Second Russian invasion of Hungary

The British chronology of the war gives 15 November 1914 as the start of the second Russian invasion of Hungary. Just over five weeks after the first expedition across the Carpathians had ended in retreat, Russian troops again advanced on the passes. This time they struck further west, into the lands of present-day eastern Slovakia. The Hungarian border itself was crossed a few days later. According to Hungarian and Slovak sources, the first Russian units came down on the Hungarian side of the mountains around 20 November.

Retreat into the Carpathians

In October the Austro-Hungarian Third Army of General Svetozar Boroević had relieved Przemyśl and tried to advance further towards Lviv. After the failure of the Central Powers on the Vistula, however, it had to withdraw. In mid-November it took up positions on the Carpathian ridge, on a line from the Uzhok Pass to Zborov near Bardejov, and the Russians closed the ring around Przemyśl for the second time. The Russian Eighth Army of General Aleksei Brusilov was attacking the passes. Under its pressure, on 18 November the Austrians had to fall back still further, which drew after it the retreat of further units on neighbouring sectors of the front.

The Russians in the Laborec valley

The main thrust went through the Łupków Pass and neighbouring passes into the valley of the Laborec river. The Russians took Medzilaborce and moved down the valley. On 22 or 23 November, according to different sources, the 48th Infantry Division of General Lavr Kornilov unexpectedly took Humenné, in Hungarian Homonna, an important railway junction in Zemplén county. In those weeks Russian units also appeared in other places in eastern Slovakia, among them the area of Bardejov, Svidník and Stropkov. There was also fighting in the Uzh valley, below the Uzhok Pass.

Counter-attack

The Austro-Hungarian command brought reinforcements into the Carpathians, including the groups of Generals Sándor Szurmay and Adolf Kornhaber. The Hungarian 38th Honvéd Division struck from the direction of the Uzhok Pass, and other units from the south, towards Humenné. The counter-attack succeeded. After only five days of Russian occupation, the Austrians retook Humenné on 27 or 28 November. During the fighting the town was largely burnt and destroyed. Kornilov’s division withdrew towards Snina and further towards the passes.

The second expedition into Hungary, like the first, brought the Russians no lasting gains. Their attention was then focused on the west, where the Battle of Kraków was under way, and at the beginning of December units began to be taken from the Carpathians to that sector of the front. The fighting for the passes nevertheless continued and dragged on through the whole winter of 1914/1915.