Military history of Italy during World War I

Italy opened a front against Austria-Hungary along the [[Eastern Alps]] and the [[Isonzo river]]. Fighting was marked by [[trench warfare]] and [[war of attrition|attrition]]. On the Julian sector, the Italian army launched numerous offensives and made several conquests (most significantly [[Gorizia]] in 1916 and [[Bainsizza]] in 1917), but both sides suffered heavy casualties. On the [[Asiago plateau]], in 1916, [[Battle of Asiago|an Austrian offensive was followed by an Italian counter-offensive]]. Italy was forced to retreat in 1917 by a German-Austrian offensive at the [[Battle of Caporetto]], when the Central Powers were able to move reinforcements to the Italian Front from the Eastern Front.

Italy opened a front against Austria-Hungary along the [[Eastern Alps]] and the [[Isonzo river]]. Fighting was marked by [[trench warfare]] and [[war of attrition|attrition]]. On the Julian sector, the Italian army launched numerous offensives and made several conquests (most significantly [[Gorizia]] in 1916 and [[Bainsizza]] in 1917), but both sides suffered heavy casualties. On the [[Asiago plateau]], in 1916, [[Battle of Asiago|an Austrian offensive was followed by an Italian counter-offensive]]. Italy was forced to retreat in 1917 by a German-Austrian offensive at the [[Battle of Caporetto]], when the Central Powers were able to move reinforcements to the Italian Front from the Eastern Front.

Further offensives by the Central Powers were stopped by Italy [[First Battle of Monte Grappa|at Monte Grappa]] in November 1917 and [[Second Battle of the Piave River|on the Piave River]] in June 1918. On 24 October 1918, the anniversary of Caporetto, Italy launched the [[Battle of Vittorio Veneto|battle of Vittorio Veneto]]: Italian troops achieved a breakthrough, recovered the territory previously lost, and moved into Trento and Trieste by the time fighting ended on November 4 (a date celebrated as [[National Unity and Armed Forces Day|National Unity Day]] in Italy). The centuries-old [[Habsburg Empire]] collapsed. Italian armed forces were also involved in the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] (taking part in the [[Second Battle of the Marne]], around Bligny, and in the subsequent [[Hundred Days Offensive]]), the [[African theatre of World War I|African theatre]], the [[Balkans Campaign (World War I)|Balkan theatre]] and the [[Middle Eastern theatre of World War I|Middle Eastern theatre]].

Further offensives by the Central Powers were stopped by Italy [[First Battle of Monte Grappa|at Monte Grappa]] in November-December 1917 and [[Second Battle of the Piave River|on the Piave River]] in June 1918. On 24 October 1918, the anniversary of Caporetto, Italy launched the [[Battle of Vittorio Veneto|battle of Vittorio Veneto]]: Italian troops achieved a breakthrough, recovered the territory previously lost, and moved into Trento and Trieste by the time fighting ended on November 4 (a date celebrated as [[National Unity and Armed Forces Day|National Unity Day]] in Italy). The centuries-old [[Habsburg Empire]] collapsed. Italian armed forces were also involved in the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] (taking part in the [[Second Battle of the Marne]], around Bligny, and in the subsequent [[Hundred Days Offensive]]), the [[African theatre of World War I|African theatre]], the [[Balkans Campaign (World War I)|Balkan theatre]] and the [[Middle Eastern theatre of World War I|Middle Eastern theatre]].

At the end of World War I, in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Italy was recognized a permanent seat in the [[League of Nations]]' executive council and the possession of many promised territories: Trento and Trieste, whose annexation completed national unification, South Tyrol, Istria and some colonial compensations. Territories in Dalmatia (although also included in the 1915 treaty of London) and the town of [[Fiume]] (despite a sizeable Italian population) were not assigned to Italy as they were claimed by [[Yugoslavia]]; a part of Italian nationalists (the followers of [[Gabriele D'Annunzio]]) accused the Allies of "mutilating" the Italian victory and occupied Fiume without royal assent. The quarrel between Italy and Yugoslavia would be solved by the [[treaty of Rapallo (1920)]], with Italy annexing the Dalmatian capital of [[Zara (Dalmatia)|Zara]] and [[Free State of Fiume|Fiume becoming a free State]]. The post-war period saw increasing [[political violence]], eventually leading to the establishment of [[Mussolini]]'s [[Fascist]] government in 1922.

At the end of World War I, in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Italy was recognized a permanent seat in the [[League of Nations]]' executive council and the possession of many promised territories: Trento and Trieste, whose annexation completed national unification, South Tyrol, Istria and some colonial compensations. Territories in Dalmatia (although also included in the 1915 treaty of London) and the town of [[Fiume]] (despite a sizeable Italian population) were not assigned to Italy as they were claimed by [[Yugoslavia]]; a part of Italian nationalists (the followers of [[Gabriele D'Annunzio]]) accused the Allies of "mutilating" the Italian victory and occupied Fiume without royal assent. The quarrel between Italy and Yugoslavia would be solved by the [[treaty of Rapallo (1920)]], with Italy annexing the Dalmatian capital of [[Zara (Dalmatia)|Zara]] and [[Free State of Fiume|Fiume becoming a free State]]. The post-war period saw increasing [[political violence]], eventually leading to the establishment of [[Mussolini]]'s [[Fascist]] government in 1922.