<– Part 18 – November 29, 1914  | Part 19 – December 6, 1914 |  Part 20 – December 13, 1914 –>

The Mesopotamian front. Qurna is in the center

The Russian withdrawal from Lodz began November 30, and the Germans took the city December 6. In the offensive, the Germans lost 35,000 men to the Russian 70,000 casualties, 25,000 prisoners, plus heavy artillery.

To the south, fighting between Austria-Hungary and Serbia continues at Kolubara. The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, was evacuated the night of November 29/30, and the Austrians occupied it the next day, while the Serbian army and citizenry retreated 12 miles to Mount Rudnik, near the railroad bringing much needed supplies from the Allies. Due to perceived overextension, and seeing as December 2 was the 66th anniversary of Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Josef’s coronation, the Austro-Hungarian empire halted and began organizing a victory parade in Belgrade – only to be caught off-guard by a Serbian counterattack, which has been widely successful the last few days. Although the city is still in enemy hands, the Serbians have successfully pushed back the flanks and front lines of the Austrians by several miles.

December 1 also saw the Austrians engaged at Limanowa, in the Austrian province of Galicia, against the advancing Russians. The Russian advance, however, seems to be stalling, as the 125,000 Russian troops have stalled against 90,000 Austro-Hungarians.

The British advance in Mesopotamia against fleeing Ottomans has come to the city of Qurna, where the Euphrates and Tigris rivers meet. Although gunboats assisted the Allied troop advance, they stalled as they neared the city, even as reinforcements arrived, boosting the British force to over 2,000, twice the number of Turkish defenders.