o take the offensive,
and kept complaining of lack of clear instructions as to what he
should do. He was later convicted of cowardice and negligence;
but the campaign he finally undertook against Lissa was dangerous
enough, and it seems possible that some secret political maneuvering
was partly responsible for his earlier delay.[1]

[Footnote 1: In July Persano wrote to the Deputy Boggio: "Leave the
care of my reputation to me; I would rather be wrongly dishonored
than rightly condemned. Patience will bring peace; I shall be called
a traitor, but nevertheless Italy will have her fleet intact, and
that of Austria will be rendered useless." Quoted in Bernotti,
IL POTERE MARITTIMO NELLA GRANDE GUERRA, p. 177.]

It is significant at least that the final proposal to make a descent
upon the fortified island of Lissa came not from Persana but from
the Minister of Marine. On July 15 the latter took up the project
with the fleet chief of staff, d'Amico, and with Rear Admiral Vacca,
but not until later with Persano. All agreed that the prospect
of a truce allowed no time for a movement against Venice or the
Austrian base at Pola, but that they should strike a swift stroke
elsewhere. Lissa commanded the Dalmatian coast, was essential to
naval control in the Adriatic, and was coveted by Italy then as
in later times. It would be better than trying to crush the enemy
fleet at the risk of her own if she could enter the peace conference
with possession of Lissa a _fait accompli_.

Undertaken in the face of an undefeated enemy fleet, this move has
been justly condemned by naval strategists. But with a less alert
opponent the coup might have succeeded. Tegetthoff, the Austrian
commander, was not yet 41 years of age, but had been in active
naval service since he was 18, and had led a squadron bravely in
a fight with the Danes two years before off Heligoland. He had
his heterogeneous array of fighting craft assembled at Pola at
the outbreak of war. "Give me everything you have," he told the
Admiralty when they asked him what ships he wanted; "I'll find
some use for them." His crews were partly men of Slav and Italian
stock from the Adriatic coast, including 600 from Venice; there
is no reason for supposing them better than those of Persano. The
influence of their leader, however, inspired them with loyalty and
fighting spirit, and their defiance of the Italians at Ancona on
June 27 increased their confidence. When successive cable mess