We regret to record the death of Marshal Count Luigi
Cadorna at the age of seventy-eight. As a young staff- officer and ardent student of war he had a meteoric career, but when as Commander-in-Chief he suffered the disaster of Caporetto (where he lost 800,000 men, partly prisoners and partly deserters) it seemed that his great reputation had vanished. Further information has brought a modification of the verdict. No one knew better than he how unprepared for war the Italian Army was. Neither its lack of material nor its want of discipline had been his fault. He had repeatedly. requested that his Army should be stiffened with French and British troops. But whether the reason for refusing was sound or not— we suspect that it was sound—Allied troops did not come to his help till after the disaster. Cadorna's attack eastwards was a bold, some say a reckless, project in view of the vast importance of the Trentino front. His failure, for reasons to which he had at least called atten- tion in advance, did not prevent him standing his ground on the Piave with singular tenacity and coolness. He was created a Marshal at the same time as his victorious suc- cessor, the late Marshal Diaz.
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