58 



AUSTKIA-HUNGARY. 



unknown strategists. In fight they gathered 

 sometimes eighteen hundred strong. In the in- 

 tervals between their attacks they were hidden in 

 scattered bands in the gorges of the mountains. 

 General Jovanovics had a force of 40,000 

 men with 56 mountain-guns, composed of the 

 garrisons of the coast-lands and several regi- 

 ments sent on to the seat of war. They were 

 formed into so-called mountain brigades. The 

 signal service, sanitary arrangements, and com- 

 missariat were admirably organized. Jovano- 

 vics assumed the command of the forces in 

 Herzegovina and the Crivoscie on the 6th of 

 February. In Herzegovina his authority was 

 unfortunately divided with General von Dah- 

 len, the civil and military governor of the oc- 

 cupied provinces. The insurgents proposed 

 peace at once to the new general; but he re- 

 jected their stipulations for universal amnesty. 

 He proposed to wait for open weather, organ- 

 ize his army for the difficult service for which 

 it was none too large, and drill the troops in 

 rifle practice. But General von Dahlen urged 

 an immediate advance, and on the 9th of Feb- 

 ruary the forward movement began from Mos- 

 tar, where General Jovanovics had established 

 his headquarters. On the same day Eisano, 

 the chief town of the Crivoscie, was captured 

 by the help of the fleet in the Bocche ; and 

 Ledenice, the center of the insurrection in the 

 Crivoscie, was taken by storm. The insurgents 

 were thus at the start cut off from all aid com- 

 ing by sea, and separated from the southern 

 coast district, the Prim or je. Nevertheless, 

 they boldly took the offensive, and on the 10th 

 and the following days struck at Fotcha, an 

 important central position, and at Tirnova, and 

 attacked the fortified height of Eogai. Their 

 object was to spread the insurrection into the 

 interior of Bosnia. They were repulsed, and 

 on the 14th the ridge of Zimje Polje, east of 

 Mostar, was occupied, and its commanding 

 points fortified. After these first successes the 

 movement of the Austrian troops was slow and 

 difficult. There were no communications be- 

 tween the different columns. Each pressed 

 forward on a converging line toward the center 

 of the insurrection. Their object was to get 

 between the insurgents and the frontier. Until 

 they could be cut off from Montenegro, the 

 enemy were unapproachable. They could dis- 

 appear when hard pressed, and reappear to 

 attack the Austrians where they were weakest. 

 Montenegro was impelled by the success of 

 these tactics, and by the promise of the Aus- 

 trian Government to bear the whole cost, to 

 strengthen her boundary cordon, and place 

 more trusty officers in command. There was 

 no opportunity for strategic combinations. 

 The Austrian lines had to contend sharply for 

 every step of their progress. Bravery and 

 perseverance were displayed by the troops, and 

 quite as much discipline and fortitude were ex- 

 hibited in the resistance of the insurgents. In 

 the fights which took place almost daily the 

 Austrian regulars were many times worsted. 



The Austrian soldiers did not forget the strict 

 discipline for which they are distinguished ; but 

 their commanders adopted stern and cruel 

 measures for crushing out the rebellion. Their 

 path was marked by smoking villages. 



About the 20th of February the insurgents 

 collected in great number in the plateau of 

 Zagorje, a natural stronghold which they 

 deemed impregnable, for the purpose of strik- 

 ing a blow at Serajevo. The Austrians ad- 

 vanced in four columns from different points, 

 with the object of surrounding them. The 

 access to the plateau is very arduous, and they 

 were impeded by snow and storm. After sev- 

 eral days of fighting, in which a number of 

 positions were carried by assault, the Austrians 

 occupied the plateau * on the 25th. Yet they 

 did not succeed in entrapping the enemy. The 

 insurgents escaped on the right bank of the 

 Drina toward the Montenegrin frontier. The 

 Knez of Zagorje made his submission. The 

 people of the district were famishing, and food 

 was distributed by the authorities. Another 

 column in a sharp assault carried the steep 

 heights at Ulok, east of Mostar, and drove the 

 insurgents over the Narenta. Worn out in 

 daily battles, the insurgents of Herzegovina 

 were gradually pressed back upon a strip of 

 land skirting the Montenegrin frontier. In 

 the Crivoscie the right wing of the Austrian 

 army was not idle. After taking Bratlo and 

 Ubli, the insurrection was confined to the 

 wedge of land which projects into Montenegro. 

 By the capture of Fort Dragalj, on the 10th of 

 March, the last of the insurgents were driven 

 over the border. The insurrection, as an or- 

 ganized military movement, was broken up. 

 The Austrian soldiery held the land. Flying 

 columns traversed the country, and met with 

 little resistance. The inclement weather told 

 severely on the Austrian troops, but their 

 losses in battle were remarkably light, being 

 only 53 dead, and 210 altogether. 



On April 22d Freiherr von Dahlen issued a 

 proclamation to the inhabitants of the occu- 

 pied territory, announcing the final suppression 

 of the insurrectionary movement, and inviting 

 them to return to their homes. He promised 

 amnesty to all but the leaders. The Austrian 

 army had won the campaign, but it was a hol- 

 low victory. "When they came into possession 

 of the country it was a desert. They found 

 only burned villages and deserted farmsteads. 

 The inhabitants had emigrated in a mass to 

 Montenegro with their families and their flocks 

 and herds. From there they continued to re- 

 turn in bands to harass the troops. The Cri- 

 voscie was absolutely empty of inhabitants. 

 The Montenegrin authorities arrested and dis- 

 armed the immigrants, but were at a loss what 

 to do with them. At the instigation of the 

 Austrians the Government cut off the rations 

 which were supplied out of its limited means 



* This almost inaccessible stronghold the Turks did not 

 attempt to assail in 1875, but contented themselves with a 

 siege. 



