WAR SCARRED ITALY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 97, 17 January 1918, Page 6

WAR SCARRED ITALY

CAMPAIGNS ON THE NORTHERN PLAIN FROM ATTILA TO THE GREAT NAPOLEON The chief topographic feature of the northern Italian plain is the. River Po, which rises in the west and flows through Piacenza, Cremona, and l«errara, until it reaches the Adriatic, some 30 miles south of Venice. Flowing into it from the north are its tributaries, tho Tieino, Adda, Oglio, Mincio, and Atlige. Besides these, flowing from north io south, are the Brcnta, Piave, Tagliameiito, and Isonsso, which reach the Gulf of Venice north-east of the mouth of tho I o. Tho historical invasions of the plain have been in nearly all cases from the east or west; the smith, after the decline of the Roman Empire, has always been inhabited by peaceful and friendly nations. In tho north the Alps form nn almost insurmountable barrier. These rivers flowing fronv north to south have, therefore, provided tho main features of previous campaigns, as 'they are doing in the present. Tho'first invasion of which ws have any record is that of Attila in A.D. 451 He captured Aquileia, near the mouth of the Isonzo- «"d advanced as far as Turin and Modena. Gibbon states that he used "ermines that threw stones, darts, and fire," showing 'that tho methods of the Huns of those days had some similarity to modern warfare. The Huns retired, to give place to the Lombards, who, under their king Alboin. invaded the country from the east. They orossed the. Julian Alps, and very soon overran the whole of Northern Italy, which they formed into the Kingdom of Lombardy. During the Middle Ages, Northern Italy was split up into a number of small States, whose chief occupation was warring upon one another. Ur these tho chief were Genoa, llorence, Milan, and Ferrara: Venice hardly concerned herself with the mainland, her attention being: concentrated upon the establishment of a colonial empire. The dissensions of these States made it easy for foreign aggressors to mvade their territories. In 1495 and again in 1499, Charles VIII of France invaded Italy from the west; and in lolu the State of Milan was finally wrested from the crasp of its prince, Liidovico Sforza ("fl Mbro") by Francis I. But the Holy Roman Empire was not disposed to see Ttaly fall under French influence without interference, and the battle of Pavia, in which the trench were defeated, may be looked upon as the first appearance of Austria as a I ruler in Italy.

Napoleon! From that time until the Napoleonic wars was a period of comparative peace. But iu ]/9o Kapoleou was placed in command of the army of Italy, which was stationed west of the Apennines, and a campaign against, Austria was commenced. In a month her ally Piedmont had submitted, and a week later Napoleon crossed the Po at liacenza. His progress from this time may be traced by his forcing of .its tributaries. At the battle of Lodi, two mouths after tho campaign began, he crossed the Adda, and a. fortnight later he crossed the Mincio at Borghetto. The Austrian commander, who was based on the Tyrol, took his stand oil the Breuta, but was defeated at Bassano. This campaign, which included the Austrian defeats of Areola and ltivoli, ended by the establishment of tho French line on the Tagliamento. After exactly a year's lighting peace was mado at Campo Formio. But the Austrians were left ;n posjsession of the Italian plain, and in .1800 Napoleon inaugurated a. second campaign for their expulsion. Re defeated them at Marengo, and _ drove them eastwards behind the Mincio. .lho conclusion of peace left the French iu uosssssion of Lombardy and Venetia. The Treaty of Paris in 1815 gave these provinces onco more to Austria, but the Italians, remembering the enlightened rule of tho French, heenme restive under their new masters. Dissatisfaction expressed itself in the sets of the Carbonari', who received considerable popular support, and culinuiated in the establishment by Itaim ot tho Young Italy Party in 1831. Despite severe measures of repression by tho Austrians, the movement grew until it acquired considerable force, under the guidance of such men as Count Cavour, then the energetic editor of "II llisoi'gimento." During the years preceding IMS Metternich, the all-powerful Austrian statesman and a bitter opponent of Italian freedom did everything in his power to obstruct the growth ot liberal ideas in Italy. But he was overthrown by the revolution of that year iu Vienna, and the Austrian Government, alarmed by his fall, introduced mors conciliatory measures. It was, however, too late. Later in the same vear tho Austrians were driven out of Milan by a popular rising. The whole of Northern Italy caught lire and i|i a short time they held nothing but the famous "quadrilateral" of fortresses—Verona, Legnano, Peschiera and Mantua. Piedmont declared war on behalf of the rebels, but the patriots committed many errors, and Riidetzky, the Austrian general, was enabled to win the battle of Novara in 1849, and tho Austrian dominion was re-established.

Tho Later Years. When Austria attacked Piedmont in 1809, the latter had the-assistance ot France, and the Austrians were defeated by the Piedmontese and their French allies at Magenta and Solferino, as well as in several smaller battles. At this stage; however, Napoleon, fearin" io go too far, withdrew his support, and the campaign ended with the cession of Lombardy to Piedmont, hut with Austria still in possession of Venetia and the quadrilateral. The Italians were undismayed by this partial failure. Victor Emmanuel, the Kin" of Piedmont, which now comprised all Northern Italy with the exception of Venetia, formed nn alliance with Prussia, nnd watched for an opportunity of relrasinr: Venetia This onportunity came with the declaration of war by Prussia on Austria in 186(3. Victor Emmanuel delivered war in bis l-urn, and. profitiim liy Austria s embarrassments, conducted a successful rampnirJi- T » spite of a reverse at Oustoraa, ond' a somewhat "'C""'.'!''sive naval battle at Lizzn, the Picclniontese contrived to drive tho .ulstrians from the quadrilateral, and to force them back tn th" lmo-of the lsnnxo. which prnctlrally formed _ the fi-oiit'er between Italy nnrt -Austria at 11,, niithrpufc <>f thr present war. With the release of Venetm from tbo usurper's voke. the l»«t obrtaclp. in £« wsv of unity wns removed, and in IMii Victnr Kiiit.i.tmipl "•!"= "owned "t Rome as King of United Italy.