Italy and WW1 Flashcards
What did some of the more cynical Italians say about the crisis between Serbia and Austria-Hungary?
That it would come to nothing and soon be over
What did leading socialist, Treves, say about the potential for war?
He sais their was no potential for war since it would not be in the interests of the capitalist classes of the great powers and that fear of revolution would lead to a peace settlement
What did former PM Luzzati have to say about the potential for war?
It would lead to the destruction of lives, wealth, culture and civilisation and would debase and debilitate Europe
What did Giolitti say about the potential for war?
He refused to believe that Europe would fall prey to the folly of war
What two decsions did Italy have to face following the outbreak of WW1?
- They had to decide whether to become involved in the war or remain neutral
- They had to decide whether to align with the triple alliance or the triple entente
What two decsions did Italy have to face following the outbreak of WW1?
- They had to decide whether to become involved in the war or remain neutral
- They had to decide whether to align with the triple alliance or the triple entente
What was public opinion like following italys refusal to fight with the TA?
Hopelessly divided. There were those who supported the view that Italy should fulfil her obligations to the triple alliance of which it had been a member and supported for 30 years. Others, whilst admiring Germany, found it impossible to side with their other triple alliance ally, the arch-enemy Austria-Hungary
What did General Cadorna go so far as to do at the start of WW1?
Mobilise for a war with France and encourage the king to send an army to the river rhine to support the Germans
What slogan did the irredentalists champion at the start of WW1?
‘No blood, no money, no complicity with the Habsburgs’
Why did some Italians still see France as the main enemy at the outbreak of WW1?
Because of Italian failure to acquire Tunisia
What did some Italians see an alliance with Germany as a way of doing?
Increasing Italy’s prestige
Who was the first backed Italian intervention going to be on the side of?
The triple alliance
Why did some Italians have sympathy for the Austrians?
Because of Catholic ties and the fact the many Austrians looked for the restoration of papal authority in their own country
Why did syndicalists, anarchists and republicans encourage entry into the war?
Because it might create circumstances favourable for revolution and the overthrow of the hated monarchy. They hoped it would be the catalyst for the overthrow of capitalism
Why did joining the war have some appeal to the government?
Becuase it had the potential to unite the country and divert attention from the various social and economic problems at the time
Which parties took a stance if non-intervention?
Moderate socialists, liberals and other parties of the centre, this was confirmed by a speech made by Giolitti at the end of 1914
Define casus foederis
Coming clearly within the terms of the treaty
What did Giolitti reveal in a speech to the chamber of deputies in 1914?
He revealed that in 1913, a year before the assassination at Sarajevo, Austria had communicated to Italy and Germany her intention of taking action against Serbia, while defining such action as defensive, hoping to bring into operation the casus foederis of the triple alliance
What was Giolitti’s response to the Austrian attempt to trigger the casus foederis of the triple alliance?
He said that if Austria intervened against Serbia, it is clear that the casus foederis cannot be established. It is a step Austria is taking on her own account, since their is no question of defence, as no-one is actually attacking her. He suggested that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was an excuse and not a valid reason for an Austrain attack on Serbia, since their was no evidence that the move had been premeditated
What was the reaction of the chamber when Giolitti denounced Austria’s attempt to trigger the casus foederis of the triple alliance?
The members of the chamber stood and loudly applauded him
What had the nationalists begun to do just days after the Italian declaration of neutrality?
They suddenly began to champion the need for intervention on the side of the entente powers
What did some suggests Italy should do to reclaim irredenta land?
Wage a war against austria-Hungary on its own, a purely Italian war, without involing the allies or Germany
What offer from the Italians was rejected out of hand by the Austrians?
An approach to see whether austria would surrender their irredenta territories in return for Italy remaining neutral in the war
How did nationalist views come to enjoy the popular support of the people?
They were widely popularised by the Italian press. The nationalists also benefitted from the quality of allied propaganda, which far excelled that of Germany and Austria-Hungary
In which newspaper did Mussolini express his pro-interventionist ideas while acting as editor?
Il Popolo d’Italiana
Which popular poet and writer of erotic novels came to be a strong advocate for intervention?
Gabrielle D’Annunzio
What would be the military effect of Italy siding with the allies?
It would open another battlefront and place additional demands upon the Austro-Hungarian army, since that country was already engaged in a war with Italy on the Eastern Front. It would allow the allies more access to bases in the Mediterranean from which they could launch a war with Turkey
What did Italy and the allies secretely negotiate in April 1915?
The Treaty of London (Patto di Londra)
Why was April 1915 an opportune time for Italy to negotiate the Treaty of London?
She was in a position to drive a hard bargain for their involvement and so was able to win concessions of financial and territorial compensations once the war was over
What were the obvious logisltical flaws in the Treaty of London?
Some of its territorial claims were aimed at Slav rather than Austrian lands and clearly Italy would have to make a major contribution to winning the war in order to merit such awards
What internal contradiction strengthened the position of the interventionists and weakened the position of the pacifists?
Anti-war demonstrations by peasants and workers were broken up. Whereas similar actions taken by interventionists were encouraged by the police and backed by the military
What did PM Salandra announce on 23 May 1915?
That in view of public opinion from the nationalists and militarists, Italy would not be joining the central powers. Instead, he declared Italy’s support for the allies
What did Italy do on 24th May 1915?
Declared war on Austria-Hungary
What is a pre-emptive attack?
To attack first in order to forestall an enemy’s action
What had General Hotzendorff, chief of the Austrian general staff, been doing without the Italian’s knowing?
Urging Emperor Franz Josef to agree to a pre-emptive strike offensive against Italy in order to dissuade her from joining the allies. The Emperor refused, declaring that Italy’s neutrality had to be respected
What did Salandra do following his announcements in May 1915?
Fearing that his declaration might bring a hostile reaction from Italy’s former allies, he ordered General Cadorna to mobilise an army. Within days, the Italian army was stationed at the border with Austria-Hungary
When did Italy declare war with Germany?
Mid-1916
What did some Italians see participation in WW1 as?
‘The last war of the risorgimento’: The war that would finally bring together all the Italian speaking peoples
Who had refused to make military expenditure a priority?
Daneo, the Italian finance minister. He referred to it as unproductive, refusing the demand for £24 million from the war minister, Zapelli, which he claimed was necessary to prepare the armed services for war. In the end, he allocated barely 1/3 of that sum
Which wars had already indicated the shortcomings of the Italian army?
Abyssinia in 1896 and Libya in 1911. The soldiers had shown themselves to be lacking in morale, resolve and fighting spirit; they had also been badly led and inadequtely equipped
In what ways was Italy already at a disadvantage before even entering the war?
- The sums of money that had been spent on the army fell short of what was required
- For soldiers, the conditions of service were poor and their training methods outdated
- Volunteers that joined the regular army were generally of poor quality, and these were soon joined by largely unwilling conscripts - poorly educated peasants from the countryside and militant workers from the industrial regions
- Inexperienced troops were soon be forced to face the harsh realities of trench warfare and the rigors of a winter campaign fought in the inhospitable Alps
- General Cadorna had wanted the Italian army to be mobilised for a fight against the French in the Rhine
- There were questions over whether the Italian people were ready to face the appalling sacrifices that war would demand of them
Why were the Italian strategically vulnerable when fighting on the Italian border
Because the Austrians had the highground
Why were the Italian pro-British
Because they were a big power in the Med and provided Italy with vital raw materials like coal
What was on the leaflets that D’Annunzio dropped over Vienna
The Italian flag
Why did Austria make itself seem like a bad potential ally
It gave Serbia the ultimatum in secret and therefore seemed unlikely to share any potential alliance spoils
How many Italian speaking people lived in Austrian occupied irredenta land
700,000
What see would they get to dominate if the joined the entente and did well
The adriatic
