Second Battle of the Vistula River

Second Battle of the Vistula River
Part of the Eastern Front during World War I
Eastern Front, 1915.
Date February 27, 1915 - March 21, 1915 Location Near Vistula, Congress Poland, Russian Empire (present-day Poland) Result Russian victory
Belligerents
German Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
August von Mackensen	Vladimir Smirnov Vasily Gurko
Units involved
Ninth Army	Second Army Fifth Army
Strength
only combat troops:[1] 75,000 - 80,000 men 280 machine guns 504 guns	only combat troops:[2] 205,962 men 428 machine guns 650 guns
Casualties and losses
4,819 KIA 1,875 MIA 13,781 WIA Total 20,475[3]	4,977 KIA 8,797 MIA 33,191 WIA Total 46,965[4]

The 9th German Army acted versus the Russian armies west of the Vistula River. After the completion of the fighting at Humin and Wola Szydłowska, there was some calm in this sector, especially before the Russian 2nd Army. But, having received the task of pinning down the Russian troops here, the commander of the German 9th Army, General of the Cavalry August von Mackensen, decided by going on the offensive not only to help the Austro-Hungarian troops in the Carpathians, but, if successful, push back Russian 5th Army (Commanding General of Infantry A. Churin, Chief of Staff Major General Thadeus von Sivers) to Warsaw.^[5]