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 6o8 General History of Europe treated. All Europe protested against this "high-handed" action by Italy ; but Italy replied that she was merely following the example set by other countries protecting the lives and prop- erty of her citizens by annexing a country beset by chronic dis- orders. Turkey was no match for Italy. There was not a great deal of fighting, but Italy took possession of such portions of Tripoli as she could hold with her troops and also captured the island of Rhodes. The Young Turks did not feel that they could face the unpopularity of surrendering these to Italy, but after the war had dragged on for a year they were forced, in October, 1912, by the oncoming of a new Balkan war, to cede Tripoli, reserv- ing only a vague Turkish suzerainty. Italy continued to hold Rhodes too. 1104. The First Balkan War (1912-1913). Venizelos, the statesman, who had been reorganizing Greece with the ability of a Cavour, secretly arranged an alliance with Bulgaria, Serbia, and little Montenegro for a war with Turkey, which began in October, 1912. The Turkish army proved very ineffective, and the Bul- garians were able in a few days to defeat it, invest the important fortress of Adrianople, and drive the Turkish forces back close, to Constantinople. The Greeks advanced into Macedonia and Thrace, and the Montenegrin and Serbian army defeated the Turkish army sent against them and attacked Albania. 1105. Austria Intervenes. Austria now began to get very nervous lest the Serbians should establish themselves on the, Adriatic. She forbade Serbia to hold the port of Durazzo. Had Russia been inclined to support Serbia at that moment the gen- eral European war would probably have broken out at the end of 1912 instead of two years later. Serbia, however, backed down. A truce was arranged, and representatives of the Balkan states and of Turkey met in London to see whether peace could be arranged. The powers advised Turkey to give up everything in Europe except Constantinople and the region immediately to the west. The Young Turks decided, however, to fight a little longer, and the war was resumed in January. Everything went against them, and