ABSTRACT
Germany's war plan is said to have changed several times. The Germans tell their people that the Russian mobilization forced them into war. Russia mobilized in advance of Germany or Austria. The Russian armies had successfully endured extremely heavy fighting during the first eight months of the war. The hostile territory in Russian hands was of greater area than the Russian territory in enemy occupation, and it must be remembered that after the Battle of the Marne the Germans and Austrians employed all their energy and all the forces they could spare to attack Russia and to prevent her gaining further victories. The enemy must have been well informed by spies as to the coming shortage; for immediately it set in the massed German and Austrian troops, under von Mackensen, began their offensive, and dealt the Russian forces the blow which compelled them to give up all their previous gains.
