The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

operating against the Bulgars. Therefore the whole operation was abandoned. But still the Serbian successes on the Kaéanik front enabled them to retire on the left bank of the Sitnica river unmolested by the enemy, and without leaving in his hands either arms or ammunition.

Thus the Serbs definitely failed to join the Allies, who, being small in numbers, were unable to push further than Krivolak, and soon were obliged to beat a retreat. Tt was on the memorable Kossovo Polé that the Serbian army and nation realised that the great tragedy of her history was to be repeated once again. The curtain rose upon the last act of the Serbian tragedy. Fate had yet some fearful sufferings in store for them. Last year, as in 1389, on the eve of the battle of Kossovo, the Serbian King and nation were forced to choose between the Kingdom of Heaven and earth; to make peace with the hereditary foes and to betray the noble cause of European freedom and liberty for which they had fought so long. Now as then, the Serbs did not hesitate. They preferred honour and martyrdom to shameful peace and treason. Like true heroes of Kossovo, without fear and reproach they had accepted battle on a front 800 miles long, and for two months they had kept in abeyance the overwhelming forces of three military States singlehanded. An ally—Greece—betrayed them; the others, through blunders, were unable to come

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