WW1 Flashcards
(34 cards)
1
Q
Why did Italy not have to join Austria in Aug 1914 when war broke out?
A
- Austria had not consulted w/ Italy before declaring war on Serbia so treaty obligations did not apply
- Giolitti announced Italy would remain neutral
2
Q
What was the PM’s belief about entering the war and what were the alternatives?
A
- Salandra wanted to join the war, as if Germany and Austro-Hungary won, they would not forgive Italy who did not help them
- However if Britain and France won and Italy chose not to help them, they would not be open to discussing Italy’s wishes in the Mediterranean
- The war also allowed for Salandra to introduce more repressive legislation to control the political problems in Italy
3
Q
Reasons for supporting neutrality: (3)
A
- Allying w/ GER + A-H disliked by many –> betraying Italy’s patriotic ambitions, trade would be wrecked as GBR supplied coal, cultural sympathies for FRA
- Better economically and militarily –> economy too weak, economic gains possible even w/out intervention, army busy in Libya (not large enough/equipped)
- RCC did not want war w/ Catholic Austria + most who supported political parties did not care for territorial gains
4
Q
Initially what was the support for intervention like and what were their reasons for supporting this?
A
- Small but vocal nationalist minority
- Wanted Trieste + Trentino in Austria
5
Q
What did Salandra and his foreign minister Sidney Sonnino begin doing, how did this end and what was the initial reaction?
A
- They began secret negotiations w/ GBR + FRA, AUS + GER
- Triple Entente offered many of the irredente lands (eg. South Tyrol, Dalmatia, Istria) if Italy sided with them. Alliance was not willing to give Trieste/Trentino in Austria
- Italy signed Treaty of London on 26 Apr 1915 in full secrecy, extending Italian mainland by around 9,000 square miles
- PSI + most Catholics firmly against intervention (‘neither support nor sabotage’), as they feared war more than they wanted irredentism
- Mussolini was expelled from PSI for promoting intervention
6
Q
Popular support was moving towards intervention in May 1915. Why was this?
A
- Nationalist movement
- Press –> Nationalists had lot of influence on this esp allied propaganda, Mussolini gathered crowd of 30,000 in Milan supporting intervention + Gabriele D’Annunzio, a poet who gave pro-war charismatic speeches
- Police + military did not break up pro-intervention demonstrations when compared to intervention protests
7
Q
Why did Salandra resign and why was he reinstated in May 1915?
A
- Giolitti + 300 deputies expressed opposition to the decision. Those backing neutrality wanted Giolitti as PM again
- Salandra resigned and King asked Giolitti to take over, preferably without dishonouring the Treaty of London otherwise he would abdicate and both sides would hate on Italy
- Giolitti declined the offer to become PM again, as he felt he could not support the treaty and risk overthrowing the King
- Salandra was reinstated on 16 May and granted emergency powers on 20 May (PSI voted against this and were the only far left-wing party in Europe to not support their country’s intervention!)
8
Q
When did Italy formally declare war on Austria?
A
25 May 1915
9
Q
What was the fighting between Austria and Italy like?
A
- Conditions were horrific eg. Ice + snow of alpine terrains, cholera and frostbite
- In 1915, 62000 Italians died during 4 failed offensives against the Austrians
10
Q
What were the problems in the war? (7)
A
- Unprepared for war –> best soldiers in Libya + shortage of arms
- Mobilisation was disorganised and gave Austria time to retreat defensively
- Cadorna pursued strategy of massed infantry attacks on entrenched positions eg. 62,000 men killed and 170,000 injured in first 2 advances
- Bitterness between peasant infantry soldiers and exempted industrial workers as 95% of casualties were in the infantry
- Low rations and treated poorly -> 3000 calories a day by 1916
- Paid poorly –> half a lira per day for infantrymen
- No newspapers or entertainment for soldiers –> forbidden to enter cinemas or bars even on leave
11
Q
What was conscription like and how did the soldiers feel about fighting?
A
- Nearly 5 mil men conscripted w/ maj peasants + agricultural workers
- Southern peasants were over represented and maj could not understand the dialects of the Northerns in charge
- The soldiers did not understand why they were dying over frozen wastelands w/ 290,000 were court-martialled due to desertion
12
Q
What was the Italian supreme commander’s (who was he?) solution for the lack of discipline?
A
- Military tribunals passed 4000 death sentences on soldiers for desertion + indiscipline (way more than any other Western army)
- Luigi Cadorna made war camps intolerable to deter soldiers from surrendering
- 600,000 soldiers had to survive on 1000 calories a day here
- Around 100,000 died of hunger-related illnesses (5x the number from FRA + GBR)
13
Q
What was the Strafexpedition, when was it launched and what effect did it have on Italy?
A
- A major offensive to open a path to attack Verona and Bologna in 1916
- Severe impact on public morale and army
- Salandra was forced to resign and replaced by Paolo Bosselli w/ no improvement in military
14
Q
When was the Battle of Caporetto, and what happened?
A
- 24 Oct 1917
- Austrian forces attacked Italian frontline + poor leadership and morale meant a humiliating and chaotic retreat (>160km) took place
- There was looting, large loss of military arms + 200000 soldiers lost contact w/ regiments
- One senator, Leopoldo Franchetti, was so overwhelmed by the defeat that he committed suicide
- 10,000 Italians killed, 30,000 wounded, 300,000 taken prisoner + 400,000 soldiers vanished
15
Q
What consequences did the defeat at Caporetto have?
A
- Lost most of the Veneto
- Reignited the divisions of intervention from 1914
- Nationalists calling for rev and removal of politicians like Giolitti who did not support the war
- Boselli resigned and was replaced by Vittorio Orlando
16
Q
What changes were made after PM change in 1917?
A
- Cadorna removed and replaced by General Diaz, who was much more cautious ( casualty rates fell from 520,000 in 1917 to 143,000 in 1918)
- Improved rations
- 25 days leave (compared to previous 15)
- 1918 –> Trench newspapers introduced
- Arditi (small grps of commandos that infiltrated + carried out attacks) established
- Promises of land reforms for peasant conscripts
- Dec 1917 –> ONC set up to look after welfare of soldiers and family
17
Q
Compare numbers of Italy’s industries w/ Austria before the war
A
- Italy was behind Austria in all war important economic areas
- Before the war, steel production was less than a mil compared to Austria’s 2.6 mil tonnes
- Before the war, every 2 Italian machine guns, Austria had 12
18
Q
Give figures on Italy’s industries after the war
A
- Created aeronautical industry –> 6,500 planes in 1918
- Fiat was Europe’s leading truck + lorry manufacturer –> 25,000 vehicles in 1918 comapred to 4,500 in 1914 and workforce increased from 6,000 to 30,000
- 20,000 machine guns + 7,000 heavy artillery, greater than the number British could manufacture
19
Q
How was the Italian industry able to produce so much?
A
- Alfredo Dallolio, the under-secretariat of arms + munitions
- Organised recruitment of women (1/4 of munition factory workers) + peasants (1/3 of workers in war economy)
- Ensured key men for war production were exempt from conscription
- Strikes made illegal
- Hours of work increased
- Military tribunals for unsatisfactory behaviour
- Financed industrial expansion through advance payments, cheap loans + contracts (state would pay whatever to buy produce)
20
Q
How much debt did rapid economic growth rack up and why was this the case?
A
- All based on gov investment, which involved taking foreign loans and printing more money, causing inflation
- Now 23.3 bil lire in debt compared to 2.9 before the war
- Exponential rise in national debt by fivefold between Jun 1914 and Jun 1919
- Owed more than 15 bil lire to GBR + 8.5 bil to USA
21
Q
What other consequences did rapid economic growth have?
A
- Some war-based sectors growing at a disproportionate rate compared to other industries
- Economy still short of natural resources
- Low exports
- Weak consumer market
- Divide between north and south accentuated as north’s economy grew by over 20% between 1911 and 1921, as most war production was based there
- By 1917, bread + pasta rationed and sugar consumption falling sharply
- Worker anger fuelled as industrialists made vast profits when wages dropped by 25% w/ long hours (75 hr working week was normal for Fiat by Jul 1916)
22
Q
What happened in Aug 1917 that pushed change?
A
- 50 workers killed in Turin protesting against bread shortages + the war
- Shocked politicians took steps to increase food supplies and more pro-war propaganda
23
Q
In what way did wartime inflation have a positive impact on WW1?
A
- Allowed peasants to pay off debts quickly
- Reduced rent payments in real terms
24
Q
How did socialists involve themselves in the war effort?
A
- Local councils that organised rations + welfare
- Socialist cooperatives that prevented profiteering
- TUs to settle labour disputes (employers tried to dodge this by employing only those who were not part of one)
25
After Mussolini was sacked, how did Avanti! present the war?
- An imperialist clash that good socialists opposed
26
What was set up in April 1918, by who and where did they meet?
Sonnino allowed a Congress of Oppressed Nationalities to meet in Rome
27
What pact was signed in this congress, what did it say and how did gov react to this?
- Pact of Rome
- Italy was interested in independent Yugoslavia
- Could still seek other concessions in the Adriatic, even though Italy had to give up some territory in relation to Yugoslavia
- Gov accepted it but did not sign
28
What countries were peace treaties signed with and when?
- Sep 1919 --> Austria
- 1920 --> Hungary
Yugoslavia (Treaty of
Rapallo)
29
What colonies did Italy receive?
- Only Jarabub + Jubaland
- Minor frontier concessions in Libya + Eritrea
30
What showed that Italy's prospects in the war were improving?
- Shift in military tactics
- Austria-Hungarian Empire near collapse by Oct 1918
31
What did Orlando encourage Diaz to do and what was the result of this?
- He encouraged him to attack for an Italian victory
- On 24 Oct 1918, Italy launched an offensive across the Piave entering Vittorio Veneto + splitting Austrian army into 2
- Took 500,000 prisoners of war
- Austria signed an armistice on 4 Nov
32
Which treaty signed when ceded South Tyrol and Trentino?
Treaty of St Germain in 1919
33
How was the victory viewed by the nationalists and Mussolini?
- Nationalists promoted it as the glory of Italy through patriotism + unity
- Mussolini would link success of fascism to the ideals of Battle of Vittorio Veneto
34
What had Italy lost due to the war?
- 650,000 casualties
- Distorted economy
- More divided Italy
