Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-28
TELLS why ITALY JOINED
HATED TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Became Member at Point of Pistol
to Satisfy Bismarck's Political
Ambitions.
WAS ALONE, WITH HAPsBURGs
Austria Had Become Absolute Mis-
tress, Not Only Of Population, but
OF River Banks and Great Roads
Of Invasion.
By GUGLIELMO FERRERO,
itnlSh FOrenokt HthtortaU,

FLORENCE, ITALY, July 2E--one OF
the points in 1taly's war that foreIen-
ers In general and Americans In par.
ticular still fan to understand. and
which requires some explanation. is:
What Vas the reason for Italy's inter-
For over thrty-two years italy has
been allied TO Germany and Austria
Why. then. did she throw In her lot
with the enemies OF tho eentral powers
when the world conflict burst?
The contradiction between her inter.
vention and the policy which she Trad
hitherto constantly followed had lent
itself to many direct and indirect ac-
central empires. II. is. therefore. wort II
while to make this point perfectly clea r
once for all
Policy of Vienna Congress.
In order to do SO we must go as far
hack as the Vienna congress, because
italys intervention in the war ts MOTH
ing but the last consequence of tho
policy which prevailed at the congress
OF Fiennx in regard to italy.
II Will be remembered that the con.
on their feet all the little states which
were in existence in Italy before the
revolution. but handed over Lombardy
and the Feneto to the Austrian empire.
ing small and weak. the Austrian EN-.
pire became the dominating power
throughout the peninsula. Thus Italy,
u not By right. became In fact an AUS
triAn protectorate. And Austria awaited
herself Of this predominating authority
10 weigh on the affairs OF each Italian
state at her will and pleasure. At
Turin. at Modena, Florence in Rome,
In naples the Austrian minister's word
was law.
And everywhere. Austria backed the
rcactionary, absolutist aristocrat party,
the party which looked upon the French
regarded every form OF political lib
erty as the high road TO ruin.
Groaned In Bondage.
IT, between 1915 and 1S4s, while
| France and England progressed, en-
5oyed the advantages Of an ever
increasing liberty and were able to
develop their culture and their COM
merce. perfecting their political and
social institutions. Italy groaned in
bondage and was condemned TO the
most humiliatinG ignorance. the fault
was entirely Austria's. Austria every
where lent willing hand to the re-
dictionary parties in order to stamp
down ruthiessly every attempt toward
freedom and progress.
,s Italy ,r rose up p In rebellion ;la' Sin In
tried again in 1859, with the holp
OF France, and this time was more
successful. The Italian question re.
ceived a first solution. satisfactory. but
incomplete. When we think that Aus
tria had 4 population almost half again
as large IS that Of Italy. an area twice
as extended and one OF the oldest and
most powerful armies in Europe; when
| we remember that Austria regarded
Italy az terrain of protectorate ant
domination, forcibly wrenched from
France. It is not difficult to understand
! that Italy could not possibly be salts
fed with this partial solution of the
Italian question. Venice on the other
| hand, clamored for reunion 10 tue
| mother country.
Concludes Pruksian Alliance.
1t was thus that in 1856 Italy con-
cluded an alliance with Prussia IN
order to attempt to rescue the whole
We were guilty and Bismarck's treason
prevented us this time. too. from ac-
We received the Xsneto put + austria
alns on on the wns a she iii sde Ga
banks and or the great roads of in,
srsheless; UP TN 1870; this. s't ga,
after. 1870 the situation changed COM:
he srenEth 81 the 0nser
authority which was hers before the
unfortunate war with Prussia and was
TO be able to defend Italy against an
Austrian attack.
Italy found herself isolated before
the empire Of the Hapsburgs-namely
in front of state more wealthy, more
,hiskly populated. stronger from 2
virtue Of tradition, which hailed as
far back az the year 1915, regarded
Italy as a country destined to rema in
under Austrian guardianship.
Bismarck Steps In.
Bismarck took advantage Of the
situation TO blackmail Italy into the
triple alliance. He declared himself
ready to guarantee ltaly's integrity
OH condition that she should adhere
to the alliance which Germany had
already concluded with Austria, We
were thus Obliged to accept an
alliance with Austria, with a pistol
clapped 10 our head. in order to avoid
q war against an empire having an
army double our own. II was a case
of alliance or war.
BY means Of the triple alliance Aus
tria had partly recovered that domi-
mating position in italy which she
had lost in 1859 aud in 1866. This
situation was not only humiliating.
but also dangerous.
The great argument with which the
irritation OF the italian people against
the hated alliance has always been
Gained was always the same-the
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