The Story of the Great War, Volume V (of 12): Neuve Chapelle, Battle of Ypres, Przemysl, Mazurian Lakes
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume V (of 12): Neuve Chapelle, Battle of Ypres, Przemysl, Mazurian Lakes
World War, 1914-1918
The further wishes of Italy regarding general questions to be assured
of every consideration.
Austria-Hungary, after the conclusion of the agreement, to give
a solemn declaration concerning the concessions.
Appointment of mixed committees for the regulation of details of
the concessions.
After the conclusion of the agreement Austro-Hungarian soldiers,
natives of the occupied territories, should not further participate
in the war.
At last Germany, weighed down by the burden of war and anxious to
keep Italy neutral, appeared to believe that the difficulty had
been settled. But Baron Sonnino's reply proved disappointing. He
found the proposals too vague. They did not settle the Irredentist
problem; above all they made no appreciable improvement in Italy's
military frontier; finally, they did not offer adequate compensation
for the freedom of action Austria would enjoy in the Balkans. "A
strip of territory in the Trentino," he concluded, would not satisfy
any of Italy's requirements.
On April 2, 1915, Austria, spurred on by Germany, endeavored to
meet the Italian objections by offering more specific concessions.
She expressed willingness to cede the districts of Trento, Roveredo,
Riva, Tione (except Madonna di Campiglio and the neighborhood),
and Borgo. This readjustment would give Italy a frontier cutting
the valley of the Adige just north of Lavis. These districts Baron
Burian considered far more than a "strip of territory," and he
hoped Italy would be satisfied.
But Italy was far from satisfied, and six days later, in response
to an invitation for counterproposals, Baron Sonnino drafted the
following demands:
I. The Trentino, with the boundaries fixed for the Kingdom of Italy
in 1811.
II. A new eastern frontier, to include Gradisca and Gorizia.
III. Trieste and its neighborhood, including Nabresina and the
judicial districts of Capo d'Istria and Pirano, to be formed into
an autonomous state with complete independence from Austro-Hungarian
rule. Trieste to be a free port.
IV. The cession by Austria-Hungary of the Curzolari Islands off
the coast of Dalmatia.
V. The immediate occupation by Italy of the ceded territories and
the immediate evacuation by Austria-Hungary of Trieste and the
neighborhood.
VI. The recognition by Austria-Hungary of Italian sovereignty over
Valona and district.
VII. The renunciation by Austria-Hungary of any claims in Albania.
VIII. A complete amnesty for all political or military prisoners
belonging to the territories mentioned in I to IV.
The next three articles provided:
IX. That Italy should pay to Austria-Hungary as indemnification
for the loss of government property, as a share of the public debt,
and against all money claims, the sum of 200,000,000 lire.
X. That Italy should pledge herself to maintain neutrality throughout
the war, this pledge applying to both Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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