What made Italy enter World War I?

Question

When it comes to militarilism, nationalism, balance of power and who is to blame?

Answer 1

Chuck Norris

Answer 2

While Italy was part of an alliance with Germany & Austria-Hungary (as another poster mentioned) before the war started, it didn't join them when war broke out in 1914. Italy claimed that their alliance was defensive and since the war was started when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia, they said they didn't have to honor the agreement.

Whats more Italy was not a natural ally for Austria-Hungary. They had a long running dispute/competition as to where their mutual border should be and had throughout their histories fought for various alpine regions along the border.

Finally Italy also made a political decision. They guessed, in 1915, England, France and Russia were more likely to win and so sided with the (they hoped) winners.

The fighting between Italy and Central Powers (Austria-Hungary and Germany) was made difficult by the mountainous (the Italian Alps) terrain and was mostly inconclusive. That said, it was in this theater that a young junior officer, Erwin Rommel, would successful lead his company (or maybe battalion) to a resounding victory capturing 8000-9000 Italian prisoners and winning himself Imperial Germany's highest decoration the Por le Merite. It is well written up in his memoirs: Infantry Attacks.

Answer 3

April 1915 : The allies had bribed Italy into entering the war with the promise of territory on the disputed Austro-Hungarian-Italian border.

France and Britain erroneously beleived that the Austro-Hungarian forces were on the verge of collapse.

France and Britain also believed that Italy's entrance into the war would drain much needed German and Austro-Hungarian resources and troops from the western front,therefore allowing the allies to make the much anticipated "major breakthrough",and end the stalemate and ultimately the war.

May : 1916 Austro-Hungarian forces launch a major offensive against the Italian army which was for the most part entirely concetrated in the Isonzo Valley the only place on the border where a major breakthrough was possible.

The attack left the Italian Army on the brink of disaster.

It's also important to note that Rumania was brought into the war for the same reasons and in much the same way.

The allies had promised Rumania Ardeal (Transylvania) in return for their alliance in the war effort.

Rumania claimed it had rights to Transylvania mainly because it's population was comprised in majority by Rumanians.

The allied goal of draining resources from the western front backfired when eventually they had to drain their own resources to some extent in order to aid Italy and Rumania both countries whose fighting forces had been overestimated as much as Austro- Hungary's forces had been underestimated.

It was a bad gamble that did not pay off much like the ANZAC attack on the beaches of Gallipoli.

By the wars end nearly ten thousand Italian soldiers would be killed fighting alongside the French in the Champagne and Argonne battles alone.

In total Italy suffered approximately 1,424,660 casualities dead,missing,and wounded. A high price for the control of Austrian southern Tyrol!

Answer 4

Italy entered WWI well after it began. Stalemate had already set in on the western front and the Germans were beatingthe Russians in the east. The entente powers hoped to persuade Italy to fight against Germany and Austria to open up a southern front and possibly end the stalemate. Italy wanted to fight Austria to gain several territories that were nominally Italian, but were under Austrian control, so nationalism, I think was the primary motivation. And why blame anyone for the decisions they made? I guarantee none of the leaders wanted or forsaw what would arise. It was just the natural result of the powers jockeying for position and power.

Answer 5

Nationalism. Italy had no interest in the balance of power game, the peninsula remained split as the other powers carried out their wars in the Italian north during Britain's era of endorsing the balance of power. Italy was not at this time a militaristic nation as it would become in its fascist near future.
It was Italy's desire to unite the historically Italian (and still quite largely Italian based the percentage of Italians living there) Dolomites and Southern Tyrol that brought her into the war. These lands were part of Austria-Hungary, acquisitions made centuries before when Austria defeated other powers for her portion of Italian lands. Therefore, the recently united nation saw that with the war at a stalemate, they had a chance to enlarge their nation and include these Italian "brothers". The Italians were promised these historic possessions in return for their participation in the war.
More than 600,000 Italian soldiers died in the war, and at war's end, the Italians received only part of what they coveted as portions remained in present day Slovenia and Croatia to create the newly formed state of Yugoslavia. This, along with Italy's sense that it was being unfairly treated as a junior partner at Versailles, led to the rapid rise of fascism only a couple years after the end of the war.

Answer 6

Mussolini thought that the Axis and Hitler would win the war.
He joind forces with him, thinking that he and Italy would become part of the order.

Hitler held nothing but disgust for Mussolini and Italy, so used them as pawns. When Mussolini was considered a traitor and was killed/mutilated, Italy joined the Allies, aiding in freeing the country of the Nazi occupation.

Answer 7

hitler, italy's alliance with germany, and the axis powers were WWII people, not WWI like the poster is asking about. i don't know why those answers get thumbs up when they're about, hmmm, 20-25 years too early.

Answer 8

Italy signed a 'Tripact' with Germany, and one other country (sorry-I forgot which one). The 'pact' basically said if any one of the three countries were to enter into war, the other two must join their allie