Exhausted and demoralised by their various setbacks, on September 12, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian forces were in full retreat. In an effort to bolster the efforts of their flagging allies, the Germans, who had already defeated two Russian armies, send Ludendorff with all the forces they could spare to the Austrians' aid. With these reinforcements it was hoped that the Central Powers could stem the ponderous advance of the Russian armies.

This article is located in History of the First World War Volume 1 (REF D522 .H58 1969 V.1).