Italy Joins the War

By now, Italy had joined the war. Some in Italy had sympathized with Austria-Hungary, seeing it as a great Catholic empire and a bulwark against the Eastern Orthodox Church. Some who favored siding with Austria-Hungary and Germany hoped that this would allow Italy to gain colonial territory at the expense of France or Britain. Some others wanted their country to join Britain and France, believing that the Habsburgs were traditional enemies of the Italians. And some believed that because Britain "ruled the waves" siding with Britain would prevent a loss of maritime trade. And there were those who hoped for gain in territory at the expense of Austria-Hungary and perhaps the Ottoman Empire.

Britain and France were able to offer Italy a better bargain than were the Germans: Tyrol, Trieste and northern Dalmatia at the expense of Austria-Hungary, and a share of Asia Minor at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. Italy's political leadership came down on the side of joining Britain, France and Russia. And in its agreement to join the war, Italy was to receive loans and was in turn to attempt to pressure the Pope into refraining from making peace initiatives.

Italy declared war on May 23. Not yet recovered from its war against the Ottoman Turks in 1911-12, Italy was short of artillery, machine guns, transport and other items needed to keep an army functioning. But it sent a force northeast, intending to break through the Austrian lines, and 66,000 Italian soldiers died before the year was over. Along the Austria-Italian border another stalemate had developed, while in Austria hatred had arisen for Italy for stabbing Austria in the back. And this hatred inspired renewed commitment to their nation's war efforts.

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