BINIAMINO MANION", Director of the Historical Review of Italian Risorgimento.
Four years of industrial expansion followed; and it is quite proper to say, with more empha sis than in the foregoing study, that•in Rome and in Turin at the celebration in 1911 of the 50th anniversary pf the foundation of the king dom of Italy and the proclamation of Rome as its capital, we saw what Italy had been "able to accomplish in spite of the enormous diffi culties created by her peculiar From the Tiber to the boundaries with France and Switzerland the peninsula was comfort ably crowded with visitors from all parts of the world who came to see novel products of the 20th century as well as treasured products of all the 19 or more preceding centuries. It was in the same year that Italy undertook the annexation of Tripoli, sending her ultimatum to Turkey on 27 September. The Italo-Turkish War continued until 18 Oct. 1912, when by the Treaty of Ouchy, the sovereignty of Italy in Tripoli was practically established, and Italy, for her part, promised restoration of the 7Egean Islands to Turkey and payment of a part of the Ottoman foreign debt which was guaranteed by Tripoli and Cyrenaica revenues. On 5 Dec. 1912 the Triple Alliance was renewed and extended until 8 July 1920; this, however, was an arrangement far from satisfactory to patriotic Italians enlisted in the popular "Italia movement (irredenta, unredeemed, lacking liberty). It has been well said that the avowed object of that movement was "to in corporate in the Italian monarchy territories in the southern Tyrol and Trieste on the ground that they are largely inhabited by The movement has been exceedingly popular in Italy and Italian cabinets have squared their policies with due regard to the popular demand in recent years. Having this in mind, it is easy to understand that upon the outbreak of the war in 1914, demands were made by Italian aIrre dentists* that the government should not neglect the opportunity presented to take at least Trent and Trieste for Italy. But for a long time the government refused to be persuaded either by the progressives at home or by the old asso ciates beyond the Alps. Inasmuch as Italy "had not been consulted in negotiations leading to the Great War, she decided to remain neutral and not join Germany and Austria. This attitude of Italy was of great value to France because no troops were necessary to protect the Italian frontier." The attitude just re ferred to underwent a change during the year 1915 ; popular sentiment in Italy inclined more and more strongly in favor of the cause repre sented particularly by England and France— powers that had especially through restraints imposed upon Moslem elements in Egypt, Tunis, etc., given proofs of friendship for Italy in 1911-12; and on 3 May 1915, after adherence through a generation to the Triple Alliance, Italy renounced her treaty, so far as it con trolled her relations with Austria-Hungary. The statement of Green Book, number 76, is that °Italy, confident in her good right, affirms and proclaims that from this moment, 3 May, she resumes her entire freedom of action and declares her treaty of alliance with Austria Hungary to be void and henceforth of no effect? On 23 May, Italy declared that she considered herself in a state of war with Austria-Hungary from 24 May because that former ally obstructed the long-sought op portunity of realizing her geographical aspira tions. The subsequent Italian campaign was
marked 6y the absence of great or striking events, simply because the strength of the Austrian military positions along or near the international boundaries (strictly artificial and political, rather than geographical or ethno graphic) "(made Italy's task one of tremendous difficulties? On 13 and 14 Jan. 1915 there were severe earthquakes in the Avezzano region and central Italy generally; 16 towns were com pletely destroyed, with the loss of 30,000 lives and of property valued at $60,000,000. On 7 Nov. 1915 the Italian steamship Ancona, when one day out on the voyage from Messina to New York with more than 400 passengers and a crew of about 170, was attacked by a sub marine flying the Austro-Hungarian flag; and, according to the American note of 6 December, gunfire and foundering of the vessel a large number of persons lost their lives or were seriously injured, among whom are citizens of the United States? An influence too powerful within the country's limits to be overlooked in this sketch was that of the Socialists who in 1915 had 79 deputies and over 1,160,000 votes. The Socialist party openly opposed the war. On 9 March 1916 General Piacentini was ap pointed commander of Italian troops in Al bania; General Cadorna was commander-in chief on all fronts. On 21 March 1916 the government announced to the Chamber its firm adherence to the London convention. On 8 June 1916 the Imperial Appeal Court at Leipzig, in a dispute over contract, handed down a verdict declaring that war existed between Italy and Germany, actually though not for mally. On 28 Sept. 1916 the German Imperial Chancellor, Dr. Von Bethmann-Hollweg, as serted in the course of a speech in the Reich stag that the Entente powers made uninterrupted efforts to cause Italy to declare war; that for more than a year the Italian government re sisted, but finally measures employed by Eng land were so strong that Italy had to yield; that the decision was brought about by British coercion; although Italian hopes in regard to the Balkans also exercised influence. In point of .fact, England had secured, and fairly earned, Italy's gratitude, respect and confidence. At first successful in the campaign against her ancient enemy Austria, near the close of 1917, the Austro-German army attacking in force, in flicted a disastrous defeat on the Italian army under General Cadorna, until checked at the Piave River. This defeat resulted in a severe arraignment of the Boselli ministry which led to its downfall 25 Oct. 1917 and a new ministry under Signor Orlando succeeded on 31 Oct. During 1918 under General Diaz, the Italian army began its victorious onslaught on the Austro-German forces driving them back and finally capturing Trent, Trent and Udine, the chief Austrian base in Italy. A total of 300, 000 prisoners and 5,000 guns were captured and the Austrians asked for and accepted armistice terms 4 Nov. 1918. See ITALY AND THE WAR