The Washington herald., 1915-02-07
ZHS 5NAQED III
HRS ZLNT
.LIERA0n~EO

Although Metternlch announced that
ITALY was a mere geographical det1ni-
ton" the dream of united and inde-
pendent Italy survived forty years more
of Austrian rule, taking safe refuge In
the mountains of Piedmont where the
princes of the house of Savoy reigned
as kings OF Sardinia and held their court
at Turin. In full time robust and ag-
gressive .Savoyard came to the Sandman
throne in the person of Victor Emmanuel
II and the patriot dreamers of Italy raj
lied about his banner and the red shirt
of Garibaldi
Meanwhile another Napoleon was en-
throned in France and the Hapsburgs
grew fearful lest he catch the vision OF
his uncle and, joining Victor Emmanuel
When II was announced that the French
Emperor had sought and received for
his nephew and the heir to his throne
the hand of Clothilde Victor Emmanuers
tions and scowled upon the match.
whereat, Napoleon III paused before the
Austrian ambassador in his round of !
the diplomatic circle at the TuileTies on
New Years Day in 1859 and loudly re-
marked his regret that the relations be-
tween Austria and France should be
changing for the worse.
Now again an Austrian Emperor cried
havoc and let slip the dogs OF war.
Three times in century and a quarter
have the Hapsburg monarchs played this
unhappy part. 1t was Leopold II who f,
convoked the powers against the French
Revolution in 1871, when it was yet in
its innocent stage, and only last summer
We saw the reigning Francis Joseph
throw down the gage of battle.
How Austria Los: Italy.
It was in the long reign of this un;
fortunate monarch that Austria lifted
The aged Emperor Of today was only
twenty mine. in the spring Of 1859, he
sent a demand to Victor Emmanuel
startinEly like the fateful ultimatum
which lately went to Servia in his name. |
His demand was nothing less than |
command that the King should disarm |
and dismiss the Italians from the other
states of Italy, who had volunteered
for service in tho army of Sardinia. 1t
was equivalent to a declaration of war.
and Napoleon III hastened to the side of
with him. And the allied French and
Italians defeated the Austrians on the
field at MontebellO, where they had been
vanquished by Napoleon 1 on the eve OF
MarengO.
Another fortnight brought another vic
tory for the allies at Margenta, when |
Francis Joseph hurried into the field and
personally took command of his discom- |
fited troops as they fell back among the
forts in the old cockpit. There the last
scene in the war was enacted on the
senger for Venice as his train rounds |
the shapely foot of Lake Granda.
The Tower at SoIferIno.
For II was among lnOSe very HlllS. ]
where the first Napoleon had won the
victory of CastigliOne, that EictorNE NEm-
manuel and Napoleon III fought the
battle of Solferino, and Austria again
was driven out of Lombardy. The tall
tower of San MRrtno commentaries that
triumph, and on its inner walls are in |.
scribed in bronze the names of no less
than $4,000 Italians who took part IN I
the wars for the liberation of Italy.
Down in the valley below, an Austrian !
Emperor came TO French Emperor. as
after AusterlitZ, to sue for peace. There
at Nillafrance, without consulting the
wishes of his italian ally, Napoleon III
agreed to let Francis Joseph retain Ven /
ice. Nenitia. the Trentino and Dalma- |
tia Afterward the French Emperor him |
self took from Victor Emmanuel as
reward for his services, the part of the
Riviera which includes the beautiful
cities of Mentone and Nice and also the /
DuChy of Savoy. whose boundaries run
from the present Italian frontier in the
Alps down TO the shore of Lake Geneva. |
II is no wonder that the gratitude of
Italy to her French ally has not taken /
form among the statues OF her deliver |
crs at San MaTtinO. nor that a statue /
Of Napoleon III in Milan remains in the !
CbscuTity OF back yard. Yet he served
the larger purpose.
After only seven more years of wait /
ing, Austria consulted the better part
of valor and betook herself from Venice. /
1t was while Bismarck was tOning up
Prussia with free doses of blood and iron, |
and Italy entered into alliance with him /
against Austria. The Seven Days War !
ensued and at its end Francis Joseph I
ceded TO Victor Emmanuel Venice and !
Nenitia, but not Dalmatia and the Italian /
Tyrol And II was none other than 1
Prince Richard. the son OF Metternich. |
who consummated the transfer, thereby |
making Italy more than "a mere geo. !
graphical definition"
In four years more came the Franco |
Prussian war. and Italy found her ad- |
vantage in that she had in the Aus |
tro-Prussian struggle Of 1906. The French 4
empire which had been supporting the |
temporal sovereignty OF the Pope, find |
ing Il necessary to call home its Ro- |
man garrisons. Victor Emmanuel invaded \
the Papal states and entered Rome. Thus |
the occupation OF the entire peninsulAr 1
was completed with a kingdom extending |
from the summit of the Alps to the !
Straits of Messina-
Three-quarters OF a century and more !
has passed since the roar OF battle last !
was heard I'm the old cockpit, where now /
the cross and crown OF Italy float above !
the chain OF forts forged by her one-t