The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

were still alive by some more miserable companion, driven mad by suffering, in order to satisfy his hunger.

But even these sufferings did a good service to the Allied cause. The Serbian army, having retired into the Albanian mountains, put the enemy, who were pressing on its heels, in the same disadvantageous position as it had been. The enemy was able to conquer Serbia thanks only to his all-powerful artillery. In Albania it was of no use, therefore he slackened his pursuit and dared not attack. That gave the Allies time to reinforce the Salonica front, and by fortifying it to make their position impregnable. This fact has surely played a decisive part in creating a new situation in the Balkans favourable to the Allies. Had the Serbs, instead of retreating over Albania, taken the direction of Salonica, the situation for the Allies would be far worse. The Austro-Germans, reinforced by the Bulgars, would have quickly followed them with a force half a million strong, and in view of the small forces of the Allies around Salonica at that time, would have swept them from Greek territory, as neither the Serbs nor the Allies approached anything equal in force to oppose their number and artillery. Salonica most probably would have passed into the Austro-German-Bulgarians’ hands, and the Balkan situation would have been irretrievably lost for the Allies.

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