On March 22 the long siege of Przemysl, the formidable Galician fortress that had been called the “key to the Austrian empire,” ended with the surrender of the city to the Russians.  The siege stands as the fifth longest in 136 years, having lasted 185 days, surpassed in duration only by the sieges of Gibraltar, Sebastopol, Vicksburg, Richmond and Port Arthur.  The news of the Austrians’ surrender was the most important that had come from the eastern front in weeks.  For six months the stronghold had withstood assault, remaining a constant menace in the rear of the Russian advance in Galicia.  From 120,000 to 150,000 Russians had been held in the neighborhood by the necessity of masking the fortress.  Numerous efforts had been made to reach the beleaguered city by relieving armies, but each in turn proved unavailing, though for a time in December it appeared likely that a combined German and Austrian army would succeed in raising the siege.

The fall of Przemysl was preceded by a sortie of the garrison in a last desperate attempt to hack its way through the enemy’s lines.  After a seven hours’ battle they were compelled to retreat with a loss of nearly 4,000 prisoners.  Only three days’ rations were left.  In the surrender of the city the Russians announced the taking of nearly 120,000 prisoners, including nine generals, 93 officers of the general staff, 2, officers and officials, and 117,000 soldiers.

Twenty-four thousand soldiers of the Przemysl garrison were killed during the long siege, according to dispatches from Petrograd.  Twenty thousand more were wounded making the total casualties of the Austrian defenders 44,000 men.  Depleted by disease, subsisting on horseflesh, and surrounded by a superior force of Russians, the garrison of Przemysl was forced to surrender, but fell with honor, the gallant character of the defense under General von Kusmanek being conceded on all sides.  The Russian commander who received the surrender was General Seliwanoff.  In the early days of the siege a Bulgarian, General Radko Dimitrieff, was in command of the investing forces.  General Seliwanoff commanded the Russian forces at Vladivostok during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-05.

The duration of the siege compared with the length of time it took the Germans to capture such strongholds as Liege, Namur and Antwerp was due to two causes, one being the desire of the Russians to keep the loss of life among the besieging army at a minimum, the other to the lack of great guns which the Germans had in Belgium.

The investment was not a close one, the garrison having had a radius of about twelve miles in which to move about.  An aeroplane post was maintained almost up to the last, and it is said that even some scanty food supplies were carried in by aeroplane.

Although the victory was a big one, it cost the Russians dearly.  It is estimated that 150,000 Russians were killed and wounded during the months that the siege went on.  Not only were many Russians killed by the efficient fire of the Austrian gunners, but the fierce sorties where attackers and defenders fought hand-to-hand resulted in heavy casualties.