26 The Great War century became the corner-stone of United Italy. And as France stood forth as the champion of Sar- dinia and defeated Austrian armies at Magenta and Solferino, so Russia was ready to help the southern Slav risorgiinento. Victorious Austria could annex Servia, unite all the southern Slavs under the Hapsburg crown, per- haps win their loyalty by transforming the Dual Monarchy into a tripartite State; she could, too, resume her march to the iEgean uninterrupted by Servian success. Defeated, she was bound to be despoiled, Gallcia, Bukovina, Transylvania, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegov- ina and Dalmatia might fall to Russia, Rumania and Servia. But without war she was, in the view of her rulers, doomed to crumble, destined to be torn by the dissensions between her many races until she fell apart automatically. Austria had decided for war as the price of national existence. For Russia the problem was different. Her ex- istence was not at stake. But if she should fight and win her frontier would infallibly be carried to the Carpathians on the southwest and the Germans be- lieved she would seize the ancient Polish lands of Posen and East and West Prussia, with the port of Dantzig and the valley of the Vistula. Again, once Austria were destroyed and Germany crushed, the last obstacle to Russian occupation of Constantinople vanished and the dream of centuries of Russian rulers and statesmen was realizable.