The Secret London Agreement. As the Entente dragged Italy in the First World War, promising new territories, and the US president broke all plans

At that time, Italy did not participate in the war, although it was part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary of 1882. But at the very beginning of the First World War, official Rome declared its neutrality. This was argued by the fact that more than 30 years ago, Italy entered the Union for defense reasons, but now Austria-Hungary, having put forward Serbia’s ultimatum, became an aggressor-and therefore violated the contract.

In Berlin and Vienna they understood that it will not stay neutral for a long time. This country had its own ambitions on the so-called irredent lands: Trentino, Southern Tyrol, Tiesta, Istria and Dalmatia-however, Austria-Hungary was not going to concede them. Among the Italians, calls for the fourth war for Italy’s independence were increasingly being heard. In addition, Rome wanted to dominate the Adriatic Sea and expand its influence in the Balkans, especially in Albania. He also had colonial plans in Africa.

Berlin was in vain to Vienna so that he made concessions and gave Trentino and part of the Primorye, fearing that otherwise Italy was lurking hostile countries. So it happened: in April 1915, three Entente representatives called Italy to London to persuade her to enter the war on their side. The United Kingdom, France and Russia have decided to play on the irredent ambitions of Rome to provide for themselves more profitable positions. The war lasted for nine months and went into a dead end on the Western Front. The Entente countries were looking for different ways to break and gain preference and planned to open a second front through Italy.

Italian troops with a passionate Austrian machine gun during the seventh battle of Izonzo, September 1916 / Photo: PD