Italy Vs Austria-Hungary: Who Suffered More?

Italy and Austria-Hungary were both part of the Triple Alliance at the start of World War I, but Italy chose to remain neutral, eventually joining the war on the side of the Allies in 1915. While both countries faced military difficulties during the war, it is hard to make a direct comparison between the two as they fought on different fronts and faced different opponents. However, it is worth noting that Italy's surrender in 1943 forced Germany to divert troops to defend it, which some historians argue was a more significant failure than Austria-Hungary's performance in World War I.

Italy's performance in World War I

Italy's military performance was initially poor. Despite winning a number of battles against Austria-Hungary, the Italian army suffered heavy losses and made little progress due to the terrain favouring the defender. In 1917, Italy was forced to retreat by a German-Austrian counteroffensive at the Battle of Caporetto after Russia left the war. However, Italy stopped the offensive of the Central Powers at the Battle of Monte Grappa in November 1917 and the Battle of the Piave River in May 1918. In October 1918, the Italians breached the Austrian line in Vittorio Veneto, leading to the collapse of the centuries-old Habsburg Empire. Italy recovered lost territory and moved into Trento and Trieste.

Overall, Italy's performance in World War I was mixed, with both successes and failures. While Italy suffered heavy losses and made limited progress in the early stages of the war, it ultimately played a key role in defeating the Austro-Hungarian Empire and collapsing the Habsburg Empire.

Italy's performance in World War II

Italy joined the war as one of the Axis Powers in 1940, with a plan to concentrate Italian forces on a major offensive against the British Empire in Africa and the Middle East, known as the "parallel war", while expecting the collapse of British forces in the European theatre. The Italians bombed Mandatory Palestine, invaded Egypt and occupied British Somaliland with initial success. However, the British counterattacked, eventually necessitating German support to prevent an Italian collapse in North Africa.

Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini, was aware that Fascist Italy was not ready for a long conflict, as its resources were reduced by successful but costly pre-war conflicts: the pacification of Libya, intervention in Spain, and the invasions of Ethiopia and Albania. However, he opted to remain in the war as the imperial ambitions of the Fascist regime, which aspired to restore the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean (the Mare Nostrum), were partially met by late 1942, albeit with a great deal of German assistance.

Italy's performance in the war was mixed. They enjoyed early successes, such as the invasion of British Somaliland, which was one of the few successful Italian campaigns of World War II accomplished without German support. They also achieved victories against insurgents in Yugoslavia and in Montenegro, and Italo-German forces had occupied parts of British-held Egypt on their push to El-Alamein after their victory at Gazala. However, Italy's conquests were always heavily contested, both by various insurgencies (most prominently the Greek resistance and Yugoslav partisans) and Allied military forces, which waged the Battle of the Mediterranean throughout and beyond Italy's participation.

Italy's performance was hampered by several factors, including imperial overstretch (opening multiple fronts in Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the Mediterranean), a relatively weak industrial sector compared to other European major powers, and a lack of motorised transport and modern equipment. Senior leadership was also an issue, with Mussolini personally assuming control of all three individual military service ministries, resulting in a lack of central direction for operations and little inter-service cooperation.

Austria-Hungary's performance in World War I

Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia in July 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, marked the beginning of World War I. They were one of the Central Powers, along with the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

The Austro-Hungarian forces fought on multiple fronts: in Serbia, on the Eastern Front against Russia, in Italy, and in Romania. They relied heavily on aid and support from their allies and suffered severe casualties. Despite these challenges, they managed to occupy Serbia in 1915 and force Romania out of the war in 1917. However, they faced severe setbacks on other fronts, particularly against Russia, where they suffered heavy losses.

The Austro-Hungarian army was plagued by poor leadership, inadequate equipment, and a lack of planning for a continental war. They were also hampered by their multi-ethnic composition, with multiple languages and customs within their ranks, which affected morale and cohesion. By 1916, they had become largely dependent on German assistance and were effectively a satellite of Germany.

On the Italian front, the Austro-Hungarians initially faced a bloody stalemate at the Isonzo River, with four battles taking place over five months. In 1916, they launched a counteroffensive, breaking through and occupying the Asiago plateau. However, they were halted and forced to engage in trench warfare. In 1917, with German support, they launched the Caporetto Offensive, advancing over 100 km towards Venice but were unable to cross the Piave River.

The final year of the war saw a complete collapse of Austria-Hungary's military and political situation. The Empire faced severe economic hardships, food shortages, and rampant inflation, which led to unrest among its diverse population. The Empire's multiple ethnicities began demanding independence, and the military faced widespread desertions and uprisings. The final Italian offensive in 1918 resulted in a decisive defeat for the Austro-Hungarians, with massive casualties and the loss of approximately one-third of their army.

On November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary signed the Armistice of Villa Giusti, agreeing to evacuate occupied territories and effectively ending their participation in World War I.

Italy's military capabilities in World War II

Military Strength and Organisation:

Italy joined the war as one of the Axis Powers in 1940, with a plan to focus on a "parallel war" against the British Empire in Africa and the Middle East. On paper, Italy had one of the world's largest armies, but in reality, most of its divisions were understrength and lacked adequate equipment. The Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) was nominally commanded by King Victor Emmanuel III, but in practice, Benito Mussolini, the Prime Minister, held most military responsibilities. The Italian military was organised into several Army Groups, Armies, Corps, and Divisions, with the division being the basic formation.

Equipment and Armament:

The Italian military suffered from a lack of modern equipment and armament. Their tanks, such as the L3 tankettes, were poorly designed, thinly armoured, and under-gunned compared to their Allied counterparts. The armoured divisions were initially filled with these tankettes, rendering them ineffective as a spearhead force. Italian artillery was often obsolete and relied heavily on horse transport. Italian radios were also in short supply. The Fiat CR.42 Falco was the primary fighter aircraft of the Italian Air Force, but it was outclassed by more modern monoplane fighters of other nations.

Campaigns and Battles:

Italy's military campaigns during World War II included:

• North Africa: Italian forces invaded Egypt but were soon pushed back by British Commonwealth forces in Operation Compass, which resulted in the destruction of the Italian 10th Army. The arrival of German forces under Erwin Rommel led to a series of Axis offensives and counter-offensives, including the Battle of Gazala and the First and Second Battles of El Alamein.
• Eastern Africa: Italian forces initially made some gains, such as the conquest of British Somaliland, but were eventually defeated by British and Commonwealth forces in the East African Campaign.
• Balkans: Italy invaded Greece from Albania in 1940 but was met with strong Greek resistance. The Italian offensive stalled, and a Greek counter-offensive pushed Italian forces back into Albania. German intervention in 1941 eventually led to the defeat of Greece and Yugoslavia.
• Eastern Front: Italy sent an expeditionary force to fight alongside German forces on the Eastern Front. The Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (CSIR) participated in the invasion of Ukraine, and Italian forces were later doubled to form the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR). This force was deployed near Stalingrad and suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Stalingrad.
• Mediterranean: The Italian Navy posed a threat to British convoys in the Mediterranean, and Italian frogmen carried out successful attacks on British ships, including the raid on Alexandria. However, the Italian Navy declined to engage in direct confrontations with the British fleet after initial setbacks.

Limitations and Setbacks:

Italy's military campaigns were often hampered by poor strategic planning, inadequate resources, and under-equipped troops. Mussolini's imperial ambitions and desire to imitate German rapid victories led to ill-fated invasions of Greece and Egypt. The Italian military suffered from a lack of modernisation, with much of its equipment dating from World War I. Additionally, Mussolini's political appointments of unqualified favourites to key positions further weakened the military's effectiveness.

Austria-Hungary's military capabilities in World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Army was divided in two: the smaller part attacked Serbia, while the larger part fought against the formidable Imperial Russian Army. The invasion of Serbia in 1914 was a disaster, with the Austro-Hungarian Army losing 227,000 men out of a total force of 450,000. On the Eastern Front, the Austro-Hungarian Army was defeated at the Battle of Lemberg, and the fortress city of Przemysl was besieged and fell in March 1915.

However, in the autumn of 1915, the Serbian Army was defeated by the Central Powers, leading to the occupation of Serbia. In the summer of 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Army, working under a unified command with the Germans, participated in the successful Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive. Later in 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Army, in conjunction with the German and Bulgarian armies, conquered Serbia.

In 1916, the Russians focused their attacks on the Austro-Hungarian Army in the Brusilov Offensive, recognising the numerical inferiority of the Austro-Hungarian Army. The Austrian armies took massive losses (about 1 million men) and never recovered. Nevertheless, the huge losses in men and material inflicted on the Russians during the offensive contributed greatly to the revolutions of 1917 and caused an economic crash in the Russian Empire.

In May 1915, Italy, which had a similar degree of industrialization and economic level to Austria-Hungary, attacked Austria-Hungary. The Italians were numerous (approximately 1,000,000 men) but suffered from poor leadership, training, and organization. The fighting on the Italian front was bloody and exhausting for both sides, with four battles taking place over five months. In 1916, the Austrians launched a counteroffensive, but trench warfare ensued. In October 1917, the Austrians, now enjoying decisive German support, attacked at Caporetto using new infiltration tactics. They advanced more than 100 km towards Venice and gained considerable supplies, but they were ultimately halted.

In summary, the Austro-Hungarian military capabilities in World War I were mixed. While they suffered severe defeats and heavy casualties, they also achieved important victories, such as the occupation of Serbia and the successful Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive. The Austro-Hungarian military was affected by supply shortages, low morale, and a high casualty rate, as well as the challenge of managing multiple ethnicities with different languages and customs.

Frequently asked questions