Alberto Di Gilio: The last days

Alberto Di Gilio
Ed.Gino Rossato, Valdagno (VI) 2018
pagg.124

The author, a historical researcher, who has to his credit numerous works on the Great War, in his essay describes, starting from the battle of the Solstice in June 1918, "the last great offensive launched by the Austro-Hungarian army on the Italian front", the diplomatic and tactical-military aspects that preceded the armistice between Italy and Austria - Hungary.

The 24 October 1918, exactly one year after the defeat of Caporetto, there was the Italian attack on the Piave line, according to a plan drawn up by gen. Pietro Badoglio. An attack against "An Austria-Hungary that still held firmly the positions reached after the battle of the Solstice, with an efficient army, fierce and permeated with that traditional hatred against the former ally, without apparent signs of collapse or dissolution among the troops, to except for the Czechoslovakians. "

The General Staff of the Imperial Army "He tried to prepare the lines of defense not without difficulty" and "appointed, on October 4, an Armistice Commission." For the Austro-Hungarian Supreme Command, the armistice was to be based mainly on the gradual eviction of the occupied territories (eastern Veneto and Friuli) and, not fearing the Italian offensive, gave the Commission directives for this to happen over a period of nine months. . However, "Despite the first signs of what would have been finally revealed a complete break-up, during the initial phase of the battle of Vittorio Veneto the overall estate of the imperial army proved to be commendable." But, with the fall of events both in the political field, with the secession of some states, and military, at the dawn of 29 October "Capt. Kamillo Ruggera was sent to parliament, to the Italian lines, to deliver a note with which the gen. Weber announced that he had been assigned to handle an armistice. "

The 30 October there was the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian army determined, above all, by the mutinies of the troops. At the 20: 00 of the 31 October the Austro-Hungarian Armistice Commission, chaired by gen. Weber, arrived at Villa Giusti, in Mandria, near Padua, indicated site, by the Italian Supreme Command - established at the Hotel Trieste in Abano Terme - as a place where the conditions for the armistice would have been communicated.

The Italian Commission was chaired by gen. Badoglio. The official text, in French, of the armistice conditions decided by the Inter-allied Council of Versailles, at the proposal of the president of the Italian council Orlando, was delivered to the gen. Weber at the 16: 45 of the November 2. During a meeting between the two Commissions, which began at the 21: 00 of the 2, there were long and lively divergences and counterproposals from the Astro-Hungarian side.

"At the 03: 00 of the November 3, the agreement was finally reached on all land and sea clauses." After that, at 15: 15 on the same day, gen. Weber accepted the terms, gen. Badoglio ordered the cessation of hostilities for the 15: 00 hours of the November 4. At 18: 00 the treaty was signed by both parties. On the same day the war bulletin n.1268 was issued to the troops and to the nation, signed by gen. Diaz in which Italy's victory was announced.

"In reality for Italy, understood as an allied power, the war continued until the day 11 November, when even Germany signed, with France, [...] the armistice, effectively ending the First World War."

Gianlorenzo Capano