The Germans from the very beginning understood the real danger that might come to the Central Powers through Italian action.  Every effort was made by the foreign office to keep her neutral.  First threats were used, later promises were held out of addition to Italian territory if she would send her troops to Germany’s assistance.  When this failed the most strenuous efforts were made to keep Italy neutral, and a former German premier, Prince von Buelow, was sent to Italy for this purpose.  Socialist leaders, too, were sent from Germany to urge the Italian Socialists to insist upon neutrality.

[Illustration:  Italy’s titanic Labor to conquer the Alps

When the Italians were making their first mighty advance against Austria descriptions came through of the almost unbelievable natural obstacles they were conquering.  Getting one of the monster guns into position in the mountains, as shown above, over the track that had to be built for every foot of its progress, was one such handicap.]

In July, 1914, the Italian Government was not taken by surprise.  They had observed the increase year by year of the German army and of the German fleet.  At the end of the Balkan wars they had been asked whether they would agree to an Austrian attack upon Serbia.  They had consequently long been deliberating as to what their course should be in case of war, and they had made up their minds that under no circumstances would they aid Germany against England.

Quite independently of her long-standing friendship with England it would be suicide to Italy in her geographical position to enter a war which should permit her coast to be attacked by the English and French navies, and her participation in the Triple Alliance always carried the proviso that it did not bind her to fight England.  This was well known in the German foreign office, and, indeed, in France where the writers upon war were reckoning confidently on the withdrawing of Italy from the Triple Alliance, and planning to use the entire forces of France against Germany.

A better understanding of the Italian position will result from a consideration of the origin of the Triple Alliance.

After the war of 1870, Bismarck, perceiving the quick recovery of France, considered the advisability of attacking her again, and, to use his own words, “bleeding her white.”  He found, however, that if this were attempted France would be joined by Russia and England and he gave up this plan.  In order, however, to render France powerless he planned an alliance which should be able to control Europe.  A league between Germany, Austria and Russia was his desire, and for some time every opportunity was taken to develop friendship with the Czar.  Russia, however, remained cool.  Her Pan-Slavonic sympathies were opposed to the interests of Germany.  Bismarck, therefore, determined, without losing the friendship of Russia, to persuade Italy to join in the continental combination.  Italy, at the time, was the least formidable of the six great powers, but Bismarck foresaw that she could be made good use of in such a combination.