iukoff, in a "Report to the Carnegie
Foundation," denies this. The plan occurred to many men so soon as
Turkish Reform proved a sham. Venizelos is said to have mooted it to Mr.
James Bourchier in May 1911. (R. Rankin, _Inner History of the Balkan
War_, p. 13.)]

[Footnote 540: Italy made peace on October 15, gaining possession of
Tripoli and agreeing to evacuate the Aegean Isles, but on various
pretexts kept her troops there. A little later she renewed the Triple
Alliance with Germany and Austria for five years. This may have resulted
from the Balkan crisis then beginning, and from the visits of the
Russian Foreign Minister, Sazonoff, to Paris and London, whereupon it
was officially stated that Russia adhered both to her treaty with France
and her Entente with England. He added that the grouping of the great
States was necessary in the interests of the Balance of Power.]

The Balkan States, though waging war with no combined aim, speedily
overthrew the Turks in the most dramatic and decisive conflict of our
age. The Greeks entered Salonica on November 8 (a Bulgarian force a few
days later); on November 18 the Servians occupied Monastir, and the
Albanian seaport, Durazzo, at the end of the month. The Bulgar army
meanwhile drove the Turks southwards in headlong rout until in the third
week of November the fortified Tchataldja Lines opposed an invincible
obstacle. There, on December 3, all the belligerents, except Greece,
concluded an armistice, and negotiations for peace were begun at London
on December 16. Up to January 22, 1913, Turkey seemed inclined towards
peace; but on the morrow a revolution took place at Constantinople, the
Ministry of Kiamil Pacha being ousted by the warlike faction of Enver
Bey. He, one of the contrivers of the revolution of July 1908, had since
been attached to the Turkish Embassy at Berlin; and his successful coup
was a triumph of German influence. The Peace Conference at London broke
up on February 1. In March the Greeks and Bulgars captured Janina and
Adrianople respectively, while Scutari fell to the Montenegrins (April
22). The Powers (Russia included) demanded the evacuation of this town
by Montenegro; for they had decided to constitute Albania (the most
turbulent part of the Peninsula) an independent State, including
Scutari.

In Albania, as elsewhere, the feuds of rival races had drenched the
Balkan lands with blood; Greek and Bulgar forces had fought near
Salonica, and there seemed