungarian losses are sadly unknown.

The Russians had suffered some 100,000 casualties as well as 250,000 prisoners taken. Others estimate up to 412,000 total losses.

In the face of total defeat and following the loss of Lemberg on June 22, the Russians began a grand withdrawal across the whole Eastern Front known as the Great Retreat.

During the Russian Great Retreat the Russians abanonded over 300 km of ground as they withdrew eastwards, deploying a scorched earth policy. The Great Retreat ended on September 30, 1915, when the Austro-German advance was finally halted and the front somewhat stabilized.

By then, the Russians had suffered some 500,000 combat casualties from the Austro-German offensives during the Great Retreat, as well as a staggering 1,000,000 Russian soldiers getting captured.

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