Stanislau, March 30, 1915
Gospodin General-Leitenant, with our offensives against German forces in Northern Poland failing, Stavka has ordered the South-Western Front to achieve strategic gains with its Carpathian offensive.  Forming the Dniester Group on the basis of Gen. Lechitsky's 9th Army (XI, XVII, XXX, and XXXIII) and reinforcing it with two additional cavalry corps (II and III), the Front was tasked with crossing the Dniester River and breaking through over the eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains.  The Dneister offensive would be followed by the advance of our troops over the Dukla and Uszok Passes.

During their winter retreat, the Austrians have begun forming ad-hoc army groups to guard key passes over the Carpathians.  The Pflanzer-Baltin Army Group (Korps Czibulka, XIII, and the Polish Legion) had succeeded in crossing the Dniester River themselves in February and had captured the city of Stanislau.  The Austrian bulge into our positions must first be eliminated to enable any further offensive operations.
