Engels in Neue Rheinische Zeitung May 1849

From the Theatre of War

Source: MECW Volume 9, p. 409;
Written: by Engels about May 7, 1849;
First published: in the Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 292, May 8, 1849.

The Austrian army continues to retreat. On April 28 Raab was evacuated; on the 29th, the Hungarian outposts had reached Hochstrasse, two miles from Wieselburg. On the other side of the Danube, the Austrian corps stationed near Dioszeg has also withdrawn to Lanschiltz (4 hours from Pressburg). Even on the 30th one could not travel from Pressburg further than Karlsburg (one and a half miles from Pressburg, on the southern bank).

The Austrian High Command is in Laxenburg, 1 1/2 hours from Vienna.

Slovakia is now completely in the hands of the Hungarians who were welcomed with open arms by the inhabitants. The Hungarians have found a mass of weapons there since Windischgrätz had disarmed the rural population and the confiscated rifles were collected and piled up in the county towns. There is no sign of the Slovak Landsturm; Bloudek has disappeared, the guerilla commander Janiczek has gone over to the Magyars. From Slovakia the Hungarians threaten Moravia, Austrian Silesia and Galicia. There is talk of an invasion corps numbering 40,000-60,000 men to transfer the theatre of war to Russian and Prussian Poland. A surprise attack on Prerau, the junction of the Polish-Silesian-Austrian railway lines, must certainly be expected.

In connection with the sudden stoppage in the advance of the Russians, we refer to our report from Breslau. It is true that there is still talk about a large Russian corps advancing on Transylvania; for the present, however, all these reports are unreliable.

It is now confirmed that in the south Bem has invaded the Banat with a considerable force, occupied the mountain passes between the Maros and the Danube, has taken Lugos and is even supposed to have captured Temesvar. As a result of this and the advance of parts of Perczel’s corps over the Theiss towards Kikinda District, the Serbian Voivodina has dissolved into thin air.

Jellachich, whose defeat has been repeatedly confirmed, has been appointed commander with full authority over the Southern Army (Croatian-Slavonian-Banat) that is being formed.

This “Southern Army” consists on paper of 30,000 men; in actual fact it numbers at the most 8,000 plus a few thousand men from Serbian robber bands.