PRIMA GUERRA MONDIALE: IL FRONTE ITALIANO [Video completo]

PAUSE IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS This video briefly summarises the events of WWI in Italy and is not intended to replace scholastic and historical books. As I am not a historian I may come across errors or inaccuracies. If so, please feel free to add your observations in the comments (as long as they are polite).

Some parts may sound very similar to accounts by well-known historians: this is not due to laziness or a desire to plagiarise their work, but rather a desire to rely on experts in the field and not to invent facts otherwise. You will find all sources in the description. Thank you and enjoy the show ;) Italy came into being with the Risorgimento after more than 1000 years but not everyone that spoke Italian was still part of it.

there was Malta Corsica Nice Savoy Ticino Trentino Trieste And lastly some cities in Istria and Dalmatia. There would also be San Marino and the Vatican buuuuuuut let's forget about them Since its foundation, the Kingdom of Italy wanted Trento and Trieste the two largest Italian-speaking cities But taking them would have meant facing with Austria The Habsburg Empire, which meanwhile had changed its name into Austro-Hungarian Empire was too powerful to face alone an alliance was necessary So who did Italy ally with? With the Austro-Hungarian Empire Wait, wait.

. . .

what? ? ?

As we saw in the second episode of the Risorgimento France lost the Franco-Prussian war and Italy used the opportunity to take Rome Surprisingly, the transalpines were unhappy about this and Italy was isolated And so, in order to emerge from isolation, it formed the Triple Alliance with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire However, let's take a quick look at these two allies Austria The Habsburg Empire was devastated by the conflicts at the end of the 19th century and to avoid internal revolts it changed its name to the Austro-Hungarian Empire It was made up of 10 heterogeneous ethnic groups but they did not hide nationalist ideologies It was clear that the empire was becoming weaker and weaker over the years but it was still considered as a superpower Germany The Germans were united 10 years later than Italy But while the Italians were united through alliances revolutions humiliations lucky breaks the Germans had a slightly different story In a very condensed and oversimplified version Prussia united Germany in this way In short, it did it on its own and, aware of its own capabilities, the newborn German empire decisively aimed at the top of the world powers Italy was totally fascinated So, in order to form an alliance with its idol and to get out of isolation Italy decided to join the Triple Alliance despite Austria opposed to the Triple Entente formed by France, UK and Russia So did Italy and Austria become friends? They did on paper, but as expected, they actually hated each other a lot! !

! Italy never made a secret of its territorial ambitions, and Austria knew it very well! For example, in 1908 there was the tragic Messina earthquake that killed over 100,000 people The whole world immediately came to the rescue Meanwhile, in Austria, some generals went to the aged Emperor Franz Joseph "Your Highness, why don't we attack Italy?

" "They are distracted, we will never have such an opportunity again" "Mmmm. Nein. " "Maybe that's a bit too much" And so the two countries were still "friends" A few years went by, and European nationalisms rose dramatically The Germans couldn't wait to show off their military power All it took was one event to blow the delicate balance, and it happened The heir to the Austrian throne Franz Ferdinand was shot and killed Austria raised its suspicions on Serbiqa and made impossible demands which were rejected With strong support from Germany, Austria declared war without consulting Italy A chain reaction was triggered (Russian accent) "Hey, you are declaring war on my friend, I declare war on you!

" (German accent) "Hey, you are declaring war on my friend, I declare war on you! " (French accent) "Hey, you are declaring war on my friend, I declare war on you! " (British accent) "Hey, you are declaring war on my friend, I declare war on you!

" This was the beginning of World War One WW1 Isn't anyone missing? Italy! Wasn't it allied with Austria and Germany?

Yes, but it was a defensive alliance. The two allies took the offensive without consulting the Belpaese If they had involved Italy, she would have had to go to war in return for land compensation. And so Italy stayed out of the conflict and both sides were satisfied The Ottoman Empire took its place When the conflict began, both factions thought it was going to be a blitzkrieg but it became a trench warfare No one could break through the enemy's defences Every time there was an advance of just a few kilometers Austria fought on two fronts: the Russian and the Balkan fronts It was heavily defeated on both fronts and had to ask the Germans for help to prevent its fall A heated debate began in Italy should we go to war or not?

And if we go to war, which side should we join? Austria is getting beaten up on both fronts it may be a great opportunity to put an end to the Trento and Trieste issue! There were numerous marches in the streets for and against the war "No to war!

The only thing it will lead to is the death of our young people. " "Yes to war! If we do nothing, we will no longer be considered a superpower!

" "If Austria loses, the empire would collapse and we could take Trento and Trieste without bloodshed! " "If, if, no more ifs! We must do something!

" "You are a murderer! " "And you're a coward! " The director of the socialist newspaper L'Avanti, Benito Mussolini declared himself against the war, aligned with the Socialist Party After a few months he changed his mind and declared himself in favour of the war Perhaps some French bribes might have influenced his opinion However, this shift angered the Socialist party and so Mussolini was expelled from the party and the Avanti But Benito wasted no time and immediately founded a new newspaper, the People of Italy and insisted on the need for war The debate became more and more intense but both public opinion and parliament were against the war Nevertheless, the head of government Salandra sent the Italian foreign minister Sydney Sonnino to consult both sides er, yes, that's his name.

. . Sidney Sonnino Italy played the role of prima donna and tried to be seduced by all forces "Hello Italy, so I offer you Corsica, which is an Italian-speaking territory" "mmm interesting, but what about Trento and Trieste?

" "Then you'll have Savoy and Nice, which were part of the Kingdom of Sardinia" "mmm interesting, but what about Trento and Trieste? " "Then you'll' have Tunisia, which France stole from you decades ago" "mmm interesting, but what about Trento and Trieste? " "Then you'll have Malta" "and Trento and Trieste?

" "Enough! They are my territories! Don't you like my offer?

" "mmm yes, sure! " "But what about Trento and Trieste? " "NEIN!

THEY ARE MINE" "But what about Trento and Trieste? " "That's it! I'm leaving" "But what about Trento and Trieste?

" After some time Austria came back, forced by Germany "Hello Italy. If you stay neutral you'll have Trento" "Wow thanks! " "And Trieste?

" "NEIN! IT'S MY ONLY TRUE SHIPYARD. I'LL NEVER GIVE IT TO YOU!

" But Italy was negotiating with someone else as well "Hello Italy, would you like to join us? " "I would like to, but what do you offer me in return? " "Mmmm I don't know, you tell me.

" "I want Trento! " "Ok" "And then I want Trieste! " "Ok" "And then I want the Brenner Pass" "Ok" "And then I want Istria!

" "Ok" "And then I want Dalmatia! " "Ok" "And then I want this shi. .

. " "Ok, ok, ok, but please sign the agreement! " And so Italy, along with all the factions of the Entente, signed the treaty of London which was meant to be kept secret from the rest of the world The only persons in Italy who knew about the treaty were Foreign Minister Sonnino the Prime Minister Salandra and His Lowene.

. . EEEER, I MEAN His Highness King Victor Emanuel the Third But Giolitti, the most powerful and influential man of the last 15 years suspected something and tried to prevent the war But his lowness.

. . EEER I MEAN.

. . his highness Victor Emmanuel III hated the Austrians and the Albertine statute issued by his great-grandfather Charles Albert gave him special military powers And so the King approved the terms of the London Pact, bypassing parliament "Hey, shouldn't we be in a democracy?

" "Sure, you have the final say. " "Unfortunately I have already signed the pact with the Entente. " "You don't want me to make a bad impression, do you?

" "Uff, fine. So war it is" That was the beginning of the Italian front The Italian Front Oh Italy declared war only against the Austro-Hungarian Empire because it hoped to remain on good relations with Germany This move was so brilliant that it angered both the Germans and the new allies Some describe this conflict as the 'Fourth War of Independence' but most historians disagree, as Italy had already been plagued by imperialism for a while Italy already had colonies in Africa and Trento and Trieste were actually a propaganda Trojan horse The real goal was the Adriatic total domination. With this background, the conflict against Austria began.

The head of the army was Luigi Cadorna, who was from a long-standing military family Cadorna and the other military leaders had a formidable programme attack Trieste, the empire's only real shipyard suffocate Austria-Hungary, conquer Vienna End the war and be worshipped as heroes. All this would be accomplished in a few months In order to realise this dream, the royal army was divided into four armies the 1st army was committed to the Trentino Alps the 4th to the Dolomites the 2nd to the Isonzo valley and the 3rd directly to Trieste The latter had most of the forces at its disposal Cadorna considered the Trentino valley as too narrow to attack with all forces so he preferred to attack to the east Rigid, unmovable and severe, Cadorna came from the old military school Soldiers were just pawns to him "You're not even human f#@$in beings! " "You are nothing but an organized grab plastic piece of amphibian sh#@!

" Knowing that he had a clear advantage in numbers over the Austrians he had no hesitation in throwing his soldiers at the enemy. And so the Italian army advanced into Austrian territory and the first battles began Many territories were easily conquered because the Austrian army retreated and entrenched itself in more strategic mountains. Monfalcone and some mountain villages inhabited mostly by Slovenes were taken One of these was Kobarid, but the name sounded bad.

It had to be Italianised and so it became Caporetto What is this music? Cadorna gave the order to attack en masse towards the Isonzo concentrating his forces towards Doberdò The first battle of the Isonzo was about to begin The Italian army, twice the size of the Austrian army lost the battle and was pushed back, just a few metres were gained "This time they were lucky, it was just an accident" "KEEP ON FIGHTING! " after a few days the second battle of the Isonzo began The Italian army, twice the size of the Austrian army lost the battle and was pushed back again Again it advanced just a few metres Winter was coming and Cadorna ordered the third assault The Italian army, twice the size of the Austrian army why am i even saying that.

. . lost the battle and was pushed back "DAMN IT!

" "WE MUST WIN A BATTLE BY THE END OF THE YEAR! " and so he immediately ordered the fourth assault Needless to say. .

. Italy was pushed back again The supposedly quick victory became trench warfare like the rest of Europe Now, I know what you're thinking "Wow, sure the Italian army sucks! " Calm down, first we have to analyse a few factors Factor number one: warfare In WW1, the factions were entrenched within a few hundred metres When one side came to attack, it bombed the enemy trench for days and then sent thousands of soldiers to engage the enemy machine guns, hoping to neutralise them If the attack was successful, the defenders would dig new trenches behind, and the cycle would repeat This type of war clearly benefited the defenders Conquering one or two kilometres was seen as a great victory So despite being outnumbered, the Austrians were able to push the Italians back.

Factor number two: geography The Italian front was mainly in the mountains, which favoured the defenders even more as they could set bases in strategic points Factor three: morale Austria-Hungary was made up with various ethnic groups, including Slovenes and Croats who had no will of being occupied by the Italians, because they knew very well that they would be Italianised by force So the war for them was really a matter of life and death For an Italian soldier, on the other hand, the situation was slightly different He was generally an illiterate peasant or that had barely attended primary school thus he was enlisted against his will So let's be honest: why would such a person want to be killed for territories he didn't even know? 1916 came and Cadorna attempted another attack on the Karst without changing his tactics What do you think happened this time? That's right The Austrian military chief of staff, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf fed up with the Italian attacks, decided to make them pay by ordering a counter-offensive from the Trentino Alps which was mistakenly named by the Italian press as the Strafexpedition, the punitive expedition.

Cadorna was forced to move half a million men from the Karst to the Trentino. The battle was bloody and despite the Austrian's initial advance the Italians managed somehow to repel the assault, but casualties were terrible. Among them there was Cesare Battisti no, not this one but this one Born in Trentino and MP in Vienna, Battisti deserted the Austrian army to join the Italian cause He was captured during the Strafexpedition and executed in Trento.

He was seen as a traitor by the Austrians, but as a patriot by the Italians. The Austrian counterattack put Salandra out of action and he was succeeded by Boselli. Cadorna then managed to send almost 300,000 soldiers to the Isonzo front in a very short time, prepared for a new siege, but this time towards Gorizia And so the Italian army, more than twice the number of the Austrian army won the battle and conquered Gorizia.

This was the first important victory for Italy. "Phew! Thanks to this victory I saved my seat!

" Revitalised by the victory, he immediately attempted a new attack in the hope that it would be the decisive one. And so the Italian army, three times the size of the Austrian was pushed back The final breakthrough was very close, but Cadorna stopped the attack because of the heavy casualties. He attempted the eighth assault a month later but it ended exactly like the seventh one.

"I can feel it coming! We must attack again! " and he ordered the 9th assault.

But it also ended like the previous ones, being stopped just before the decisive breakthrough Now, I have shown you these battles as no big deal, but the truth is that each of them had cost tens of thousands of lives for both sides. Moreover, they were not fought only on the Isonzo, but also in the rest of the Alps. In these minor battles the most feared opponents were snow, frost, and avalanches.

One of the most impressive tactics was to blow the mountaintops to the enemy. Both sides fought under these terrible conditions for two and a half years without achieving any significant results. " The mountains still bear the marks of those battles to this day.

A clear example is Col di Lana, whose summit was blown up by the Italians. Would you happen to notice the crater? 1916 ended with Gorizia being taken, but no decisive victory was achieved Meanwhile, in Austria the elderly Emperor Franz Joseph died and was succeeded by Charles I.

He removed von Hötzendorf as commander in chief, replacing him with von Straussenburg. In early 1917, on the Eastern Front, revolution broke out inRyssua and the Tsar was deposed. A republic was established.

As a result, the Austro-Hungarians were able to move some of their troops to the Italian front, forcing Cadorna to wait several months before attacking Finally the order came for the 10th attack. What was the result? Repulsed once again.

Italian soldiers became tired of being uselessly sent to the slaughter with frontal assaults, but the inflexible Cadorna considered soldiers as non-thinking pawns who could not even complain If anyone dared to desert, he was summarily prosecuted and sentenced to death Of all WWI generals, Cadorna was the most severe one Unconcerned about the soldiers' morale, he ordered the 11th assault in August, but this time on the Bainsizza high plateau The Italian army, over twice the size of the Austro-Hungarian army, Won the battle and took the plateau. "Damn Cadorna, stubborn as he is he will attack soon! " "But our army can't take it anymore.

" "If he attacks one more time we will collapse. " "We have no choice. We have to ask for help from Germany.

" "Hello Germany, we need help. " " Uff, damn incompetent Austrians, you can't do anything on your own. You always have to ask for help.

" "Look I don't like to ask for help from cocky people like you, but I have no alternative" "What do you mean? " "Italy has hit us hard, if they attack one more time they will take Trieste. " "And what should I care about an insignificant front like Italy?

" "See, if they take Trieste, our only harbor, we will be kaput and they may attack you from the south. " "Mmm, maybe you are right" "The Russian front is about to end. Russia is in revolution" "and we even sent Lenin to them.

I could bring some troops toward the Alps. " "Ja, gut" "Do you know at least where to attack? " "Ja!

There is a little village in the Eastern Alps that would suit us. " "Sehr Gut! What is its name?

" "Caporetto" Backed into a corner, the Austro-Hungarian Empire he was forced to ask Germany for help But it knew exactly where to strike from: Caporetto A Slovenian village conquered two years earlier by Italy In that area there is a plateau that descends unimpeded to the Friulian plain reaching easily Cividale and then Udine, Cardorna's headquarters After reaching Friuli the Third Army could have been checkmated, forcing Cadorna to withdraw "What? We were just considering to gain a little ground" "But instead you think you're going to get as far as the plains? " "Beware!

Italy is a tough opponent" "You'll never make it! " "We'll see about that" And so the preparations for the offensive began. On the Eastern Front Russia was in turmoil Lenin was preparing a revolution that would lead him to power.

Soon Russia would be out of the war. In these conditions the Germans could move their troops westward. More than 2,500 trains were used, all headed toward the Karst Alps.

Germany tried to keep the offensive a secret, ut for several reasons Italy knew everything. It knew that the Germans were coming, where and when they were going to attack. Cadorna wasn't afraid the recent victory against the Austrians gave him confidence so he was sure to repel the attack.

But to be on the safe side he moved several troops to Caporetto Just in case But there was one thing that Cadorna does not took into account, that is, that the German army was the strongest one in the world! Italy hadn't yet developed the noble art of Catenaccio in the past two and a half years it had been almost always attacking And so on the night of October 24th the offensive began from the mountains surrounding Caporetto What was the result? The Germans smashed through all the Italian defenses In just 24 hours Caporetto was conquered and the Germans advanced toward the Italian plain The 2nd Army had been completely annihilated The soldiers who had managed to escape were now stragglers One of the German lieutenants who excelled the most was named Erwin Rommel, who 25 years later would be called the Desert Fox.

The news from the front reached Cadorna a day later: the disaster had already occured There was no choice but to give the order that was thought to be inconceivable: to withdraw the WHOLE army behind the nearest river, the Tagliamento. he soldiers of the Third Army, unaware of everything, did not believe the orders. Why would they retreat now when they were just 25 km away from Trieste?

Moreover on Italian soil! But the army obeyed. A desperate rush toward the Tagliamento began which affected not only the army, but also the entire civilian population.

"We must do scorched earth! " "The enemy must not take over our resources! " Fields, food reserves, livestock and all weapons that could not be transported were burned.

Everything that Italy had gained with enormous sacrifices in two and a half years was lost. Rather, it was necessary to retreat beyond its own borders. he soldiers, tired of two years of war, hunger and sacrifice, began to desert, raiding houses, factories, and people.

The war had already been lost for them, but they didn't care. They felt they could finally go back home. In this chaos the bridges over the Tagliamento were blown up so that the Germans would not cross them.

Several soldiers and civilians did not arrive in time and were captured. But some bridges were intercepted and the Germans crossed the river. Cadorna was forced to order a retreat to the next river: the Piave.

And so the people of Friuli and Veneto were forced to leave their homes, and those who couldn't make it were captured by the Germans. The Germans made a mistake: they didn't notice that the third army was still intact to the south. Had it been intercepted, the war could have been considered over for Italy.

But the army reached the Piave unscathed. Meanwhile at the top there was a shakeup: PM Boselli was sacked and replaced by Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, who already intended to remove Cadorna from command. The commander had no intention of being the scapegoat and in the war newsletter he said this: "The Germans' breakthrough was caused by some divisions" "of the 2nd Army that cowardly surrendered without a fight!

" Even though he had specified "some divisions", the bulletin shamed the whole army in the eyes of the Allies, and Cadorna was kicked out. His place was taken by Armando Diaz, a Neapolitan of remote Spanish ancestry. He was not the best known military figure, but it is likely that he was chosen not because of his talents but because they did not want to risk the burning of other important candidates.

The Germans were approaching and so Diaz organized an extreme defense on the Piave. The Italian army succeeded in repelling the enemy this time. Mostly thanks to the defenses previously set up by Cadorna on Mount Grappa.

And so the Germans were pushed back on the Piave. But there wasn't a lot to celebrate. Caporetto was a tremendous defeat the greatest defeat ever suffered by Italy.

. In two and a half years Italy had advanced about 30 km and within three weeks it was pushed back by no less than 140 km. In the entire WWI there had been no such advance in a single battle.

But the real magnitude of the defeat was not about the territories lost, but about the civilians and soldiers who had failed to escape in time. Three hundred thousand prisoners, 1% of Italy's entire population. All of these people were moved to Austrian prison camps and many died of starvation.

All the Friulians and Venetians who managed to escape in time were displaced all over Italy. In addition to these other 300,000 other Italian soldiers deserted and fled across the country. who had deserted and disappeared around the country.

This is the extent of the defeat at Caporetto nd now it should be clear to you why in Italian slang we say "it was a Caporetto" to emphasize a catastrophic event. Meanwhile, the German army, exhausted but satisfied with its results, passed the ball to Austria. "Well Austria, we have done our part.

" "Now you will see it for yourselves. " "We go back to the French front, which we must attempt the decisive assault! " However, Austria did not have enough forces to attempt an assault, let alone Italy.

And so there was a stalemate for about 8 months. Meanwhile, Diaz and his deputy Badoglio, who was saved from the purge after Caporetto, deeply reorganized the army. Soldiers were finally granted leave, given proper rest and being fed properly.

Moreover, the soldiers' morale had changed as well: they were no longer fighting in foreign land but on Italian soil! This time soldiers really felt they were fighting for their own land. Of the 300,000 straggling soldiers more than half were recaptured and returned to the trenches.

The war wasn't over yet. There was a state figure who was particularly appreciated by the soldiers. That is .

. . his lowness.

. . errr.

. . I mean, his highness King Victor Emmanuel III.

But let's talk about the sovereign for a moment, and before you comment, let me remind you that all the things for which Vittorio is remembered haven't happened yet. 5,11 feet (1,56m) tall and rakish-legged, Victor Emmanuel III was fully aware of his awkward look, and since photography was born, he couldn't even hide his own flaws. That made him a shy, reserved and sober person who did not like pomp or court balls.

He always wore his military uniform and often visited the front during the war. Thus he became so appreciated by the people that they called him the Soldier King. Throughout most of the conflict the Soldier King lodged close to the battlefield, although he was not in charge of the army.

Do you remember the London Pact? And that it was supposed to be kept super-secret? Well, it just so happens that a second revolution broke out in Russia and the Bolsheviks took power.

Lenin went through the state secret papers and had no qualms about publishing the pact. "Tovarisch, look how these dirty capitalists plot in the shadows! " The revelations shocked the entire world, in particular U.

S. President Woodrow Wilson. 1918 came and a million fresh American troops were about to reach the Western Front.

The German high command attempted everything: they had to strike with all forces before the US arrived, or it would have been the end. And so they intimated the Austrians to do the same with Italy. Thus the Solstice Offensive began.

Oh, do you know how the operation was named? Radetzky Austria arranged a final offensive toward Italy and, as a reminder of past glory, called it "Operation Radetzky. " It consisted of capturing Asiago and Mount Grappa, and then descending toward the Brenta River Despite being defeated at Caporetto, Italy had gained two factors to its advantage One: it had to defend a 200-km shorter line than it had before and so it could concentrate more forces in one place.

Two: Two: since Friuli was made scorched earth the Austrians had supplies more than 200 km away. These factors combined with the army's reorganization allowed Italy to resolutely repel the offensive on the Piave River. In those days the famous Piave propaganda song was composed.

The Piave whispered, the foreigner shall not pass The Italian aviation ace Francesco Baracca died in this battle. What I haven't told you so far is that the war was also fought in the air. Pilots faced each other relentlessly on the front lines.

Since parachutes had not been widely adopted yet, if your aircraft was hit well, all you had to do was attempt a crash landing and pray Baracca won no fewer than 34 of these battles. He used to fly with a horse painted on his aircraft. A few years after his death, his mother gave her son's symbol to a young pilot, ensuring that it would bring him luck in the future.

Oh, I almost forgot. . .

that pilot's name was Enzo Ferrari. In the Western Front, Germany desperately attacked by exhausting all its resources. By contrast, in the Italian front no one made a move again for fear of losing.

Therefore, Gabriele D'Annunzio decided to do something. A well-known poet and womanizer, D'annunzio was in exile until the eve of the war. Do you think he had fled abroad as a political refugee?

Ehr, no. He was on the run from his debtors, given his innate talent for wasting money. He had returned during the war to serve the motherland, and because he loved theatricality, he decided to perform a unique feat.

He flew undisturbed all the way to Vienna, dropping not bombs but leaflets on the city. From a military point of view, this act was completely useless. From a morale point of view, however, it had its effects in both Austria and Italy!

But how did he get all the way to Vienna undisturbed? Well, to avoid being wiretapped he used NordVPN. If you like to fly around the world too, you need to be careful when connecting to WiFi in hotels and restaurants, because your personal and browsing data could be stolen.

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So what are you waiting for? Join NordVPN so you'll be supporting my channel. Back to the war.

. . The Germans repeatedly attacked, without success.

Toward the end of the summer they were pushed back, something that had hardly happened until then Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was collapsing on its own: various minorities started to revolt, and Emperor Charles I stated that he was willing to negotiate for peace. It was now clear that the war was coming to an end. And what was Italy doing?

Nothing. Diaz and the military leadership were not going to do a thing; they were too afraid to repeat another Caporetto. But PM Orlando started to put pressure on Diaz.

"Quick, you have to attack! " "The war is about to end! " "If we remain like this, how will we claim Trento or Trieste?

" "We will be grateful if they return us the territories we lost! " "But we aren't ready! " "Austria is collapsing on its own, all it takes is just a small attack!

" "No! " Diaz asked the Americans to send him a million soldiers you can imagine the reply. Orlando desperately sent a telegram to Diaz: "Between inaction or defeat, I prefer a defeat.

Move! " And so Diaz finally made up his mind and prepared the attack Meanwhile, several Austro-Hungarian divisions deserted and returned home to fight for their independence. On October 24, exactly one year after the Battle of Caporetto, Italy attacked.

In the first few days it concentrated its attack north of the Grappa to draw the Austrians back, and then crossed the Piave with all its forces The Austrians were still placing a strong resistance, but on the 5th day. . .

. . .

the defenses collapsed and Italy won the battle of Vittorio Veneto. This was the final breakthrough. The imperial troops were no longer able to counterattack.

Italy could then rush toward its goals before the war was over. On November 3, Trento and Trieste were reached by the skin of their teeth. On the same day, the armistice of Villa Giusti was signed, marking the end of the Italian front starting the next day.

Soon after, Germany, by then broken, surrendered as well. WWI was over. At long last, Trento and Trieste became italian!

The historic enemy, the Habsburg Empire, was dissolved! Italy won! So everyone was happy, right?

Er, not exactly. The life toll was tremendous. It' s impossible to have accurate amounts, but it is estimated that the number of Italian civilian and military casualties was about 1.

5 million, but take this number with a grain of salt. From the ashes of the empire a unified state of the South Slavs was born: the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Which claimed Trieste, Istria and Dalmatia. This was obviously a problem for Italy.

The dispute would eventually be resolved in the peace treaties. And so in Paris the peace conference to determine the new borders began. Victor Emmanuel Orlando and Foreign Minister Sonnino went to the French capital armed with the London Treaty.

Trentino and South Tyrol were annexed to Italy smoothly, although the latter was almost entirely inhabited by German speakers. However, why would they annex a population that did not feel Italian at all? The reason was that the language border would have been very hard to defend, especially on the eastern side, which is full of mountain passes.

Any border at these latitudes would have made the territory easy to penetrate. Moreover, the main border would have been a canyon, with all its difficulties. Even the western side wouldn't have been much better.

Instead, going further north, the main artery is the Brenner Pass, an impressive 1,300 meters altitude. Much easier to defend Moreover, the surrounding mountains do provide a real natural barrier, with very few access points. What about the eastern territories?

Well, there was one player at the winners' table who had not signed the London Pact: the US. President Wilson had been horrified by that treaty, prompting him to publish its 14 points in which basically the self-determination of peoples was allowed. So, all Italian claims to Dalmatia were rejected.

Even Fiume, a city with an Italian-speaking majority, wasn't accepted. "But we signed a treaty! " "I didn't sign it, so it's not valid for me.

" "But at least give us Fiume, which is mostly settled by Italians! " "No. " "Thats it!

I'm leaving! "" Orlando and Sonnino left Paris in protest, marking the end of their government. But that gesture did nothing but weaken Italian claims.

The new government returned to Paris to continue negotiations, but it was too late. To Italy was granted the coveted Trieste, Caporetto, much of Istria and Zara, while Dalmatia was given to the Slavs and Fiume became a city-state. The disappointment of the Italians for not getting all the promised territories was ridden by the poet D'Annunzio, who coined the term "mutilated victory.

" Because of his love of theatricality, D'annunzio organized a military expedition and occupied the city of Fiume. The Carnaro Regency was founded, which aimed to be incorporated into Italy. The government would have liked to do it, but diplomacy wouldn't allow it.

So the Treaty of Rapallo was signed establishing Fiume as a city-state, and to enforce this treaty the Italian government militarily intervened, putting an end to the Fiume venture. Formally, Fiume became a city-state, but in reality the course of events had made it unstable and dependent on Italy. Meanwhile, Italy had to deal with the postwar period: mutilated victory, economic crisis, social crisis, strikes, political instability.

Despite winning the war, Italy was having a very difficult time This situation favored the rise of the fascist party led by Mussolini Now, the rise of fascism is a veeeeeeeeery complex topic that would deserve a separate video, so I will go on very quickly. Taking advantage of political divisions, Mussolini organized a march to Rome to seize power. PM Facta went to King Soldier and asked him to sign the state of siege.

If he had agreed to the request the army could have easily defeated the badly equipped Blackshirts but the king refused to sign He never gave an official explanation for this gesture but most historians believe he did so to avoid a civil war and to protect his dynasty. And so Mussolini became the new prime minister, but he wasn't a dictator yet; he didn't have a parliamentary majority. In the meantime, a pro-Italian government was established in Fiume, and after several negotiations, Mussolini signed a treaty with Yugoslavia in Rome: the city officially became Italian, while all the surrounding areas went to the Slavs.

And so all the territorial disputes of WWI were resolved and Italy was about to enter a new phase: the fascist totalitarianism stage. Still lacking an absolute majority, Mussolini began the search for support for the 1924 elections through propaganda, truncheon, and castor oil. This cocktail combined with a sprinkling of electoral fraud gave to the Duce the absolute majority he needed.

To engrace the military as well, he restored Cadorna's reputation by appointing him Marshal of Italy along with Diaz. This was followed by the Matteotti murder and the introduction of the Fascist laws, which completed the conversion of Italy into a totalitarian regime in which Mussolini held all the power. And they all lived happily and oppressed for more than 20 years.

This was the price Italy paid for participating in World War I. Would things have been better if it hadn't participated? It' s impossible to know.

What we must do is to remember the victims on both sides that perished in this terrible conflict Written, directed, painted and voiced by Guido Ravagli (Sources in the description) Subscribe to my channel, so you won't lose the next videos!