How to best keep the Triple Alliance intact?

So, my question is this: what are some realistic PoDs for Italy to remain in the Triple Alliance with Vienna and Berlin? Preferably, this includes them joining the Central Powers at some point, but I could also see them remaining neutral in WWI.

Ideas?
 
Yes. A conference is held in 1915, pressured by Germany, Austria, who is at this point so much under the German thumb that they are puppet state, are forced to the table. In it, they agree to hand the Austrian territories of Istria, Zara, South Tyrol, Trieste and Dalmatia. I believe in our timeline it was a more limited concession offered; if Germany is doing worse than in our timeline, they would be pushed to offer more, or if Italian support was relatively more important (i.e. stronger Italian military, weaker Austria). Austria would be horrified to lose her key port and public opinion would be outraged, but they have to except Germany's dictat. In return, Italy joins the war on the Central Powers' side, with a promise to gain Tunisia, Corisca, Savoy and Nice from the French if they do. The Alpine Front has begun.

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I don't know actually whether they even had the capacity to switch sides. They were basically run by German general command. They did try and drop out of the war in 1918 and couldn't. And you notice I added the proviso about Italy being strengthened or Austria being weakened- this means that Italy becomes the decisive partner, and Germany and Austria are forced to give in, or lose the war.
 
You will also note I added a specific proviso that ONLY IF Italy was significantly strengthened or Austria significantly weakened would this go ahead. This would change the calculation if it was clear it was clearly going to tip the balance of power
 
Bresci has a faulty revolver in 1900, French diplomacy towards Italy is more inept, and by 1914 Umberto honours a treaty he has personally orchestrated.
Edit: or at the very least keeps Italy neutral.
 
I don't know actually whether they even had the capacity to switch sides. They were basically run by German general command. They did try and drop out of the war in 1918 and couldn't. And you notice I added the proviso about Italy being strengthened or Austria being weakened- this means that Italy becomes the decisive partner, and Germany and Austria are forced to give in, or lose the war.

It was needed at least 3 years of war, the performance of the K.u.K being a perennial let down and always needing German support to continue the war...better remember that Germany tried to convince A-H to give up secondary territory in 1915 (Trentino but with a defensive border favorable to A-H and some minor rettification at the border with Italy) to keep Rome neutral and Wien send a formal protest to Berlin for that with a utter refusal to give up anything.

Regarding Italy, well to remain in the Triple Alliance there is need a reason as honestly by 1915 it was clear that A-H will have never give up any irredente territory nor permitted to Italian influence to increase in the balkan or even help with our claim against France or any colonial expansion
 
Autria offered Italy Trentino and Trieste just for Italy to be neutral.

IIRC, Italy was pissed that Austria annexed Bosnia and Italy got no compensation for that (as was obligated under some treaty). Have Austria cede territory to Italy when it annexes Bosnia. Trentino and maybe a small slice of Dalmatia could do the trick. Perhaps Austria manages to buy Rio de Oro (Hungary blocked the purchase OTL) and cedes it to Italy.
 
Autria offered Italy Trentino and Trieste just for Italy to be neutral.

IIRC, Italy was pissed that Austria annexed Bosnia and Italy got no compensation for that (as was obligated under some treaty). Have Austria cede territory to Italy when it annexes Bosnia. Trentino and maybe a small slice of Dalmatia could do the trick. Perhaps Austria manages to buy Rio de Oro (Hungary blocked the purchase OTL) and cedes it to Italy.

To be precise Italy asked Trentino and after some defeat in the Russian front Wien was ready to give it up...after the war, unfortunely at this stage there is no trust in A-H and nobody in Rome was ready to wait to the postwar (and there is diplomatic correspondence that clearly state that A-H was ready to renege the treaty the moment the war ended).
Art.7 of the Triple Alliance Treaty state that if A-H or Italy increase his territory or influence in the Balkans the other will be compensated
 
A-H accepting those border concessions and they would have a south slavic insurgency as well a front line troop mutinies not to mention very pissed Hungarians. If this happens before Bulgaria and Ottomans enter the war Central Powers might end up being in a much worse state than they were OTL.

Vienna giving up a portion of the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen and the only major Hungarian port would not be negotiable to the Hungarian diet. Heck accepting that is one of the few things that could bring together Croatian and Hungarian politicians together with a common goal after over a century of butting heads over who rights and autonomy within the LCSS.

The only places Vienna could trade would be those under their direct control and even then it would be a hard pill to swallow.
 
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