PART V.--THE BALKANS XLIX. DIPLOMACY IN THE BALKANS PART VI.--ITALY ENTERS THE WAR L. ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE WARRING POWERS LI. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CENTRAL POWERS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FRENCH GUN BEFORE ARRAS APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID FIRE MOROCCAN TROOPS IN CAMP AT ARCY BELGIAN SOLDIERS RE-FORMING FOR A FRESH ATTACK CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS AT BAYONET PRACTICE GERMAN SOLDIERS LIVING IN A CAVE IN FRANCE COMPLETING AN UNDERGROUND SHELTER FRENCH SOLDIERS LEAVING THEIR TRENCH FOR A CHARGE ARMORED AUTOMOBILE INTERCEPTING A TROOP OF CAVALRY SUBMARINE MAKING OBSERVATION ON SURFACE PRAYER IN A FRENCH CHURCH IN USE AS A HOSPITAL FRENCH SOLDIERS CARRYING WOUNDED MEN TO AMBULANCES CARING FOR A WOUNDED RED CROSS DOG DEATH OF A TRAITOR TO FRANCE NEW BRITISH MONITOR NEAR OSTEND SINKING OF THE FALABA LUSITANIA DISASTER GERMAN GUNNERS AIMING AT A RUSSIAN AEROPLANE RUSSIAN FLOATING MINE WASHED ASHORE ALONG THE WEICHSEL GERMAN SOLDIERS ON THE SANDS OF SKATRE OBSERVATION STATION IN A TREE NEAR THE MEMEL GERMAN CRUISERS NEAR MEMEL DISINFECTING CLOTHING IN A PETROGRAD HOSPITAL GERDAUEN, EAST PRUSSIA, BURNED IN THE RUSSIAN INVASION SERVICE IN A WAYSIDE CHAPEL IN GALICIA AUSTRIAN TELEPHONE STATION TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF AUSTRIAN UHLANS INTO PRZEMYSL RUSSIAN BRIDGE DESTROYED IN THE RETREAT TOWARD WARSAW JAPANESE GUN AND AMMUNITION NEAR GRODNO TEMPORARY BRIDGE ACROSS THE DRINA AMERICAN DOCTORS IN SERBIA SERBIAN DEAD IN THE PLAGUE OF TYPHUS EFFECT OF TEUTON SHELLS ON THE FORTS AT PRZEMSYL, GALICIA LIST OF MAPS POLAND AND THE RUSSO-GERMAN FRONTIER (_Colored Map_) WESTERN BATTLE LINE, JANUARY 1, 1915 NEUVE CHAPELLE, BATTLE AT YPRES, GAS BATTLE OF FIGHTING IN ALSACE-HARTMANNSWEILERKOPF ARTOIS, BATTLES IN GERMAN SUBMARINE WAR ZONE EMDEN LANDING PARTY, CRUISE OF CARPATHIAN PASSES AND RUSSIAN BATTLE LINE PRZEMYSL, DETAIL MAPS OF THE FORTS OF GALICIAN CAMPAIGN FROM TARNOW TO PRZEMYSL GALICIAN CAMPAIGN FROM PRZEMYSL TO BESSARABIA RIGA, GERMAN ADVANCE ON WARSAW, GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO REACH, IN 1914 WARSAW, ADVANCE AND CAPTURE OF NORTHERN ITALY, SHOWING THE WHOLE ITALIAN-AUSTRIAN FRONTIER AND THE PART OF AUSTRIA DEMANDED BY ITALY PART I--THE WESTERN FRONT * * * * * CHAPTER I PREPARATIONS FOR AN OFFENSIVE During the greater part of the winter of 1914-15, the fighting along the western front had been almost constant, but had resulted in little that either side could justly assert to be a success. The rigors inevitable in such a mode of warfare had become almost beyond human endurance, and commanders on both sides looked forward to a more active campaign.