WWI POD: Battle of the Vistula is bigger:

One of the forgotten WWI battles is the Battle of the Vistula River, where over 1 million Russians walloped a little over 400,000 Germans, but an accidental discovery by the Germans of Russian plans limited the actual fighting of this particular engagement. Supposing that this discovery does not happen and Hindenburg and Dankl throw their two armies into the teeth of the four Russian armies regardless, what would actually happen? IMHO the Russians would probably prevail from the sheer overwhelming masses they have and the Germans and Austro-Hungarians being willing to stick their heads in the noose.

Assuming, however, that these four Russian armies actually *do* inflict a massive, crippling defeat on at least the Austro-Hungarians in this action, what would be the practical results? WWI Russia was rather more pitiful in sustaining offensives logistically than WWII Russia was, but it would be nearly impossible for them not to follow up the momentum of that kind of victory. If Hindenburg has a major defeat even his spin doctoring can't disguise the magnitude of, what would be the long-term results for German high command politics?
 
a) Przemsyl wouldn't get relieved the first time in October so it falls earlier.
b) The Russians get through the Carpathians in force
c) Crackow falls
d) Upper Silesia is in danger, but I don't see it falling.
e) Germans abandon Ypres offensive and shift forces to Eastern Front (the Hungarian plain).

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Could this be a net gain for the Central Powers?, the winter of 1914-1915 in the Carpathians was awful for the Austrian army, a battle in the plains below, reinforced with Germans would be a better place to pick a fight, the Germans would commit more forces sooner and gain more control of Austrian operations sooner.
 
As far as the high command goes, whose is the next up if Hindenburg is pegged a failure and is not in east front command: Mackesen? or maybe a western front general, a crown prince maybe (put Hoffman on his staff). A crown prince as eastern front command would probably embarass Hindenberg less than being passed over.

Does Falkenhayn mange to avoid any of the fall out of this.?
How about Conrad von Hotzendorf?
 
a) Przemsyl wouldn't get relieved the first time in October so it falls earlier.
b) The Russians get through the Carpathians in force
c) Crackow falls
d) Upper Silesia is in danger, but I don't see it falling.
e) Germans abandon Ypres offensive and shift forces to Eastern Front (the Hungarian plain).

--------------------------------------------------------

Could this be a net gain for the Central Powers?, the winter of 1914-1915 in the Carpathians was awful for the Austrian army, a battle in the plains below, reinforced with Germans would be a better place to pick a fight, the Germans would commit more forces sooner and gain more control of Austrian operations sooner.

The Germans would take time to do that, while Russia has a simpler logistical situation in the short term (and setting itself up for a much bigger disaster the whole time in the long term). The ultimate gain for the Central Powers in this sense might be obvious in an objective viewpoint, but since we're describing human beings.......

As far as the high command goes, whose is the next up if Hindenburg is pegged a failure and is not in east front command: Mackesen? or maybe a western front general, a crown prince maybe (put Hoffman on his staff). A crown prince as eastern front command would probably embarass Hindenberg less than being passed over.

Does Falkenhayn mange to avoid any of the fall out of this.?
How about Conrad von Hotzendorf?

Probably Mackensen. In this case Falkenhayn has a much simpler issue without Ludendorff using Hindenburg to play the Starscream to Falkenhayn's Megatron.
 
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