Austria, TO THE MEMORY OF THE PRZEMYSL SIEGE, 1915, Medal, UNC

Austria, TO THE MEMORY OF THE PRZEMYSL SIEGE, 1915 Medal, UNC, Cast Zinc, 80mm medal by Karl Perl. Center, two half length figures right, a women in a mourning veil and a soldier in dress uniform. The woman places flowers on cross of a roadside shrine. The soldier with cap in his left hand, touches the cross with the hilt of his dress sword. A tree hangs overhead/An 8 line listing of the forts/places involved in the siege.

Przemysl is a city located in the extreme southeastern quadrant of Poland, two to three kilometers from the Ukrainian border. It was on a major route from Russia westward through the Carpathian Mountains. In 1914, it had been turned into a modern fortress-city with a 28 mile perimeter, comprising 44 forts and with a compliment of 85,000 soldiers and 956 cannon (although eventually 120,000 soldiers were garrisoned here). The Russians put the fortress under siege twice, the second (after the city had been emptied of civilians after the first siege) lasting from October 1914 to late March 1915. During this time, and before surrender, the Austro-Hungarian forces destroyed everything of military value within the perimeter, but the Russians captured nearly 120,000 Austrian soldiers and 700 cannon, a blow from which Austria-Hungary never really recovered. (Wikipedia) The medal memorializes this defeat. From the T.H.G Collection.