Italy at war Flashcards
What did the Triple Alliance demand that Italy do in the face of WWI and how did the government respond to this?
It committed Italy to support Germany and Austris-Hungary, but the government ignored this and declared the alliance defunct
What was the government’s justification for declaring the Triple Alliance defunct?
They said that Austria had broken its terms by attacking Serbia without consulting Italy first and by trying to expand its empire into the Balkans
How did the Italian people respond to the government’s decision to ignore the demands of the Triple Alliance?
The vast majority welcomed it as they were hostile towards Austria for resisting Italian unification in the 50s and 60s and for still possessing irredenta land
Why did the majority of Italians support neutrality?
They thought that Italy was not ready for war and that participation would therefore be detrimental to Italian society and the economy
Why did the then PM Salandra and his liberal supporters fear the implications of neutrality?
They thought that a Triple Alliance victory would only strengthen Austrian resistance to reorganisation of its borders with Italy. They thought that if the Entente won then they would not be supportive of Italian ambitions in the Med if Italy had not contributed
What approach to the war did the government adopt?
That Italy must intervene and so should negotiate with both sides in order to get the best deal possible before doing so
Why did the press support the government stance on intervention?
Because it was dominated by nationalists who thought that intervention was Italy’s chance to assert itself as a major power
Why were the Italians more tempted to join the Triple Entente after negotiations?
Because they were promised a greater share of irredenta land if successful as well as further colonies
What was the name of the treaty Italy signed with France and Britain?
The treaty of London
When did Italy enter the war?
May 1915
List the 4 main reasons that it was hard for the average Italian to be enthusiastic about the war
- Peasant southerners were not particularly passionate about reclaiming Italian speaking territories in the North East of the country
- The church would not openly denounce the enemy, Austria, as it was a Catholic country, making it hard for Catholic to buy in
- The socialists condemned it as a capitalist war which put off many workers
- Many liberal politicians, grouped around Giolitti, rejected the decision to fight
How many men served in the army?
5 million
Why were most of the conscripts men from rural areas?
Because men from industrial centres often had to stay at home and aid the production of military equipment
What was the experience of most soldiers?
They had to endure appalling conditions, low pay and poor rations
What kind of war did unimaginative leadership lead to for Italian forces?
A murderous war of attrition on the Alpine border against Austria. This is a type of war where commanders don’t expect massive victories but rather look to wear down their opponents over the course of months or years. High casualties are accepted as long as the suffering of the enemy is worse
