THE BALKANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17946, 13 November 1918, Page 6

THE BALKANS.

Tho. Balkans campaign. where the first shots of the war were fired, resolved itself into a-struggle for the communications between Austria and Turkey, the important railway’ .lino from Belgrade to the Bulgarian irontier south-east of Nish, which was an essential link to Germany’s' Berlin to Bagdad road. This was the root-mat-ter of the war, and in the broad sefiso fitrhtine in all the theatres was directed to defeating. Germany’s purpose* in crushing Serbia. It was because H,,,-bia held this hue that Germany the prospect of world war when ViifWia movea in 1914. The T>nal suffered .humiliating defeat twice in the early invasions, and then .tiepteraber, 1915, Bulgaria was called Ifii to turn -the Serbian defence which -up the enemy’s plans, lee 'J'.-Jt British and French troops was the Allied effort to

counter, this move, but they arrived too late, and the Serbians were driven outof their country. It ihep became necessary l o protect Salonika in order to keep open the way t.% the recovery of the Serbian railway line, to prevent Germany from 1 establishing a submarine base from which to attack tlio Mediterranean sea route, and to stop the traitorous Greek King from throwing" his country into Germany’s 1 clutches. The main objective all along, however, was the Belgrade-Nish railway. Itumania’s entrance into tire war was part of this effort, bub sho mads lio impression on Bulgaria. The traitors of Russia failed her. They held her arms and allowed Falkenhayn and Mackensen to beat her back to the Sereth lino, and the subsequent .Russian,' revolution left her helpless. In Macedonia the Greek menace was first removed, and the Serbians wero reorganised. Munitions wero laboriously collected, so that when the moment came to strike, .tile Allied forces would not b'e brought to a halt, by the failure of material. When tho time camo this year the Bulgarian lines wore pierced east of the Ocrna, and Bulgaria- crumpled up. Germany was too busily •xscupiocl in Franco to tend aid, and Bulgaria went out of the war. Tho Berlin-Constantinople railway wasagain Germany by this time had a new -route to Turkey through tho Black Sea, but the "Danube was then in sight, and the Allied command had .before it the opportunity to attack Austria, on a new front.

THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN. j Italy, -when tho crisis arrived in i 1914, announced that, aa her alliance ; with the Contrai Powers required her j to act in accord with them only in a defensive war, she was determined . to maintain neutrality. However, the' pressure of popular opinion compelled the Government to review the' positioji and to denounce the treaty with Germany anti Austria. There followed a period of acrimonious controversy with Austria concerning the frontier dis- | tricts inhabited by Italian-speaking people, and, as no compromise was found possible, Italy declared war on Austria. The campaign opened with Italian movements to secure possession of the northern passes, while the main forces were thrown against the Isonzo line, where'the Austrians strongly foriiliod themselves- The Italian aim was to force the passage of the isonzo, ad- • yanoo.on Trieste and to open the way into Austria- The Austrian counterplan was to main tail i a constant threat in the Adigo and Brenta valleys of a break-through to the main Italian lines of communication,and it was in pursuance 'of this plan that the enemy launched a strong offensive, in the-' sprmg of 1916, between the Adigo and tno Brenta. The' Italians were driven from their positions by an overwhelming artillery arc, and'- for some days !no Austrians- poured through towards the plains. By a' marvellously organised system of motor transport, however, _ the Italians vj-oro able to mass sufficient reserves to restore the front. However, the Austrian offensive served its -intended purpoui# of delaying the opening of the main Italian offensive' on 'fho Isonzo. and when the Italians did attack, although they passed the lower Isonzo, they were hold’up by the . rear linos of defence. It was not until ! the summer of 1917 that the Italians i were quit-o ready for their lug effort. They then broke across the middle Isonzo, overran' the Bainsizza plateau and appeared - likely to sweep forward on a. wide front. In the autumn, how. i ever, the Austrians, with German sup- ; port, launched a powerful counfccr-of- ! tensive on the upper Isonzo, 1 found an | immediate weakness, and -developed | their ndyantago with s uch rapidity that ! the Italians were thrown right hack to ] the Piave, suffering enormous losses, of ! luen and material as they retreated, j French and British divisions had been rushed to' their support. -Against the Piavo line in June this year the Austrians mado .their final effort. They ; were defeated, and the defeat- became-j something very like a disaster. In the.j final .stage of the campaign the Italians i broke across the Piave and routed the enemy'on a wide front. The Austrians then sought an -armistice, which was granted thorn on November 3.