Italy and WWI Flashcards
When did Italy declare itself neutral?
August 1914
When did Italy join the war?
May 23 1915
Why did Italy stay neutral even though they had previously been in the triple alliance?
Claimed that Austria had broken the terms of the Treaty by acting aggressively and therefore Italy was not obliged to join..
What was Italy’s military expenditure in 1913-14?
Italian military expenditure in 1913-24 was £10million compared to Austria-Hungary’s £22million.
They weren’t prepared for war.
Why did Italy need to stop a victory for the triple alliance?
Thye would never gain the irredenta lands back if the triple alliance won the war.
Where were the Irrendente lands?
Corsica, Dalmatia, Istria, Malta, Ticino, Trention, Trieste and Fiume.
Why were some aginst joining WWI?
- The war would halt progress in dealing with Italy’s deep social and economic problems (poverty and illiteracy in the South)
- Italy would have to make huge sacrifices for the war effort as it lacked financial and industrial resources to sustain war - this would be unpopular with the people.
Why were some for joining WWI?
- The war would lead to a stronger government (laws could be passed to control political opponents. the country would be more united)
- France and Britain offered lands from the Austro-Hungarian empire (eg. the Irrendete lands of Istria and Trentino) and possible colonies if Italy supported them.
What were some of the problems faced by Italy in the early stages of WWI?
Italy was underprepared
* Many of their best soldiers were in Italy.
* there were shortages of arms and munitions.
The mobilisation was disorganised and gave time for the Austrians to retreat to defensive positions.
How many machines guns were there per battalion?
There were only 2 machine guns per battalion (500-1000) men.
* Germany had 72.
Who was General Cadora?
The commander of the Italian army from July 1914 to October 1917.
A highly conservative military leader.
What were some of the mistakes made by General Cadora?
He found it difficult to adapt to the new conditions of war.
defeat at Caporetto, October 1917: two hundred thousand soldiers lost contact with their regiments, and thousands of troops streamed down from the hills in a frenzy of confusion.
He blamed the defeat on cowardice and had several thousand soldiers executed.
He was removed.
When was General Cadora removed from power?
October 1917, after the defeat at Caporetto?
Who replaced Cadora?
General Diaz.
What were some of General Diaz’s reforms?
Rations were improved
Troops were given 10 more days of leave each year and free life insurance.
trench newspapers were introduced in 1918, which rapidly became popular.
The Arditi, small groups of commandos that infiltrated and carried out attacks behind enemy lines, was established. They became the heroes of the Italian army.
