Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-27


another attack against the western
front and not as a distinct military
operation.
Russ Collapse Big Blow.
But these offensives perhaps new
er would have been begun had II
lot been for the collapse of Russia
during the past winter. German
and Austrian troops, released from
the Russian front, were taken tC
France and Italy to swell the
masses of men hurled against the
allies in the western theatre OF op-
erations AS long as Russia re
NAMED in the fight she held great
numbers of Teutonic troops in the
east, and her withdrawal from tbs
war exercised a fundamental inf1u-
ence on the course of its develop
ment.
Situation a Year Ago.
The year opened with the for
tunes of war apparently favorine
the entente. The British had forced
back the Germans to the famous
Ifindenburg line. The French hac
established themselves firmly along
the Chemin des Danes, north OF
the Aisne. The echoes of Nerdur
were still ringing the knell of Ger
man hopes in that sector Of the bat
tie area. The Italians were holding
their lines along the 1sOnzo. The
rejuvenated Russian regiment Of
July First" had carried the war fai
into the Austrian defenses in Buko
wilma and Galicia.
Through August and September
1917, there came rumOrs that RUS
STA was exhausted by the war, am
quiet settled down along the lines
from the gates of the Carpathian:
TO the Baltic. Stories were heart
Of determination of German an(
Russian troops, but assurances
came from PetrogTad that Russia
would stand true to her allies.
Fall Offensive in Italy.
The German and Austrian hlgf
commands had no Illusions as t
further Russian belligerency
There came to the allies report
that the central empires were TAX
ing the pick of their force from
the Russian front and concentrat
ing them for a drive against som'
part of the line in the western
theatre. Then came intimation'
that the blow was aimed agaIns
Italy.
The storm broke at Caporetto OF
Oct. 26 and almost immediatel!
the whole Italian line was throw
into disorder. Pouring through
t. G passes, where in some instanc
es disaffected Italian troops hel'
positions, the Germans and Aus
trians made progress which from
the first was alarming. By Wls'
generalship, the Italian line wa:
withdrawn from the Isonzo- l
paused at the Tagliamento an(
then retired further until 1t rest
ed on the Piave, almost within
sight of the domes of Venice
Here the Italian army reformed it.
columns, consolidated its position
by Withdrawing from the RhaetiaI
mountains to the AsiagO plateau
and, assisted by the French rein
fOrcements brought to that battle
front, stood at bay.
Russian Collapse.
Events in the meanwhile haC
been moving swiftly in Russia. Oh
November /, while the Offensiv,
against Italy was under way, Alex
ander +. Kerensky, then the Rus
sian premier, announced that Rus
STA was worn out by the war AM
/ that the allies must shoulder tn
| burden thencefOrWard
Seven days later Kerensky wa
| deposed by the BOlsheviki. Tn
/ fall and flight Of Kerensky wa
the signal for Germany and Aus
| tria to enter into peace negotia
lions with Russia. On Novembe
I 30 the BoIsheviki announced tina
Russia was out of the wa" and pro
posed that all the allies join in ne
gotiatiOns for an armistice.
Russian and German representa-
| tiVes met at Brest LitOysk on De
cember %, and terms of peac
were exchanged. No progress wa
made with the negotiations, an
| the conference was broken up OF
January II. In the meantime,
new republic had sprung from tn
side of Russia. 1t was Ukraine,
/ territory extending along the Ru
manian and Galician frontier from
the Black sea nOrthward to Cholm
in ancient Poland With this repub
lie, the central empires made peac
late in January.
The failure of the BOlsheviki au
thorities to reach any agreemen
with the Germans resulted in tn
renewal Of hOstilities on Februar,
! s, and the German armies moves
forward once more.
Brest-LitOvsk Treaty.
This brought about a renewal o
| the peace negotiations. and a
Brest-Litovsk the Bolsheviki wer
given to understand that German.
would recognize the kingdom o
Poland, the republic of Ukraine
the independence of Finland, an.
| the separate governmental statu
of Lithuania, Esthonia and Livonia
/ Turkey, as an ally of the centra
powers, was given a great area L
/ the east of the Black sea includ
! ing the regions OF Batun, Kars ant
| Erivan.
With the announcement of tn
final signing of the treaty between
the BOlsheviki and Germany. tn
allies gave up hope that Russi
would remain in the conflict, an
at once they began to strengthen
their lines against the coming o
the great German offensive b.
which Berlin and Vienna hoped t
force the entente nations to max
peace.
Rumania Capitulates.
With the greater part OF her ter
h. Inr-rrn % ne