Stories of the Forgotten Heroes

Dukla Pass: The Russian Attempt at Breaching the Carpathian Defense Line

The winter of 1915 came with increased harshness, with a small Christmas armistice, and generals unnerved by the eerie silence and the weather alike. From the clear sky, big snowflakes began falling on the frozen ground, covering the bodies of those who had fallen in the service of their armies. The Russian Empire, led by the towering Grand Duke Nikolai as Supreme Commander of its troops, had been dissatisfied at the fraternization between their soldiers and their Austrian counterparts. On the other side of the Carpathians, in Cisleithania, Hotzendorf which had been appointed as the Head of the Austrian Armies since the beginning of the Great War, was furious since most of their troops were from the Slavic peoples of the Empire. The only thought he had was that they couldn't be trusted in the next military maneuvers they were to undertake, and thus they had requested help from their German allies. Fortunately for Hotzendorf, the Germans obliged. A more serious issue was blissfully ignored though. Both sides lacked proper supply lines due to the state of the roads and the vast expanse of the battlefield; the Russians were at a clear disadvantage since the enemy was entrenched in the mountains and the fortress at Przemyśl still held out. The state of the railroads in the Tsarist Empire was also dangerously precarious since the war had caught the Empire in the middle of the process of industrialization. For all purposes, it could be expected that the Hapsburgs, reinforced with German troops would defeat the enemy as their allies had done at Tannenberg, but in truth, the morale of the KuK (The Imperial and Royal Army of Austria-Hungary) was crumbling. The Austrians had expected an easy war against Serbia, but defeating the Russians was a monumental task. One that could not be achieved as they had expected it. In the other camp, when the Russian units received the orders for the conquest of the Carpathian Passes in order for the invasion of Hungary, few thought about the perils that awaited them. The thought of home spurred them on even though death lay in waiting. In the mountains, the Austrian Commanders were ready for whatever was to come. The regular soldier not so much.

Although the terrain was extremely rough, the Grand Duke had requested two companies of Cossacks in order to harass the enemy troops into attacking. The Eastern Front had been more mobile since the beginning, therefore tactics of a more complex nature were also necessary; digging a trench was useful, but not vital like in France or Belgium. One of the brave fellows who hailed from those who had tamed the Ukrainian lands long ago was Leonid Alexeyevich enlisted at the beginning of the war in the many cavalry regiments which were reserved for the Cossacks. His family could trace their ancestry back to one of the Hatman's kin which had revolted against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth but those were only stories whilst the war he fought now in, had nothing noble or daring feats. The winter had been extremely hard for the horses, with supplies coming so infrequently that they rationed what they salvaged from enemy transports. When the news came that his company was to move from the Siege of Przemyśl to action once more in the planned offensive, they were overjoyed. The Germans respected them for their bravery and disregard for their lives whilst the KuK thought of them as civilized barbarians.

The weak winter sun began its ascent, and with uncharacteristic silence, the Russians began their last-minute preparations. Checking their equipment was paramount, since it sometimes tended to jam on the worst occasions, whilst counting ones remaining bullet in the belt gave the soldiers an idea of their options in case it would come to fire their guns. In less than an hour the assault would begin and God willing, push further into the Hapsburg lands, but rumors abounded around the camp that the situation may not be as rosy as their commanders presented it. The first impediment was the freezing cold which did not bother them in the least, but the horses were another issue altogether. They had been building fiery mounds everywhere they could spot hard rock so as not to start a forest fire, but that meant that the Austrians likely knew their positions which was always a tactical mistake. Leonid, along with his comrades, was having a larger-than-usual breakfast, consisting of smoked beef and hot tea. Double rations meant only one thing - it was going to be a hell of a day but there was no shame on their faces. They accepted it gladly - for some, it was the last meal after all and no man knew when his time had come. Although the Cossacks had grumbled when they had been told that alcohol was to be allowed only after the battle, they knew it was better to obey. The Grand Duke was known for his rigorous use of punishment in case of disobedience and no one risked to raise his ire.