The Alaska daily empire., 1914-08-19
ITALY HAS HARD
 FOREIGN PROBLEM
fRy Gertrude E. Mallette.)

in the present war 10 hN' onv very recent agreement nor upon the outgrowth of any one set Of re- cont events. but is in fact the result of n succession of developments which led in an almost unbroken line to the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Aided by Napoleon H. actihs Under secret alliance, Italy had prac' tically succeeded in expelling the Aus trIans from her territory, when sud dently Napoleon became fearful of the attitude of Prussia, deserted his aihes and instituted peace negotiations at vinafranca. Victor Emanuel, fore saken by the French. had no choice but to join in the infamous treaty which was signed at Zurich in Novem' Der, 1859. This treaty provided that ,ombardy be annexed to Piedmont, but Venetia was left to Austria, the rest of Italy was to be restored to It's condition before the war, and scheme of Italian confereration under the presidency of the Pope was pro posed. This proposition could not be carried out for Italy had revolted from it's rulers and, after the peace, Napoleon, who had his eye on Savoy and Nice. connived at the Pledmoa- ,ese Annexation of Tuscany, Parma, Modena, and the northermost Papal states. In 1861 by overwhelming votes
 Sicily and Naples declared for union with Piedmont. and in March of the
 same year Victor Emanuel was pro claimed King of Italy.
 In 1864 Prussia and Austria waged successful war against Denmarf 70 protect the Germans of Sleswich and
 Holstein, then under Danish rule. and the two Duchies were taken tempor-
 arily under the joint rule of the Yict' ors. Comes in the adroit Bismark,
 and by series of intricate steps brings forth his long contemplated war with Austria. In this contest
 Austria was supported by all the south German states, and by Hanover, and it seemed that Prussia must certainly be crushed. Italy had, however, sec.
 retly promised to aid Prussia in re turn for the promise of the Austrian province of venetia. The thorough
 preparation of the Prussian decided the struggle in their favor and the affair was over in seven weeks, eliminating ia an overwhelming defeat of the Austrians at Sadowa by the Germans under Von Moltke, who, by the way, was an uncle of General Yon Moltke,
 who is Germany's Chief of Staff of the Army in the present European con. hict. Venetia was taken from Aus trla, and Bismarck offered her liber- al peace, annexing for Prussia only Sleswick.Holstein (1S67)
 To this alliance with Prussia and to the strong backing of British dl-
 plomacy in her opposition to France,
 Italy owes the completion of her emancipation. and for about eleven years following the Franco-German war of 1870, she was practically iso- lated. France had taken her armies out of the Papal states and had con sented to their annexation, meanwhile remaining on friendly terms with the Pope. Then at the Congress of Berlin in 1878 Austria acquired Herzegovina and Bosnia, the Russian frontier was extended to the Danube, and by means of secret treaty Cyprus was "leased" by Turkey to Great Britain, while Italy went off empty handed, danger ously alone. Germany and Austria at once sensed the situation; and each. appreciated the interest of Austria and its conflict with that of Russia. Bis marck's policy had been to maintain cordial relations with both Austria aud Russia as a check on France and to that end he formed in 1872, the League of the Three Emperors Ger many, Austria and Russia.) When Italy's isolation grew threatening, Austria and Germany dissolved this League and formed the Alliance of 1879. Then, appreciating the possibil- ity that an attack on them by Russia would be aided by France, they en- deavored to secure Austria against Italy and then turn Italy's forces against France by taking Italy into their Alliance.
 Italy saw the advantages of the German and Austrian alliance, and weighed them carefully with the ad. vantages of French alliance, and. finding them nicely balanced. her statesmen hesitated. Finally Bis marck's threatening, Austria's coax ing and Frances invasion of Tunis in 1881 decided her. Italy's interests in Tunis were large, and her supremacy in the Central Mediterranean would be dependant upon her maintaining pos. session of that protectorate. Italy needed the good will of France, and she had put her faith in Frances promise that she had no intention of annexation, and, although urged by Austria and Germany to avail herself of the Province of Tunis in compensa. ton for Austria's acquisition of Bos. nia' she delayed in taking any defin- ite action. France then precipitated the matter by establishing a protector ate over Tunis in the invasion above | mentioned, thereby firing the wrath Of hot,tempered Italy. Bismarck with his usual cleverness helped things along by re-establishing the embassy to the Pope and starting press cam. paign endorsing an international guar. anty of the Pope's independence. The treaty which at last cemented the matter was formed in 1882, binding Austria, Germany and Italy Hpto an which has several timex been