1930541
Italy and WWI
- 1914: Italy
declares neutrality
despite being
allied with the
central powers
- provoked
various
political
reactions
- FOR
(neutralists)
- socialists
- some liberals
- particularly
followers of
Giolitti,
who was
keen on
neutrality
- particularly
followers of
Giolitti,
who was
keen on
neutrality
- socialists
- AGAINST
(interventionists)
- Futurists
- wanted war as
they saw it as
socially cleansing
- wanted war as
they saw it as
socially cleansing
- Nationalists
- wanted to win more land
- wanted to win more land
- some
liberals led
by Salendra
- Futurists
- FOR
(neutralists)
- Why?
- Italy was not
economically
ready for a
war
- wanted to
preserve
friendly
relations
with Britain
- there was a lot to be
gained from both sides
by bargaining to stay
out of the war
- Italy gained a lot of
trade in 1914 from
countries who weren't
trading with each other
- Italy gained a lot of
trade in 1914 from
countries who weren't
trading with each other
- Italy was
under no
formal
obligation to
fight
- Italy was not
economically
ready for a
war
- provoked
various
political
reactions
- 1915: Italy declares war on the side of the Allies
- Why?
- Treaty of London
offers Italy
various lands
- Trentino + South Tyrol
- Italian
speaking
- conquering
them would
achieve Italia
Irredenta
Annotations:
- Italia Irredenta - the idea of reclaiming Italian lands lost to Austria-Hungary and completing Risorgimento (the unification of Italy)
- conquering
them would
achieve Italia
Irredenta
- Italian
speaking
- Istria, Trieste + Dalmatia
- Adriatic trading ports
- Adriatic trading ports
- difficult for
Central Powers
to match this
- most of the lands
were owned by
Austria-Hungary
- most of the lands
were owned by
Austria-Hungary
- Trentino + South Tyrol
- Treaty of London
offers Italy
various lands
- 1915: The Intervention Crisis
- Salendra had hoped
that the war would
secure his position
as PM
- however, rumours
began to spread about
Italy entering the war
- more and more
people start to show
their support for
Giolitti + neutrality
- Salendra has no
parliamentary
majority to
oppose this
- 13th May 1915:
Salendra resigns;
Giolitti asked to form
a new govt
- Giolitti gave up
once it was clear
that Italy would be
humiliated if it
didn't accept the
Treaty of London
- also feared
the King
would be
forced to
abdicate
- Interventionist
demonstrations
broke out;
d'Annunzio
made speeches
against Giolitti
- 16th May 1915:
King reinstates
Salendra as PM
- Chamber grants
government full
emergency powers +
economic resources
- 24th May 1915: Italy
declares war on
Austria-Hungary
- Salendra tries to
encourage the
nation into way by
telling them to
unite and complete
the Risorgimento
- 28th August 1916:
Italy declares war
on Germany
- 28th August 1916:
Italy declares war
on Germany
- Salendra tries to
encourage the
nation into way by
telling them to
unite and complete
the Risorgimento
- Chamber grants
government full
emergency powers +
economic resources
- 16th May 1915:
King reinstates
Salendra as PM
- also feared
the King
would be
forced to
abdicate
- Giolitti gave up
once it was clear
that Italy would be
humiliated if it
didn't accept the
Treaty of London
- 13th May 1915:
Salendra resigns;
Giolitti asked to form
a new govt
- Salendra has no
parliamentary
majority to
oppose this
- more and more
people start to show
their support for
Giolitti + neutrality
- however, rumours
began to spread about
Italy entering the war
- fostered myth of
'interventionism'
- idea that it was only a few
senior politicians who
wanted to go to war, and so
had pushed Italy into it
against Parliament's wishes
- this was not
true; Parliament
had agreed to
enter the war
- allowed
d'Annunzio
and Mussolini
to exaggerate
- created more
opposition to
govt
- people more eager for change
- people more eager for change
- this was not
true; Parliament
had agreed to
enter the war
- idea that it was only a few
senior politicians who
wanted to go to war, and so
had pushed Italy into it
against Parliament's wishes
- Salendra had hoped
that the war would
secure his position
as PM
- PROS
- Italy would gain a lot of land
- unification
- glory of winning
- Italy would gain a lot of land
- CONS
- political
groups
divided
- left Italy open to revenge of Central Powers
- gave rise to extremism
- political
groups
divided
- Why?
Media attachments
Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? Learn more.