Intervention crisis and WW1 Flashcards
(13 cards)
4 causes of WW1
- militarism
- alliances
- imperialism
- nationalism
what were the arguments in favour of Italy joining WW1
- to finally take back the Irridenta lands from Austria-Hungary and please the nationalists.
- may have interests in expanding its empire
- might win over support from opposition parties e.g. Nationalists which would help unite Italy
- may create a sense of national identity.
what were the issues of Italy joining WW1?
- socialists (PSI) were anti-war
- Triple Alliance (Italy wanted Irridenta lands back from Austria-Hungary but were in an alliance with them)
How prepared were Italy to fight in WW1 (economic factors)?
- North/south divide was still very prominent.
- Italy was still reliable on agricultural income/production e.g By 1911, around 55% of the national workforce was in agricultural work.
- economy was still recovering from Libyan war e.g. 3 billion lire spent and ruined a decade of balanced budgets.
HOWEVER… - North Italy was still very wealthy. Industry had increased from 11.2 billion to 22.1 billion.
How prepared were Italy to fight in WW1 (political factors)?
- Italy was still very politically divided e.g. Red Week - A week of wide spread protests by the PSI after the killing of anti-militarist protesters.
- Socialists would not support a war in Europe
- Italy still had a Trasformismo government.
- Italy was part of the Triple Alliance.
HOWEVER… - Nationalists and Catholics would support the war
- Some socialists may support the war (as it increased the chances of a socialist revolution).
How prepared were Italy to fight in WW1 (military factors)?
- Italian military ability did not compare with nearby powers (Britain and Germany).
- Italy’s invasion in Libya was an embarrassment.
- Relatively unmotivated army.
- Outdated military equipment.
What was the Treaty of London
The Treaty of London was a secret agreement between Italy and allied powers (France, Britain and Russia). The treaty promised Italy land in exchange for joining ww1 on the side of the Triple entente.
what were the main promises made to Italy in the treaty
- Italy would take over control of Trentino, Trieste, Isonzo, South Tyrol, Istria and Dalmatia.
- Italy could be given a loan up to £50,000,000 from Britain.
- Russia had to aid Italy in case of an Austria-Hungarian invasion.
After the Treaty of London, how did the chamber of deputies receive the proposition of Italy entering the war?
Salandra was confident that the promises made to Italy in the treaty would persuade the chamber to support Italian intervention. However, the deputies continued to uphold that Italy was not prepared for war and that fighting its closest neighbours would be a disaster. Over 300 deputies voted for staying neutral. As a result Salandra resigned as PM. In the end King Emmanuel chose to reinstate Salandra as PM. He demanded Salandra put forward demands for emergency powers in parliament. Under the direction of the King pariament voted 407 in favour.
Mare Nostrum
- the Roman term regarding the mediterranean sea, translates to ‘our sea’.
Radiant May
- Italy’s decision to join the war in 1915 was greeted with a wave of support from much of the population. Nationalists used their influence over the media to produce leaflets and posters about the potential benefits of a war with Austria.
How many casualties were there after the 11 battles of Isonzo?
138,000
Brief description of Caporetto
In October 1917, the Austrian artillery delivered a surprise attack in the form of artillery fire along a 15 mile stretch of the Isonzo front in the mountains above the town of Caporetto. The cost of this surprise attack was immense, around a million killed, wounded and dissapeared (most likely fled). Also,
