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Show H HISTORIC BATTLE-GROUND. CO students of history the mighty battle now raging upon the plains of northern Italy will recall those other celebrated cam- H paigns waged in this very region. It will be remembered how the B Huns of old, led by Kaiser Wilhelm's patron saint, Attila, who styled M himself the "Scourge of God," swept over this pleasant country in the 1 fifth century, terrorizing the inhabitants and laying waste to all the M land. But the present conflict particularly recalls the memorable cam- H paign waged by Napoleon against the Austrians some hundred and H twenty years ago, for many of the elements involved and issues at H stake in that struggle were similar to those now in contest. Hj It was following Napoleon's whirlwind campaign in Italy during H which, in the name of the new French republic, he had shattered in H swift 'succession five mighty armies sent against him by the mon- H archies of Europe and had thereby succeeded in liberating the H Italian provinces from the heel of the Church and of foreign despots H f that Austria determined to raise another mighty army and renew the H ' contest for the control of the Italian provinces. France had promised H the Italians a fair measure of self government, and this pronounced H policy simply served to fan the flames of political liberty that were H breaking out among all the European peoples. Every throne was H trembling and in defense of their crowns every sovereign on the con- H tinent supported Austria in a final desperate attempt to stamp out the H , spirit of popular rights before it should become too deeply imbedded H in the hearts of the people. H So it was that all eyes were turned towards Italy in the early months of 1797. Archduke Charles of Austria had mobilized a mag-H mag-H nificent army of upwards of one hundred thousand men and had al-M al-M ready marched from Vienna to the banks of the Piave, where the pres- ent conflict is now raging. Napoleon with an army half that size was I in winter quarters at Bassano, a good two days' march to thewest-ward. thewest-ward. When intelligence came to him of the close proximity of tlic enemy he decided to strike like the lightning, notwithstanding a vio- lent snow storm that was then in progress. He immediately gave the order to march and the French troops, with their accustomed celerity, covered the distance inside of twenty-four hours. Their sudden appearance appear-ance on the banks of the Piave in the midst of a blinding snow storm so astonished the Austrians that they fled precipitiously some forty miles to the rear where they determined to make a stand on the eastern east-ern banks of the Tagliamento. Napoleon continued his forced march all that day and night, keeping closely upon the heels of the enemy. On the following morning he arrived at the river, only to find the Austrians in battle array and prepared to challenge his crossing. The odds appeared to be heavily against him. His army had marched continuously for two days and nights, braving the violent elements as best it could and had dragged its heavy armament and supply trains through snow and mire all the way. The French troops were apparently in no shape to contest with an army twice their number, num-ber, composed of well-fed and well-sheltered soldiers who were fresh and eager for the fray. Here is where the genius of ftapoleon again asserted itself. Sensing the futility of attempting to ford the river under the withering fire of the Austrians, he ordered his troops to withdrawfrom the range of the enemy's guns and prepare for breakfast. break-fast. His weary soldiers eagerly went into bivouac, stacking their arms and throwing themselves on the ground for a well-earned rest. ' Soon the fires were kindled and the pots boiling, all within plain sight of the enemy. The Austrian commander, viewing the extraordinary spectacle, supposed of course that his adversary refused to attempt to ford the stream and give battle until his exhausted troops had sufficient suf-ficient time to refresh themselves. So the Austrian forces were also withdrawn from the river to their encampments some distance to the rear. Then the unexpected happened. The French bugles sounded the charge. The troops of Napoleon, disciplined to prompt action, sprang to arms, formed in battle array on the run and were well across the river before the astonished Austrians realized what was happening. Archduke Charles rallied his army as best he could, but the rapidity with which the French veterans moved against him so disconcerted his troops that the battle, though bloody, was of short duration. The Austrian army, decisively defeated, turned in its tracks and beat a hasty retreat. Napoleon followed up his brilliant success and never lost sight of the enemy. Then began his celebrated campaign in the Carnic Alps. Braving a hostile army and the elements, he speedily fought his way through the narrow defiles and across the mountain passes and inside of twenty days from his departure from Bassano he had whipped an army twice the size of his own, crossed the mighty natural barriers of the Alps, marched down the fertile valleys tributary to the Danube and was hammering at the very gates of Vienna. Thus was the haughty Hun of a century ago humbled upon his own threshhold, and history will repeat itself when the modern champions of popular rights succeed in throwing their full strength into the field. The Huns will again be hurled back across the Alps. |