Przemyśl.

This is coolbert:

This too was a new one on me.

Thanks to the tip from the book section of the Chicago Tribune.

From the Great War, the First World War [WW1], the siege of Przemysl Fortress. A catastrophic defeat for the military of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian army first besieging the defenders and then defeating the relief force. Winter warfare of the worst possible sort. Casualties extreme, mostly from the elements, snow, ice, cold, etc. A military campaign of WW1 that casualty wise perhaps at least equaled Verdun and even may have exceeded same!!

"Przemyśl fortress . . . was a series of fortifications constructed at Przemyśl by the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the mid 19th century until the First World War . . . saw extensive combat during World War I."

"The Siege of Przemyśl was one of the greatest sieges of the First World War, and a crushing defeat for Austria-Hungary . . . [the siege] began on September 24, 1914 . . . the Austro-Hungarian garrison surrendered on March 22, 1915 after holding out for a total of 133 days."

"119,000 troops surrendered to the Russian forces."

From a review of the recent publication "Blood on the Snow - - The Carpathian Winter War of 1915" by Graydon A. Tunstall, the Carpathian campaign covered in detail. A book recently released only this year.

"The Carpathian campaign of 1915, described by some as the
'Stalingrad of the First World War,' engaged the million-man
armies of Austria-Hungary and Russia in fierce winter combat
that drove them to the brink of annihilation. Habsburg forces
fought to rescue 130,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers trapped by
Russian troops in Fortress Przemysl, but the campaign was waged
under such adverse circumstances that it produced six times as
many casualties as the number besieged."

"fighting in which a man lasted on average between five to six weeks before he was killed, wounded, captured, or committed suicide."

That relief force, attempting to "lift" the siege, suffering inordinate casualties, SIX TIMES THE NUMBER OF TROOPS DEAD, WOUNDED, MISSING AS WERE BESIEGED!! Breakthrough, a "lifting" of the siege NEVER ACCOMPLISHED, THOSE INSIDE THE FORTRESS OF PRZEMYSL FINALLY SURRENDERING. A capitulation of extraordinary proportions.

Verdun and Stalingrad are well know to the general lay public and especially to the military historian, amateur or otherwise. NOT so Przemysl or Wuhan! And that is why?

coolbert.