Continuing my new little series on a more grounded approach towards a more favourable outcome of WW1 for the Central Powers, here’s the next entry focusing on the Gorlice Tarnow offensive of 1915.
The first entry focused on a more comprehensive German victory in the second battle of Ypres in April 1915. By collapsing the salient there. Moving on from there the Central Powers are able to exploit a dithering Italy to form a larger group for the historical Gorlice Tarnow offensive. The first battle of that offensive that goes differently is the Battle of Jaslo, where Austro-Hungarian forces smash through the Russian defenses in the southern sector.
Moving on from Jaslo and the primary breakthrough between Gorlice and Tarnow, the Russian Third Army is now in full retreat and trying to regroup. Mackensen's Eleventh Army, Boroevic's Third Austro-Hungarian Army and elements of the reserve under Böhm-Ermoli move towards Rzeszow. Mackensen moves some of his most experienced troops (First and Second Guards) to the southern end of his part of the front to help Boroevic's troops regain composure after Jaslo. These fresh troops cross the Wisok east of Jaslo and threaten to encircle the remaining Russians in that sector when they cut the railway connection near Wisniowa from the north. The Russian 7th and 9th Corps begin a chaotic retreat. On the road towards Rzeszow two Russian divisions are shattered. The rest meet up with the retreating 5th and 12th Corps in the city. At this point Böhm-Ermoli's fresh reserves form a second pincer to the north taking Glogow and then crossing the Wislok to cut the railway and road connection east at Lancut.
The Battle of Rzeszow has more or less destroyed the Russian Third Army as a coherent fighting force for the foreseeable future. This forces the 8th Army to move further north and spread thinner in order to cover the gap in the front. In comparison with the historical Gorlice Tarnow Offensive the results are different but not drastically so. The Russian army is in a situation where it has to evacuate Poland and most of Galicia. Historically it was able to retreat mostly in good order and present multiple new defensive lines. In this scenario the retreat is more chaotic and larger formations are surrounded and taken prisoner. The 8th Army will also have to face more of the German attacks in the next weeks, making it harder for Russia to form a coherent offensive force for 1916 around that army.
I hope this scenario is still mostly grounded and realistically achievable given the outcome of Jaslo just a few days earlier. From what I could find out it mirrors what the OHL and AOK had planned to do but couldn't due to sending forces (including Gen. Boroevic, one of the few bright spots of Austrian command) to the Isonzo to combat Italy.
