I have some questions about Italy in WWI?
It's for a school project and I've looked online but not coming up with much. What should be done with Germany's army and navy? Who should pay reparations and how much? Should industry be limited or ended in the Central Powers? How would the Treaty of Versailles be enforced? Should a permanent international peace keeping organization be established? I would appreciate tips or websites that will help me search for what Italy wanted to do with the Central Powers and not what anyone else wanted to do or what actually happened.
History - 4 Answers
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1 :
The path to a modern liberal democracy was interrupted by World War I. At first Italy stayed neutral, but in 1915, under pressure from the United Kingdom and France, Italy signed the London Pact by which she became an allied belligerent. In return, the two Powers promised that, at the end of the war, Italy would receive Trento, Trieste, Istria, Dalmatia and some territories in Turkey. Italy managed to defeat the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in November 1918, but only with the considerable help of French and British army divisions and the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Army. During the war, 600,000 Italians died and the economy collapsed with high inflation and unemployment. In the Peace treaty, Italy obtained just Trento, Trieste and Istria but not other lands scheduled from the Pact of London, so this victory was defined as "mutilated". Subsequently, after the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, Italy formally annexed the Dodecanese (Possedimenti Italiani dell'Egeo), that she had occupied during the war. The London Pact - According to the pact, Italy was to leave the Triple Alliance and join Triple Entente, as already stated in a secret agreement signed in London, on 4-5 September 1914. Furthermore, Italy was to declare war against Germany and Austria-Hungary within a month — and in fact the declaration of war was published 23 May of the same year. In exchange, Italy was to obtain some territorial gains (see Italia irredenta) at the end of the war: 1. Tyrol up to the main water divide, as claimed by Ettore Tolomei in his Prontuario dei nomi locali dell'Alto Adige, South Tyrol occupied by Italians after the truce of 1918 2. Trieste 3. Gorizia and Gradisca 4. Istria, but not Rijeka 5. part of Inner Carniola 6. Northern Dalmatia (including Zadar) 7. Dodecanese 8. Protectorate over Albania 9. Vlorë 10. part of the German Asian and African colonial empire The Italians insisted, and the Allies agreed, that the question of the Croatian coast between Zara and Istria should be settled after the war. They also insisted that Serbia should not be informed about the agreements. This, however, the Allies overruled by sending to the Government of Serbia an official Note, dated 4 August 1915, confirming the postwar territorial claims of Serbia and Montenegro. The pact was to be kept secret, but after the October Revolution, it was published by Russian journal Izsvestia, in November 1917. At the Paris Peace Conference, the Italians insisted that they would negotiate only with their wartime allies Serbia and Montenegro, not with defeated enemies included in delegation of the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In particular they were incensed that three members of the delegation were former Austro-Hungarian deputies (Croats Ante Trumbić, Josip Smodlaka, and the Slovene Otokar Ribarž), and that one (the Slovene Ivan Žolger) had served as Minister in the wartime Austrian Cabinet. The pact was nullified with the Treaty of Versailles, because Woodrow Wilson, supporting Slavic claims and not recognizing the treaty, rejected Italian requests on Dalmatian territories. The Partition of the Tyrol was confirmed by the Treaty of St. Germain.
2 :
itsly had nothing to do with any of that, only 3 countries controlled those aspects of history the us, england, and france. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/versailles.html
3 :
Linked to the "Big Three" was Italy led by Vittorio Orlando. He was frequently left on the sidelines when the important negotiations took place despite Italy fighting on the side of the Allies. Why was Italy treated in this manner? At the start of the war in 1914, Italy should have fought with Germany and Austria as she had signed the Triple Alliance which dictated that if one of the three was attacked, the other two would go to that country's aid. Italy did not join in on Germany's side but waited until 1915 and joined the side of Britain and France. This association with Germany was enough to taint Italy in the eyes of the "Big Three". Also Italy had not played an overwhelming part in the war. Her army had been beaten at the battles of Caporetto. Her strategic importance to central Europe was minimal whilst Britain dominated the Mediterranean with naval bases in Malta and Gibraltar. Italy's potential military clout in 1919, should the need arise to put pressure on Germany and Austria, was limited.
4 :
Treaty of Versailles is an unfair treaty, though, there are also fair points. All the Big Three, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and Woodrow Wilson, often disagree with each other as what they wanted in the treaty differ with each other. David Lloyd George wanted a fair treaty, buthe will be going for an election soon and the people in his country wanted a harsh treaties, he would want a treaty that is between fair and harsh. For Georges Clemenceau, as he is the Prime Minister of France, he wanted a harsh treaty as France had been attacked by the Germany 2 times, one in 1870 (Franco-Prussian War) and another in 1914 which is more recent (World War I), just about 4/5 year ago before the Paris Peace Conference. For Woodrow Wilson, as he was President of USA, he do not want to intervene with European affair anymore. European should learn to live peacefully with each other. He just want to set up League of Nation and after that, would not intervene with their matter anymore. Back to the topic: I think Germany's army and navy should be reduced but not so much. All the losing country to pay reparation (Austria, Germany and Turkey) Industry should not be limited or ended as they 'will die'. Treaty of Versailles should be fair, reparation cost should not be too high. International peace keeping organization should not be established And for Italy, Italy was once an Alliance with Germany. I believe Italy switch to Allied Power in the midst of the war.
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