war and the future-第9章

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down　to　the　head　of　the　mule　track　below。

Originally　all　these　crests　were　in　Austrian　hands；　they　were
stormed　by　the　Alpini　under　almost　incredible　conditions。　　For
fifteen　days；　for　example；　they　fought　their　way　up　these　screes
on　the　flanks　of　Tofana　No。　2　to　the　ultimate　crags；　making
perhaps　a　hundred　metres　of　ascent　each　day；　hiding　under　rocks
and　in　holes　in　the　daylight　and　receiving　fresh　provisions　and
ammunition　and　advancing　by　night。　　They　were　subjected　to　rifle
fire；　machine…gun　fire　and　bombs　of　a　peculiar　sort；　big　iron
balls　of　the　size　of　a　football　filled　with　explosive　that　were
just　flung　down　the　steep。　　They　dodged　flares　and　star　shells。
At　one　place　they　went　up　a　chimney　that　would　be　far　beyond　the
climbing　powers　of　any　but　a　very　active　man。　　It　must　have　been
like　storming　the　skies。　　The　dead　and　wounded　rolled　away　often
into　inaccessible　ravines。　　Stray　skeletons；　rags　of　uniform；
fragments　of　weapons；　will　add　to　the　climbing　interest　of　these
gaunt　masses　for　many　years　to　come。　　In　this　manner　it　was　that
Tofana　No。　2　was　taken。

Now　the　Italians　are　organising　this　prize；　and　I　saw　winding　up
far　above　me　on　the　steep　grey　slope　a　multitudinous　string　of
little　things　that　looked　like　black　ants；　each　carrying　a　small
bright　yellow　egg。　　They　were　mules　bringing　back　balks　of
timber。。。。

But　one　position　held　out　invincibly；　this　was　the　Castelletto；　a
great　natural　fortress　of　rock　standing　out　at　an　angle　of　the
mountain　in　such　a　position　that　it　commanded　the　Italian
communications　（the　Dolomite　road）　in　the　valley　below；　and
rendered　all　their　positions　uncomfortable　and　insecure。　　This
obnoxious　post　was　practically　inaccessible　either　from　above　or
below；　and　it　barred　the　Italians　even　from　looking　into　the　Val
Travenanzes　which　it　defended。　　It　was；　in　fact；　an　impregnable
position；　and　against　it　was　pitted　the　invincible　5th　Group　of
the　Alpini。　　It　was　the　old　problem　of　the　irresistible　force　in
conflict　with　the　immovable　object。　　And　the　outcome　has　been　the
biggest　military　mine　in　all　history。

The　business　began　in　January；　1916；　with　surveys　of　the　rock　in
question。　　The　work　of　surveying　for　excavations；　never　a　very
simple　one；　becomes　much　more　difficult　when　the　site　is　occupied
by　hostile　persons　with　machine　guns。　　In　March；　as　the　winter's
snows　abated；　the　boring　machinery　began　to　arrive；　by　mule　as
far　as　possible　and　then　by　hand。　　Altogether　about　half　a
kilometre　of　gallery　had　to　be　made　to　the　mine　chamber；　and
meanwhile　the　explosive　was　coming　up　load　by　load　and　resting
first　here；　then　there；　in　discreetly　chosen　positions。　　There
were　at　the　last　thirty…five　tons　of　it　in　the　inner　chamber。
And　while　the　boring　machines　bored　and　the　work　went　on；
Lieutenant　Malvezzi　was　carefully　working　out　the　problem　of　〃il
massimo　effetto　dirompimento〃　and　deciding　exactly　how　to　pack
and　explode　his　little　hoard。　　On　the　eleventh　of　July；　at　3。30；
as　he　rejoices　to　state　in　his　official　report；　〃the　mine
responded　perfectly　both　in　respect　of　the　calculations　made　and
of　the　practical　effects；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　Austrians　were
largely　missing　and　the　Italians　were　in　possession　of　the　crater
of　the　Castelletto　and　looking　down　the　Val　Travenanzes　from
which　they　had　been　barred　for　so　long。　　Within　a　month　things
had　been　so　tidied　up；　and　secured　by　further　excavations　and
sandbags　against　hostile　fire；　that　even　a　middle…aged　English
writer；　extremely　fagged　and　hot　and　breathless；　could　enjoy　the
same　privilege。　　All　this；　you　must　understand；　had　gone　on　at　a
level　to　which　the　ordinary　tourist　rarely　climbs；　in　a　rarefied；
chest…tightening　atmosphere；　with　wisps　of　clouds　floating　in　the
clear　air　below　and　club…huts　close　at　hand。。。。

Among　these　mountains　avalanches　are　frequent；　and　they　come　down
regardless　of　human　strategy。　　In　many　cases　the　trenches　cross
avalanche　tracks；　they　and　the　men　in　them　are　periodically　swept
away　and　periodically　replaced。　　They　are　positions　that　must　be
held；　if　the　Italians　will　not　face　such　sacrifices；　the
Austrians　will。　　Avalanches　and　frostbite　have　slain　and　disabled
their　thousands；　they　have　accounted　perhaps　for　as　many　Italians
in　this　austere　and　giddy　campaign　as　the　Austrians。。。。


3

It　seems　to　be　part　of　the　stern　resolve　of　Fate　that　this；　the
greatest　of　wars；　shall　be　the　least　glorious；　it　is　manifestly
being　decided　not　by　victories　but　by　blunders。　　It　is　indeed　a
history　of　colossal　stupidities。　　Among　the　most　decisive　of
these　blunders；　second　only　perhaps　of　the　blunder　of　the　Verdun
attack　and　far　outshining　the　wild　raid　of　the　British　towards
Bagdad；　was　the　blunder　of　the　Trentino　offensive。　　It　does　not
need　the　equipment　of　a　military　expert；　it　demands　only　quite
ordinary　knowledge　and　average　intelligence；　to　realise　the　folly
of　that　Austrian　adventure。　　There　is　some　justification　for　a
claim　that　the　decisive　battle　of　the　war　was　fought　upon　the
soil　of　Italy。　　There　is　still　more　justification　for　saying　that
it　might　have　been。

There　was　only　one　good　point　about　the　Austrian　thrust。　　No　one
could　have　foretold　it。　　And　it　did　so　completely　surprise　the
Italians　as　to　catch　them　without　any　prepared　line　of　positions
in　the　rear。　　On　the　very　eve　of　the　big　Russian　offensive；　the
Austrians　thrust　eighteen　divisions　hard　at　the　Trentino
frontier。　　The　Italian　posts　were　then　in　Austrian　territory；
they　held　on　the　left　wing　and　the　right；　but　they　were　driven　by
the　sheer　weight　of　men　and　guns　in　the　centre；　they　lost　guns
and　prisoners　because　of　the　difficulty　of　mountain　retreats　to
which　I　have　alluded；　and　the　Austrians　pouring　through　reached
not　indeed　the　plain　of　Venetia；　but　to　the　upland　valleys
immediately　above　it；　to　Asiago　and　Arsiero。　　They　probably　saw
the　Venetian　plain　through　gaps　in　the　hills；　but　they　were　still
separated　from　it　even　at　Arsiero　by　what　are　mountains　to　an
English　eye；　mountains　as　high　as　Snowdon。　　But　the　Italians　of
such　beautiful　old　places　and　Vicenza；　Marostica；　and　Bassano
could　watch　the　Austrian　shells　bursting　on　the　last　line　of
hills　above　the　plain；　and　I　have　no　doubt　they　felt　extremely
uneasy。

As　one　motors　through　these　ripe　and　beautiful　towns　and　through
the　rich　valleys　that　link　themit　is　a　smiling　land　abounding
in　old　castles　and　villas；　Vicenza　is　a　rich　museum　of　Palladio's
architecture　and　Bassano　is　full　of　irreplaceable　painted
buildingsone　feels　that　the　things　was　a　narrow　escape；　but
from　the　military　point　of　view　it　was　merely　an　insane　escapade。
The　Austrians　had　behind　themand　some　way　behind　themone
little　strangulated　railway　and　no　good　pass　road；　their　right
was　held　at　Pasubio；　their　left　was　similarly　bent　back。　　In
front　of　them　was　between　twice　and　three　times　their　number　of
first　class　troops；　with　an　unlimited　equipment。　　If　they　had
surmounted　that　last　mountain　crest　they　would　have　come　down　to
almost　certain　destruction　in　the　plain。　　They　could　never　have
got　back。　　For　a　time　it　was　said　that　General　Cardona　considered
that　possibility。　　From　the　point　of　view　of　purely　military
considerations；　the　Trentino　offensive　should　perhaps　have　ended
in　the　capitulation　of　Vicenza。

I　will　confess　I　am　glad　it　did　not　do　so。　　This　tour　of　the
fronts　has　made　me　very　sad　and　weary　with　a　succession　of　ruins。
I　can　bear　no　more　ruins　unless　they　are　the　ruins　of　Dusseldorf；
Cologne；　Berlin；　or　suchlike　modern　German　city。　　Anxious　as　I　am
to　be　a　systematic　Philistine；　to　express　my　preference　for
Marinetti　over　the　Florentine　British　and　generally　to　antagonise
aesthetic　prigs；　I　rejoiced　over　that　sunlit　land　as　one
might　rejoice　over　a　child　saved　from　beasts。

On　the　hills　beyond　Schio　I　walked　out　through　the　embrasure　of　a
big　gun　in　a　rock　gallery；　and　saw　the　highest　points　upon　the
hillside　to　which　the　Austrian　infantry　clambered　in　their　futile
last　attacks。　　Below　me　were　the　ruins　of　Arsiero　and　Velo
d'Astico　recovered；　and　across　the　broad　valley　rose　Monte　Cimone
with　the　Italian　trenches　upon　its　crest　and　the　Austrians　a
little　below　to