Austrian Mountain Rangers 'resting in the shade of southern flora' on the Italian front. The card was postmarked from Berlin on January 5, 1916.
Reverse:Vom Italienischen KriegsschauplatzRast im Schallen der südlichen Flora.From the Italian frontRest in the shade of southern flora.
"On 27 July the Field Marshal [Hindenburg] was given supreme command over the northern part of the Eastern Front: Army Group Leopold of Bavaria, the mixed Austro-German Army Group Linsingen, and the Habsburg Second Army (Böhm-Ermolli). That same day, the Russians crushed Puhallo's First Army; 24 hours later they caved in Tersztyánsky's Fourth Army. The arrival of German units alone prompted Brusilov to call off his attack."
Russia's Brusilov Offensive, begun June 4, 1916, overwhelmed the Austro-Hungarian armies attempting to stop it. Despite ending his Asiago Offensive against Italy and transferring troops from his Italian to his Russian front, Austro-Hungarian Commander in Chief Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf had to appeal, as he had before, to Germany for aid. Neither Vienna nor Berlin had faith in Conrad, 300 miles behind the front with his mistress. Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg was not yet Commander in Chief of the German Armies, a position he would soon hold. Russian General Alexsei Brusilov would continue his offensive at great cost to his troops. On September 6, Kaiser Wilhelm 'assumed leadership of an overall "United Supreme Command" in the east,' (Herwig, p. 215) entirely subordinating the Austro-Hungarian forces to German command.
The First World War: Germany and Austria Hungary 1914-1918 by Holger H. Herwig, page 215, copyright © 1997 Holger H. Herwig, publisher: Arnold, publication date: 1997
Hindenburg, Brusilov, Brusilov Offensive, 1916-07-27, 1916, July
