Neither Turkey nor
Russia has been especially eager to suppress these bitter feuds,
even in time of peace. In time of war there is nothing to restrain
them, and the whole region is swept by carnage infinitely more
hideous than legitimate warfare.
We have now passed over the entire theatre of the battles on the
Eastern frontiers of the war in Europe. The battle grounds are
familiar to us. In the succeeding chapters we will follow the armies
over this war-ridden dominion and watch the battle lines as they
move through the war to its decisive conclusion.
PART IV--THE AUSTRO-SERBIAN CAMPAIGN
* * * * *
CHAPTER XLVI
SERBIA'S SITUATION AND RESOURCES
The first great campaign on the southeastern battle grounds of
the Great War began on July 27, 1914, when the Austrian troops
undertook their first invasion of Serbia. They crossed the Serbian
border at Mitrovitza, about fifty miles northwest of Belgrade,
driving the Serbians before them. The first real hostilities of
the war opened with the bombardment of Belgrade by the Austrians
on July 29, 1914--six days before the beginning of the campaigns
on the western battle fields.
We are now familiar with the theatre of war as described in the
preceding chapters, and will now follow the first Austrian armies
into Serbia.
A stubborn fight excites the admiration of all observers, regardless
of the moral qualities of the combatants.
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