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Engels in Neue Rheinische Zeitung March 1849
From the Theatre of War
Source: MECW Volume 9, p. 90;
Written: by Engels on March 16, 1849;
First published: in the special supplement to the Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 247, March 16 1849.
Our correspondence and newspapers from Vienna and Prague have again failed to arrive today. Nor do the Breslau, Leipzig and other papers carry a word from the Austrians on the military operations. The Magyar correspondent of the Breslauer Zeitung, on the other hand, writes of new fighting in the area of Szegléd, of great masses of wounded who were brought to Pest, and of preparations for retreat. But it does not yet report anything decisive either.
What is most striking about the Austrian silence is that nothing is reported from anywhere. Formerly, there was always some little corner from which the imperial side could report some small advantage. But now this also has ceased. The Magyars appear suddenly to be developing a quite unexpected energy at all points, placing the most unforeseen obstacles in the way of the advance of the 250,000 imperial troops.
Since February 16 or 17, that is for four weeks, there has been no news from Transylvania. Not a word of the advance towards Tokaj of the troops of Götz, Ramberg and Jablonowsky. Not a word of Nugent’s operations in Syrmien. Not a syllable about the deeds of Rukavina, Todorovich and Gldser in the Banat. If we learn a word here or there, we learn it through unofficial, vague rumours.
In short, the silence of the official reports is becoming more and more uncanny, and the contents of the unofficial reports are becoming more and more menacing for Austria. On the latter a few details tomorrow.
According to a report in the Allgemeine Oder-Zeitung, the Austrians are preparing to allow the Russians to march into Cracow, as well as into Transylvania.