Could Italy flip sides following a 1917 defeat in WW1?

[Suzon]

Let’s say Caporetto is slightly even more successful and then somehow Monte Grappa is an astounding Austrian victory. Italy is ready for peace with CP.

Would Italy accept joining CP if promised 1914 borders with Austria, Nice, Savoy, and Malta, no war indemnities and colonial gains?

 

[marathag]

After the years from 1915, I can't see them rejoining, at all. Best the Italians could expect would be a White Peace, and that's doubtful. Winning Austrians wouldn't want them back onside, but return of territory lost in 1866, Venice and Lombardy

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

I assume that having lost the war & suffered even more than OTL huge number of prisoners, deserters & stragglers, the men of the Italian Army are quite happy to continue fighting.

 

[lukedalton]

After the years from 1915, I can't see them rejoining, at all. Best the Italians could expect would be a White Peace, and that's doubtful. Winning Austrians wouldn't want them back onside, but return of territory lost in 1866, Venice and Lombardy

No, not even the Austrian leaderships of the time was so idiotic, the last thing that they want is adding another troublesome minority to their problem.
- heavy reparation? Absolutely yes
- crippling military limitation? You can bet on it
- border adjustment to make thing more favorable to them in case of another war? Sure
- Getting on massive landgrab? No and no and no

 

[Suzon]

I assume that having lost the war & suffered even more than OTL huge number of prisoners, deserters & stragglers, the men of the Italian Army are quite happy to continue fighting.

Obviously it would be begrudgingly (To the populace at least) and they’d have to deal with issues like Entente forces currently in Italy, but if it guarantees them essentially a white peace in defeat, promises them easy spoils, and let’s say Germany ques then into the Spring Offensive so they believe the war could be won if they maintain a distraction in the south then perhaps they could be at peace for a few months ‘recharge’ slightly and join in come the spring offensive

 

[Suzon]

No, not even the Austrian leaderships of the time was so idiotic, the last thing that they want is adding another troublesome minority to their problem.
- heavy reparation? Absolutely yes
- crippling military limitation? You can bet on it
- border adjustment to make thing more favorable to them in case of another war? Sure
- Getting on massive landgrab? No and no and no

Yeah, at best case even in the harshest peace they might guarantee a Venetian independence (definitely enough culture recently enough independent to justify it), a demilitarized zone, and use of Northern Italy’s factories for the next few years but beyond that is pushing it, especially if the Italians are seeking peace without more then Venice being occupied

 

[Coulsdon Eagle]

Obviously it would be begrudgingly (To the populace at least) and they’d have to deal with issues like Entente forces currently in Italy, but if it guarantees them essentially a white peace in defeat, promises them easy spoils, and let’s say Germany ques then into the Spring Offensive so they believe the war could be won if they maintain a distraction in the south then perhaps they could be at peace for a few months ‘recharge’ slightly and join in come the spring offensive

After Caporetto the Italian Army did not launch another offensive until October 1918 so fragile was the offensive spirit. Even then it was "Quick - the Habsburg armies are collapsing, we need an attack to save the Army's name" decision.

I can't see an even more shattered Italian Army being in any meaningful offensive until 1919 at the earliest.

 

[Falecius]

I think it that asking a defeated Italian Army keep fighting against the former allies at that point would amount to ask them to mutiny and make a revolution. And I can definitely see them doing that, with lots of people left and right competing to lead it. No one would have the stomach to keep fighting anyone after a defeat to the Austrians so severe that it calls for peace.
Also, the strategic benefit of the switch would be questionable at best. The Entente would be in the position to swiftly take over Italian colonies, and probably stop any Italian move on the Western Alps (which are an even worse terrain for WWI-style warfare than the Eastern Alps the Italian army had bled itself white over earlier) especially since any such move is bound to be extremely chaotic.
Britain can easily starve Italy for coal and even food, and 1917 Germany is not really in the position to help very much. If Italy doesn't just collapse internally simply because of the popular reaction to such a clearly stupid move, it may be defeated militarily... again (and then likely collapse internally).
Italy on the CP side would be extremely helpful to them... but not a battered 1917 Italy switching sides. The US are already in the war, so it is hard to think that this switches the balance to CP victory IMHO.

 

[Deleted member 94680]

A CP victory on the Italian Front still doesn't change Italy's near-total dependence on British shipping, finance and coal. More dead Italians and less dead Austrians doesn't magically improve the Central Power's economic position to the point they can support Italy when Germany couldn't really support Austria or simply planned to make Ukraine independent so they could take all of it's grain.

 

[Dorknought]

Germany: shackled to a corpse... adds another one.