Evening journal., 1917-12-28

While there are very obvious limita-
tions to any parallel between the pres.
ent campaign In The Italian mountains
and the great Vordun struggle. It is
still possible % get certain measure
Of light from the earlier operation. In
The first place, Nerdun. like the Italian
campaign had political objective even
more compelling than the military. Il
was designed 10 crush France for the
period Of the war, compelling the re-
public to make q separate peace and
thus eliminating it as factor in the
war
This same political purpose manifest
iy underlies the Austro- German strategy
on the italian front The Central Pow
ers, convinced that Italy Is war weary
and that the dome TIC conditions are
sufficiently bad 10 insure an internal
collapse following a military disaster.
IRE endeavoring TO bring about such a
disaster. As at Nerdun the first pur-
pose IS to break The spirit and the
military power Of whole nation rather
han 10 gain any mere limited success
measured in ground gained or territory
occupied.
On the purely military side the Yer
dun operation had three phases. The
first was supplied by the gigantic as
sault which carried the Germans into
Fort Douaumont in the first few days
OF the campaign. The second phase was
supplied by The operations the French
call the Battle OF the Wings" which
was marked by the capture Of Dead
Mans Hill and Hill 30i on the west
bank Of the Meuse, in March and April.
and Of Fort de NauX on the east bank.
IN the first days of June Finally came
The last phase, the attack, or rather
he siege operations, against the center.
which carried the Germans 20 the ditch
Of Fort de SOuvlle IN July and August
and would have brought them TO YER
dun had not the offensive at the Somme
compelled them 20 abandon the VerduD
feld.
Now. the first Auetro-German attack.
hat on the Upper lsonzO, was a gigan.
tic assault. like that al Nerdun, but
more Immediately successful 10 brought
about complete dislocaiion Of the ltar
llan front-a thing not achieved at Yer
dun, although expected by the Germans
But after considerable retreat the
Italian front was again established be,
hind the piave and thence along the
.irst slopes OF the Alps from The Piave
TO the Astlco AZ Nerdun the French
line was re-eslablished on the Douau-
mont Plateau.
once the italian line had been re-es-
'ahiished the Germans were faced with
a problem i'm a measure recalling the
NCrdun situation Their main effort was
directed al positions on either side Of
e considerable rver-this time the Bren-
"a, not tho Aleuse Could they break the
"esis.ancc on either bank Of the river.
The whole Piayc front TO the south
would collapse and an Italian retreat
behind The Adige would follow, with
'he additional possibility that the lta-
liaus might bee caught and involved in
a terrible roui, since an Ausiro-German
advance south out of the mountains
would promptly reach the main line
Of retreat, the railroad and highway
from TreyisO TO Nicenza and Verona
Thus i'm something the ia hion that
the Germans attacked FIRST on their
tight. west of the Aleuse. and then on
their left. east of that stream, the Aus
tr0-Gcrmans are now attacking east OF
the Brenta and west Of IT, Monte Crap
pa and the Asiago Plateau thus CORE
spond roughly 10 Dead Mans Hill and
Fort deNauX in the Nerdun operation.
Now, the situation that exists on the
Italian front is quite analogous to the
Nordun situation in March and April,
1916 Could the Germans have pushed
south over Dead Mans Hin and Hill 30i