italy after world war 1

Italian alpine troops.

(1915)

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) was an Italian Socialist who opposed Italy joining the war. He claimed that However he soon changed his mind. By October 1914 Mussolini decided Italy should join.

Italian mountain troops amuse each other with music and dancing.

This map shows the locations of major battles fought on the Italian Front during World War I (1914-1918).

Although Italy was invited to the Paris Peace Conference, she was not ultimately influential in the decisions leading up to the signing of the Treaty Of Versailles. Vittorio Emanuele Orlando led the Italian presence at the conference in 1919 and was at first included in the main decision making body, the council of four. At times, Orlando was excluded from the decision making because his ideas were not universal. it had a powerful impact on the settlement, sometimes with world-wide consequences. Lloyd George’s secretary Frances Stevenson, wrote in her diary for 20 April 1919, about a time of high emotion she saw from across her window. ‘Suddenly Orlando appeared at the window … and put his head in his hands … I saw him take out his handkerchief and wipe his eyes and cheeks … Orlando was overcome and began to sob.’ He had failed to persuade his fellow peacemakers, and in particular Wilson, of the Italian case to annex the Adriatic port of Fiume (Rijeka). He withdrew the Italian delegation and returned home. Italy was very upset and disappointed because she was not granted the territorial power she was promised before fighting in the war.

(from left to right, David Lloyd George, Vittorio Orlando, George Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson)

1914-1915

1919

When the First World War began in 1914, Italy remained neutral. Socialists agreed with the government's decision to stay out of the war. As a recently unified country, Italy was barely powerful enough to be counted as a great power, but she did have territorial ambitions. By 1915, Britain and France persuaded Italy to join their side by offering her territory. Italy declared war on Austria Hungary in May 1915.

Treaty Of Versailles

Economy

Treaty of London

In the years leading up to the war, the economy of Italy boomed. Northern parts of the country rapidly industrialized, while southern Italy remained very poor and backward. Many ordinary Italian citizens saw a rise in their standard of living.

In this secret treaty, the Allies promised to give Italy large chunks of Austro-Hungarian territory after the war ended. In return, Italy promised to attack Austria-Hungary.

Vittorio Orlando

Mussolini

After failing to acquire more territory for Italy, he resigned from his position as prime minister.

1920-1923

King

Politics

Italy's king from July of 1900 to May of 1946 was Victor Emmanuel III. During the war, even in crises, he remained calm and able to make firm decisions that were beneficial to the Italians.. In the years after the war, his ways became more care free and questionable. He was nicknamed by the Italians as "Re soldato" (Soldier King) and "Re vittorioso" (Victorious King) after Italy was victorious in the war.

The very weak economy in Italy that followed World War I led to extremism among the working classes of Italy. These conditions caused the country as a whole to become politically unstable. Benito Mussolini, soon to be Italy's Fascist dictator, took advantage of this instability for his rise to power. The National Fascist party, under Benito Mussolini, ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943.

1916-1918

Economy

Leadership

1923 Italian coin with Italy's king, Victor Emmanuel III, on it.

The economy of Italy by 1920 was basically in a state of depression, and it had made little recovery after World War One. Italy after 1918 was a poor nation compared to France and Britain, and Mussolini knew this. He had to address this and improve the economic state of Italy in order for Italy to become a major European power.

The leaders of the Italian military during the war include Luigi Cadorna (Commander-in-Chief of the Italian army), Armando Diaz (Chief of General Staff of the Italian army), and Lugi Amedeo (Commander-in-Chief of the Adriatic Fleet of Italy). The Italian military disaster at Caporetto on October 25, 1917 was blamed on Cadorna, and led him to resignation. This disaster also led to the fall of the Boselli government and the start of Vittorio Emanuele Orlando's position of Prime Minister. He had been a strong supporter of the Allies Italy's entry in the war, and he remained Prime Minister through the rest of the war.

message to the people of Vienna, Italy in 1918

"long live liberty"

"long live Italy"

"long live the entente"

http://www.psywar.org/product_1918IT0128.php

Italian infantrymen in 1918

Italy After World War 1