led. The Venizeloists
were in a large majority. The next day the Gounaris government
felt that it could no longer maintain itself, and consequently
resigned. A few days later Venizelos was again Prime Minister of
Greece, and the Allies, who were still ignorant of the fatal treaties
between Bulgaria and Germany, believed that the difficulties in
the Balkan situation had finally been smoothed out.

Thus the beginning of the second year of the war opened in the Balkans
very favorably in aspect to the Allies.

PART VI--ITALY ENTERS THE WAR

* * * * *

CHAPTER L

ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE WARRING POWERS

After nearly ten months of kaleidoscopic changes in the diplomatic
situation, which kept the outside world constantly uncertain as
to her ultimate determination, Italy declared war upon Austria
May 23, 1915. The bare official explanation of these negotiations
gave the impression of selfish bargaining, and a broad survey of
conditions on the Italian peninsula before and during the first
months of the war is necessary to a proper understanding of the
causes that led Italy to take sides with Great Britain, France,
and Russia.

Behind these long diplomatic exchanges, their foundation rather
than the result of them, lay Italy's national aspirations and a
gradual crystallization of public sentiment. Officially, Italy
went to war with Austria over an alleged violation of the Triple
Alliance; but to most Italians the hope of the war meant the return
to the Italian flag of Italians living south of the Austrian Alps,
realignment of their northern and eastern frontier on better national
and military principles, the possession of certain territory on
the eastern shore of the Adriatic as would secure her harborless
eastern coast from hostile attack, a reduction of Austrian control
over Trieste, and the repatriation of thousands of Italians living
in the "unredeemed" portions of southern Austria, which despite many
years of Austrian domination was essentially Italian in traditions,
customs, language, and loyalty.

Negotiations were prolonged, also, by the fact that at the outbreak
of the war Italy was, in a military sense, quite unprepared to
engage in a desperate struggle. When Italian Alpine troops finally
moved out and took possession of Austrian mountain outposts, the
army had undergone regeneration. In both men and munitions Italy
was equipped to play a part in the war worthy of a f