Cesare Battisti and the Trentino
more difficult and intense. The existing Pan-Germanic societies redoubled their aggressive and corruptive activities; new societies sprang up disguised under Italian names, while the authorities showed more and more openly that they favored the Germanization movement; on demand of the militarists Trentino was transformed into one great fortress and three-fourths of the military force of the province (more than an army corps) was removed to Trentino. The activities of the Pan-Germanists, disguised as tourists, employees and soldiers, became so provocative and created such an oppressive atmosphere that the only way out seemed to be war, the Germans thereby hoping to kill irredentism by annihilating the Italians, the Irredentists hoping to become united to Italy. But during those years, from 1911 to 1914, who imagined the war so imminent?
Italy was an ally of the Central Powers, but while in Austria and Trentino undoubted signs were not lacking as to the Austrian distrust of Italy, which distrust often assumed a threatening attitude, and the military party made no secret of its hostile intentions, Italy did not seem to realize the full significance of these facts. So she maintained a weak military policy, which made us fear increased servitude to the Triple Alliance for some time.
Thus Trentino had no choice but to resist until a more propitious time, meanwhile demonstrating to Italy and to the world in a thousand ways her true faith and eternal aspirations.
An especially favorable opportunity was offered to Trentino in 1912, when His Majesty, King Victor Emanuel, passed through Trentino on his way to Germany to attend the military manoeuvres. The Austrian government, anxious to have this passage take place in an almost clandestine manner, kept the time secret and saw to it that no one could get into the stations from Ala to Salorno; the only news that leaked out was that the King would pass through in the evening.
The royal train, in fact, left Ala shortly after 8 P. M. Suddenly, a mysterious signal from the station having given the
