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Description

Russsian Map of the Ivangorod Maneuver, Battle of the Vistula River (World War I).

Fascinating battle plan showing the distribution of troops in the Zwolen region, sixty miles south-southeast of Warsaw along the Vistula River. This was the site of one of the Russian Army's most important bridgeheads across the Vistula River, which stretched for 15 miles between Kozenice (shown on the map) and Ivangorod. The battle allowed the Russian Army to temporarily push the combined German and Austro-Hungarian armies westwards, thus forcing them to draw troops from the Western Front and gain time for their French and British Allies.

The map shows an area of the Masovian Voidevoship in southern Poland bounded by the Vistula River in the northwest and extending southward to the town of Zwolen. The forests of Kozienice appear to the left of the map, and topography, roads, and other features are shown.

The map is printed in Russian but bears no title save on the front fold, suggesting that it was custom-made to show this area. The apparent positions of troops are pasted down throughout. This combination of features, along with the title referring to the Ivangorod Maneuver, suggests that this map was made just after the battle to communicate how Russian troops had crossed the river, either as part of a report or a pedagogical tool.

The Battle of the Vistula River

This engagement was one of the few major Russian victories during the war, from the early stages when the Russian Army pushed westwards towards the German industrial heartland of Silesia. However, the battle started after a ten-day German advance towards the Vistula River and Warsaw, which would have threatened key Russian territory.

The battle started on the 10th of October when the Russians attacked the German advance from their positions along the Vistula. The Russians soon made a bridgehead at Ivangorod, at the southern end of the engagement (shown on the map). The Russians were able to rapidly populate this bridgehead in what became known as the "Ivangorod Maneuver", and their numerical superiority forced back the troops of the Central Powers. The Germans subsequently shifted the focus of the war to the northern flank, while the Austro-Hungarians took defensive positions.

Condition Description
Dissected and mounted on linen with green selvage. Title printed on red paper and pasted onto front cover. Positions in manuscript pastedowns throughout map.