Italy (Source): How far could the historian make use of Sources 1 and 2 together to investigate the reasons for Italy’s entry into the First World War on the side of the Triple Entente in 1915?

Introduction

• Discussion of provenance

• Source 1 demonstrates the territorial incentives promised by the Entente

• Source 2 suggests that there were ideological and geopolitical reasons for joining the entente

• Overall, Source 1 presents us with greater substance, as it is straight from the source

• Source 2 is there to try and boost the moral and patriotism of the Italian people

Paragraph 1

• Joined because of promise of military support

• ‘The French and British fleets shall give active and permanent assistance to Italy’

• Br and Fr had over 650 warships overall by 1915

• Joined because of territorial promises

• ‘Italy shall obtain the Trentino and the Cisalpine Tyrol, as well as Trieste.’

• In promised territories, around 2m people

Paragraph 2

• Joined because of the need to protect Italian identity

• ‘First, the defence of Italianism’

• Not really much Italianism, in 1911, 90% spoke only regional dialects

• Also a need to protect their military position

• ‘Thirdly, to secure our military situation in the Adriatic.’

• Salandra says this, but Austria-Hungary controlled 70% of the Adriatic

Paragraph 3

• Both aim to please another (1 = Govt, 2 = public)

• However, the main difference is that Source 1 presents the reasons as being largely for the govt

• ‘The present arrangement shall be kept secret’

• Suggests it may be in the interests of both parties to keep it secretive; only 5% of the Italian population supported intervention

• Source 1 presents the reasons as being for the entire population

• ‘Our situation’, ‘Which was imposed upon us.’

• 600,000 deserters by 1917, so not all together