Gaetano Salvemini - La politica estera italiana dal 1871 al 1915

The ltalo-Turkish War cular. By occupying thes island, the ltalian Govetnment could threaten to ·keep them unless the Ottoman Government agreed to make peace. There was no obstacle to fear either from Poincaré, Sazonoff or the Ger– mans. Sir Edward Grey might advance objections. But he was as slow in thinking as the turtle is in walking. Before he realized what was happen– ing and decided what to do, the Italians would have plenty of time to occupy the whole of the Near East. On April 15th, Berchtold promised to maintain "a passive and silent attitude" in the event of the Italians occupying those islands, it being understood that this occupation was to be temporary and that Berchtold reserved for himself full liberty of action in case disturbances broke out in the Balkan penìnsula as a result of such a move. 5. Dardanelles and Dodecanese While these negotiations were proceeding, the ltalians were preparing their "blow" against the Turkish B.eet which was not to be contrary to article VII of the Triple Alliance. During the night of the 17th of Aprii a group of Italian torpedo– boats was to enter the Dardanelles and sink the Turkish warships. In the dark, storm-swept sea, two of the boats collided and the rudder of one of them was so badly damaged that it was put out of action. Moreover, the Straits which the Italians expected to find ill-watched, were guarded by search light. The commander had the sense to abandon the ill judged attempt. This pian having failed, the whole fleet the next morning went to "manoeuvre" at the entrance of the Straits. They hoped that the Turks would emerge and fight. The Turks had no wish to be sent to the bottom by enormously superior forces. Only a single destroyer went out and turned back as soon as it was sighted by the Italians. The latter refrained from swallow– ing the bait and being drawn within range of the forts. For two hours the artillery of the Turkish forts and that of the Italian warships exchanged shots which wasted only powder and shells on both sides. · The attempt to sink the Turkish fleet during the night remained a dead secret. But the "manoeuvres" were çarried out in broad daylight and could nòt fail to have repetcussions. Berchtold protested that the shells which had fallen on the Turkish forts represented so many violations of article VII of the Treaty of Alliance. If another "provocation" of the kind occurred, "it might have the gravest consequences." The Turks who had believed themselves invincible on land in Libya, now became certain that they were equally invincible on sea in the Aegean. They closed the Straits to commerciai navigation and on Aprii 23rd, announced that they refused to "commit suicide" by handing over to Italy two such provinces as Cyrenaica and Tripolitania in which "the Ottoman heart beats with as much 447 BibliotecaGino Bianco