To what extent was Italy's poor performance in WW1 down to poor military leadership?

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• Italy saw a series of defeats in WW1 and received little reparations as a result due to there poor effort
• Leadership, large contrast in economy, political instability
• Leadership had the most direct effect, however political issues led to disarray throughout Italy and economic shouldn’t have been that important

Question 2

Leadership

Answer 2

• 50,000 of Italy’s best soldiers were in Libya and had a shortage of arms and munitions, (2 machine guns per battalion to the Austrians 12)
• The Battle of Caporetto led to 200,000 soldiers losing contact with there supervisors and why 3000,000 soldiers surrendered
• Lack of leadership in Caporetto led to Diaz taking over Cadorna and instilled free life insurance, newspapers and commandos that infiltrated and carried out attacks behind enemy lines
• Deaths and injuries were 520,000 in 1917 and 143,000 in 1918

Question 3

Economic

Answer 3

• Budget deficit of 23 billion lire in 1918, increased from 3 billion lire in 1914
  -National debt that increased fivefold to 85 billion in 1918.
  -Libyan war left Italy in 1,300 million lire in debt
  -By 1913 Britain was producing 16 million tons of steel whereas Italy was only producing 0.6 million tons
  -Owed Britain 15 million and USA 8.5 million lire, which forced Italy to overprint money and lead to inflation
  +Italy was not ready before the war economically shown by the amount of debt they were in after the war

Question 4

Political

Answer 4

-PSI was against the war and declared ‘to not support of sabotage’, Russia Revolution in 1917 Communism shockwaves
-The collapse of Salandra’s government in 1916
-August 1917 during the bread riots against high prices and cost of living as a result of the war
+War divided the country, which reduced efficiency and thus led to a more poor performance
+The underlying factor

Question 5

Line of Argument

Answer 5

+The country was not ready for war economically before which is evident by the fact the gap between ‘Great Nations’ e.g BRITAIN was so big and the economy after
+Leadership was the most direct factor, Batlle of Caporetto
+Politcal was the underlying factor as the government chose to go to war and was in a mess which transpired into the leadership of the army