framing protests during this period, for on January 11, 1916, a
detachment of French soldiers took possession and military control of
the island of Corfu, but the Greek garrison there offered no
opposition. The place had some strategic value, but the main purpose
for which it was to be used was as a sanitarium for the Serbian
refugees, who were beginning to arrive from Albania, and many of whom
were in miserable physical condition.

CHAPTER XXXIX

ITALIAN MOVEMENTS IN ALBANIA--CONQUEST OF MONTENEGRO

While the French and British were strengthening their position in
Saloniki in every possible way, the Italians were beginning a movement
which was to have some influence in the Balkans.

Already, a year before, Italy had landed a small containing force in
Avlona, Albania, on the Adriatic coast, because Greece had previously
occupied a section of southern Albania, contiguous to her frontier.
Albania, it will be remembered, had been declared an independent
nation after the Balkan wars and William of Wied had been appointed
its sovereign, by the consent of the Powers. But so turbulent had his
subjects been that finally, when an uprising threatened his life, he
fled on a foreign warship. The leader of the Albanians, in so far as
they could be brought to respect any one general leader, was Essad
Pasha, the Albanian commander at Scutari, who had defended that place
so long and so valiantly against the attacks of the Montenegrins
during the First Balkan War.

Already in the latter days of November there had been rumors that
Italy was landing an army of considerable size in Avlona, to assist
the Serbians. This could easily be done without attracting much
attention, as this town, often described as the "Gibraltar of the
Adriatic," is not more than fifty or sixty miles from the Italian
coast and can be reached by steamer in a few hours. Its occupation by
an enemy would be highly undesirable, from the point of view of
Italian interests.

Baron Sonnino, the Italian prime minister, made a speech in which he
declared that Italy was determined to do everything to assist the
Serbian army, and that the Italian flag on the other side of the
Adriatic would also constitute a reaffirmation of Italy's traditional
policy, which included the maintenance of Albanian independence.

By the end of the first week of December, 1915, an army of 50,000 had
been landed. With part of this force Italy occupied Durazzo on
December 21, 1915,