Military stalemate, 1915-16 Flashcards
What did Antonio Salandra hope for?
Antonio Salandra had hoped for a brief, offensive war that would bring Italy almost immediate territorial gains
What did this expectation demonstrate?
This expectation simply demonstrated how misguided his understanding of the conflict was
Where was the war fought?
The war between Italy and Austria was fought predominantly in the mountainous area bordering the two countries
What was the war characterised by?
It was characterised by mainly static trench warfare in the ice and snow of the difficult alpine terrain
What were the conditions like?
The conditions were horrific
How many Italians were killed and by what?
Thousands of Italians were killed by cholera and frostbite
What followed Italy’s declaration of war?
Two years of stalemate followed Italy’s declaration of war
What were thousands of Italian soldiers sacrificed for?
Thousands of soldiers were often sacrificed in order to move a few hundred meters on the mountainside
How many Italian soldiers died in 1915?
62K Italians died in 1915
How did 62K Italians die in 1915?
They died during 4 attempted offensives against the Austrians that failed to change the situation at the front
What did the war reveal instead of bringing about national unity?
Instead of bringing about national unity many had hoped for, the war revealed that the great problems and divisions within Italian society
How many men were conscripted into the army? What were the majority of them?
Nearly 5 million men were conscripted into the army, with the majority being peasants and agricultural workers
What were southern conscripts?
Southern conscripts were overrepresented
What meant very little to the southern conscripts?
The ideals of the war concerning Italian expansion meant very little to them
What did the southern conscripts find difficult to comprehend?
It was difficult for these soldiers to comprehend why the frozen wastelands at the front were worth dying for
