World War One Impact on Italy Flashcards
The majority of the Chamber of Deputies had been opposed to what?
What did this mean for wartime governments?
Intervention in the war.
This meant wartime governments were politically weak and failed to rally national enthusiasm for the war.
What happened in September 1919?
Gabriele D’Annunzio went to Fiume with 2000 armed followers and occupied Fiume for fifteen months.
What did Nitti, who was PM at the time of the seizure of Fiume, do to counter D’Annunzio’s actions?
He did nothing to counter D’Annunzio’s illegal paramilitary occupation.
This was because, after cutting military spending, he feared that the army would refuse to obey his orders.
How did Giolitti, who became PM in 1920, find a way out of the crisis?
He negotiated with Yugoslavia, the rival claimant to Fiume, and in November 1920 the Treaty of Rapello was signed.
What was the Treaty of Rapello?
By this treaty Fiume became an independent state, and, as part of the deal, Italy had to abandon its claim to Dalmatia.
How did opponents of the Italian government react to he Treaty of Rapello?
They saw it as a cowardly compromise. When the occupation of Fiume was ended by the Italian military, further anger was added against Giolitti’s government.
What did D’Annunzio’s seizure of Fiume show?
Direct political action was more effective than words of weak politicians. He was a powerful example for the Fascists.
What was ‘mutilated victory’?
The unsatisfactory peace terms that Italy’s political leaders secured at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 was seen as the betrayal of the victory at the Battle of Vittorio Vento.
Italy did not get what they felt was promised to them at the Treaty of London.
How did the Italian public feel about this ‘betrayal’?
They felt that the “Big Three” had humiliated and ignored them and the weak liberal government had failed to stand up for Italian interests.
How many men fought in the war?
Five million, mainly conscripts.
How many casualties were there in war (for the Italians)?
1.3 million between 1915 and 1918.
What happened at the Battle of Caporetto?
In October 1917, Austrian forces ended the stalemate by breaking through Italian lines. They threw the Italian army back over 160km and took over 300,000 prisoners.
What happened at the Battle of Vittorio Vento?
When Austria was on the point of political collapse in 1918 that the Italian army mounted a full scale assault on its lines. This led to a collapse in Austrian morale and the Italians could finally claim a major victory.
Who was General Luigi Cadorna?
He was the General at the Battle of Caporetto.
What did General Cadorna blame the defeat at Caporetto on?
What was actually to blame?
The cowardice of the troops, he had several hundred of them shot.
His poor relations with and constant reshuffling of his officers contributed significantly to the disaster at Caporetto.
