History has proven again and again the solid, passive resistance of the mighty mountain ranges. Hannibal Tost half his army when he crossed the Alps. General Souvarov, commander of the Austro-Russian invading armies 1799, endeavoured to. cross the 2oT6-metre high Kirzig, coming from the Saint-Gothard. Souvarov lost one-fifth of his troops before he fought fa single battle. Exhausted by the Mountains, he was defeated in the battle of Zurich. In the Dolomites, fas revealed by the Ballan Parliament, aly lost 200,000 men in the campaign of 1910-17. The un practised troops were killed by snowstorms, a ches and temperatures they could not withstand.
Modern aris have changed nothing. The use of a mechanized army is almost out of the question, and if they were used, it would be to the ad-Vantage of the defender, as motor ears would have to stick to the roads, making them easy targets. The roads cen be barred with chains, boulders, felled teees—in fact, almost anything weill hold them up for a few hours. Turning operations are impossible. Furthermore, the mountains demand special training in the use of weapons. The extremely clear air of the higher altitudes Increases "the range. of artillery by one-third. Regulation and eetifieation dials on the artillery must be reset for the mountains and thus for a time at least destroy accuracy. Heavy artillery cannot be hoisted to posi and Tight artillery is useless defences built into solid
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