Central Italy

Considering how close Italy actually came to joining the Central Powers in WW1, I think it's fair to ask how the war would've changed with them in it. Now, it wasn't exactly as if they were extremely powerful- after all, Austria managed against them reasonably well while also fighting Serbia, Russia, and Romania, but one might wonder how the French would've dealt with an Italian invasion of southern France. Could they have dragged enough French and British forces away from the main front to allow the Germans to deal a serious blow in the north? How would the eastern fronts have managed had the Austrians had many more free troops? How would the navies in the Mediterranean attempting to invade the Ottomans have fared with another enemy navy in the mix, and no access into the Adriatic to attack Austria? Italy, for being certainly the weakest, and a close second to Austria as the most incompetent, could have had a major influence on WW1, had they sided with the Central powers.
 
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Well, your question it's a classic

Austria managed against Italy reasonably well, thanks (a lot) to the terrain that greatly favored the defender...and even in that case the italian front absorbed a lot of men and material; not that any italian invasion of south France will be much different as the place is even worse than the Isonzo...but at least it's a two-way thing as even the French will have an hard time to launch an attack in Italy through the alps.
A central power Italy will have a couple of serious problem if enter the war immediately, basically the British are our greatest coal supplier and the army still need to be refurbished after the war in Libya so i doubt that even in the case of Rome going with the Triple Alliance pact they will enter the conflict immediately.

Regarding the change:

- One less front for the Austrian, and one that had cost them a lot of time, effort and blood (lot of blood)
- The Serbian Army will not be rescued as OTL without Italian help, worse the italian troops that controll Vlore and surrounding will obstacolate the Entente attempt to rescu.
- No Otranto blockade
- The Mediterrean is now no more an Entente lake and while MN and RN at the end will prevail, any prolonged fight will cause delay and various problem in the supply of the troops in Ottoman front and the transport of colonial troops from North Africa to Europe
- an extension of the war in Africa but it will be more a nuisance that something of effective, still will need some time and some troops.
- The CP war plan was for the italian to not really fight in south France (except for some spoiling attack) but to send troops in Germany to help them in France.
- More probable that Romania will remain neutral

Basically in this scenario a CP victory is much more probable
 

Mrstrategy

Banned
Well, your question it's a classic

Austria managed against Italy reasonably well, thanks (a lot) to the terrain that greatly favored the defender...and even in that case the italian front absorbed a lot of men and material; not that any italian invasion of south France will be much different as the place is even worse than the Isonzo...but at least it's a two-way thing as even the French will have an hard time to launch an attack in Italy through the alps.
A central power Italy will have a couple of serious problem if enter the war immediately, basically the British are our greatest coal supplier and the army still need to be refurbished after the war in Libya so i doubt that even in the case of Rome going with the Triple Alliance pact they will enter the conflict immediately.

Regarding the change:

- One less front for the Austrian, and one that had cost them a lot of time, effort and blood (lot of blood)
- The Serbian Army will not be rescued as OTL without Italian help, worse the italian troops that controll Vlore and surrounding will obstacolate the Entente attempt to rescu.
- No Otranto blockade
- The Mediterrean is now no more an Entente lake and while MN and RN at the end will prevail, any prolonged fight will cause delay and various problem in the supply of the troops in Ottoman front and the transport of colonial troops from North Africa to Europe
- an extension of the war in Africa but it will be more a nuisance that something of effective, still will need some time and some troops.
- The CP war plan was for the italian to not really fight in south France (except for some spoiling attack) but to send troops in Germany to help them in France.
- More probable that Romania will remain neutral

Basically in this scenario a CP victory is much more probable
Could Germany give Italy the coal that Britain used to ?
 
Could Germany give Italy the coal that Britain used to ?

Difficult, not only Germany need it but the real problem is the delivery as 'strangely' the railroad communication between Italy and A-H are not really developed...don't ask me why.
I'm not saying that they will not even try but it will be very difficult
 
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