Gorlice breakthrough

Gorlice breakthrough
Part of Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive in the Eastern Front during World War I
Gorlice-Tarnów breakthrough and Russian withdrawal
Date 1–10 May 1915 Location Eastern bank of river Dunajetz from river Vistula to Bartfeld village (in Slovakia) and east along Carpathian mountains to river Pruth; south-east of Kraków Result Central Powers victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire	German Empire  Austria-Hungary
Commanders and leaders
Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolay Ivanov	Erich von Falkenhayn August von Mackensen Hans von Seeckt
Units involved
III Army	XI Army III Army IV Army
Strength
On May 1:[1] 401,041 men 525 machine guns 729 guns	On May 1:[2] 700,299 men 734 machine guns 1,691 guns
Casualties and losses
100,000 prisoners 80 guns and 250 machine guns captured Unknown but very large number of KIA and WIA[3]	36,570[4][5]–90,000[6]

The Gorlice breakthrough occurred in the May 1–10, 1915 as part of the Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive during World War I. The German 11th Army led by General August von Mackensen, with the support on the flanks by the 3rd and 4th Austro-Hungarian Armies, defeated the 3rd Russian Army. For the first time in the history of the First World War a heavily fortified and long-term defensive position was broken through during the Gorliсе offensive.