nte. The greater
part of the Italian people, the chancellor asserted, and a majority in
the Italian Parliament had not wanted war, and were even kept in
ignorance of the extent of the concessions which Austria-Hungary was
willing to make for the sake of peace. The Salandra cabinet, he
declared, long before the Triple Alliance had ceased to exist,
aligned itself with the Triple Entente and "unchained the mob spirit
and intimidated the advocates of peace."

On the eve of leaving Rome, Prince von Buelow gave out a statement in
which he declared that Italy was led into the war by a "noisy
minority," and that even if in the end she obtained what she asked she
would not get much more than what Austria already had offered. "It
should be understood," he explained, "that it was impossible to
deprive the central empires of Trieste, their only outlet to the
Adriatic in the Mediterranean."

Turkey regarded the entrance of Italy into the war on the side of the
Entente with apparent equanimity. "We will not declare war on Italy,"
announced Talaat Bey, the Turkish Minister of the Interior. "We can
wait. What can Italy do to us?"

CHAPTER LXVI

FIGHTING IN THE MOUNTAINS

While the world hears little about strategic plans that fail to work
out, it is believed that the Austrians in May, 1915, had in mind to
let the enemy obtain a good start in his advance against Trieste.
Then, when the Italian operations were well under way, and the two
railroads from Venice were choked with their supplies, the Austrians
probably intended to launch a swift attack upon Verona and the rich
cities of Lombardy, thus cutting off the chief centers of Italian
industry. At the same time, they undoubtedly meant to send an invading
army through the passes of the Carnic and Julian Alps from their base
at Tarvis, and by a sudden swoop southward take the Italian forces on
the Isonzo in the flank. At least this is what the Italian staff
believed was their plan, and they arranged their own forces
accordingly.

This was the reason for the extensive Italian drive during the third
week of May, 1915, at all the mountain passes of the long frontier.
For almost any of these passes might prove to be the gateway of
invasion, whereas, once captured, they could be held by a few
battalions. But behind each force that occupied the passes won in the
first Italian dash was a large reserve ready to lend support wherever
the enemy tried to break through. The Italians