r Bessarabia. Roumania, as was said before, was originally settled
by colonists sent out from Rome, and in the eleventh century a large
number of people from the north of Italy settled there. On this
account, Roumania looks upon Italy as her mother country, and it was
thought that Italy's attack upon Austria would influence her to
support the Entente.

Each country wanted to be a friend of the winning side, in order to
share in the spoils. In this way, whenever it looked as if the
Quadruple Entente did not need her help Roumania was eager to offer
it, at a price which seemed to the allies too high. When, however, the
tide turned the other way, she lost her enthusiasm for the cause of
her friends, fearing what the central empires might do to her.

Questions for Review

1. What was the motive of Turkey in joining the war?
2. Why were the Russians not sorry to have Turkey declare war on
them?
3. What were the feelings of the Italian people?
4. What were the Italian diplomats anxious to gain?
5. What were the demands of Czar Ferdinand of Bulgaria upon the
Entente powers?
6. Why did Bulgaria join the central empires?
7. Why did Greece keep out of the conflict?
8. What were Roumania's hopes?

CHAPTER XX

Back to the Balkans

The troubles of Crete.-The bigotry of the "Young Turks."--Venizelos in
Greece.--The pro-German king.--The new government at Salonika.--The
downfall of Constantine.--The ambitions of Roumania.--Pro-Germans in
Russia.--Roumania declares war.--Russian treachery and German
trickery.--The defeat of Roumania.

Greece

You will remember the name of Eleutherios Venizelos, the prime
minister of Greece, who tried to get that country to stand by her
bargain from Crete with Serbia (pages 239-240). Now Venizelos had
originally come from Crete, a large island inhabited by Greeks, but
controlled by Turkey for many years (see map). In 1897 the Turks
had massacred a number of Greek Christians on the island, and this act
had so enraged the inhabitants of Greece that they forced their king
to declare war on Turkey.

Poor little Greece was quickly defeated, but the war called the
attention of the Great Powers of Europe to the cruelties of the Turks,
and they never again allowed Crete to be wholly governed by them. For
over a year Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy had their
warships in Cretan ports and the government of Crete was under their
protection.

Finally they called i