Russia then abducted
Prince Alexander, but later was forced to restore him. However, Russian
intrigues, and his failure to obtain support from one of the great
powers, forced his abdication in 1886.

In 1887 Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the Prince of
Bulgaria. He, also, was a remarkable man, but not the romantic of his
predecessor. He seems to have been a sort of a parody of a king. He was
fond of ostentation, and full of ambition. He was a personal coward, but
extremely cunning. During his long reign he built up Bulgaria into a
powerful, independent kingdom, and even assumed the title of Czar of
Bulgaria. During the first days of his reign he was kept safely on the
throne by his mother, the Princess Clementine, a daughter of Louis
Phillippe, who, according to Gladstone, was the cleverest woman in
Europe, and for a few years Bulgaria was at peace. In 1908 he declared
Bulgaria independent, and its independence was recognized by Turkey on
the payment of an indemnity. During this period Russia was the protector
of Bulgaria, but the Bulgarian fox was looking also for the aid of
Austria. Serbia more and more relied upon Russia.

[Illustration: Painting]
Official Canadian War Records.
"TIME'S UP! OVER YOU GO!"
The word comes from the officer, watch in hand, "Time's up! Over you
go!" and instantly the men from the Dominion begin to climb out of the
trench. The picture shows the departure of the first of the three or
more lines or "waves" that moves forward over "No Man's Land" against
the enemy trenches.

[Illustration: Photograph]
Photo by International Film Service.
TRANSPORTING WOUNDED AMID THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE ITALIAN MOUNTAIN FRONT
The isolated mountain positions were only accessible to the bases of
operations by these aerial cable cars. This picture, taken during the
Austrian retreat, shows a wounded soldier being taken down the
mountain by this means.

[Illustration: Photograph: Soldier working on a telephone connection.]
Copyright Underwood and Underwood, N. Y.
British Official Photo
THE NERVE-SYSTEM OF THE FIGHTING ARMIES
What the nerves are to the human body the signal system was to the
armies, transmitting warnings of danger from the outposts to a central
brain, and flashing back the thing to be done to meet it.

The Austrian treatment of the Slavs was a source of constant irritation
to Serbia. Roumania had a divided feeling. Her loss of Bessa