nearly like the little town of Ossowetz on the Bobr
River, which held out against the German 42-centimeter guns for over
six months, and was then evacuated only because its defenders were
flanked out. There was very little concrete in the Gorizia defenses,
which were mostly earthworks formed into terraces on which the guns
were mounted. Many of these gun positions have been destroyed, but
Gorizia has continued to hold out despite the desperate attacks of
the besiegers.

Because of the natural defensive strength of the line less men have
been used by Austria on this front than in any other theatre of the
war. When war between Italy and Austria broke out the Austrians had
already commenced the vast operations which flung Russia from the
Carpathians and behind Lemberg. The men were therefore not available
in sufficient numbers to defend the line of the Isonzo, otherwise it
is likely it would have remained intact from the outset, and the
Italian forces would never have been able to force their way through
Flava and Monfalcone. That Austria harbored little anxiety regarding
her Italian frontier likewise appears from her relinquishment of the
Russian offensive to begin operations in the Balkans. Whether a real
Italian offensive at any time was among her military plans will remain
doubtful till events make the situation clear. Austria would appear to
have little to gain from a conquest of Italian provinces in which her
former rule brought her the deep and ordained resentment of the
Italian people.

During the month of January, 1916, the southern theatre of war was
comparatively quiet. The forces under General Cadorna maintained their
offensive on the Isonzo without any decisive revolt taking place.
There was considerable bombardment of the bridgeheads at Tolmino and
Gorizia. In the Gorizia sector the Austrians attacked the Italian
positions at Oslavia, capturing 900 men and inflicting severe losses
in killed and wounded. Determined attacks by the Italian troops
followed, and the positions were again transferred to Italian hands.
At the end of this month an official resume covering Italy's entrance
into the war and the operations of the Italian army in the intervening
months was issued at Rome. In this official communique it was
estimated that 30,000 Austrian prisoners, 5 guns, 65 machine guns, and
a large quantity of war material had so far been captured by the
Italians from the Austrian forces. Twenty-five Austrian divisio