The only winning move Mk.2
Ok i try again to not be a lazy bum
and put my faulty ideas in print (in a manner of speakin)
___________________________________________________________________
I'm tired of this farce, i probably cannot resist more than some days before hit someone, the negotiations are becoming more and more a kindergarten fight between unruly children than serious diplomatic talks, the Italians want too much and the Austrians don't want give nothing or just some useless scrap, it's seem to talk with two wall, I despair that my mission will be a failure and Germany will pay the price.
Maybe I have still a change, Maria Anna[1] last night has give me an idea, it's a long shot and probably doomed from the start but frankly I cannot think any other move to save the mission and blocking the spread of this madness beyond our control.
Tomorrow I will begin the preliminary contact with Cardinal Gasparri [2] and with the old bastard [3], with God help I will succeed.
Entry of the 18 April 1915 of the personal diary of Bernard von Bulow
Prince Von Bulow February 1915 during the Austro-Italian talk
Pope Benedetto XV with his public proposal of a concordat between the Kingdom of Italy and the Catholic Church so to resolve all the problem born from the Unification wars was a sudden storm on the Italian political scene, until this moment dominated by the fight between neutralist and who will want join one the alliance in the European war.
The papal proposal consisted in three parts:
1 - A political treaty recognising the full sovereignty of the Holy See in the State of Vatican City, which was thereby established.
2- A concordat regulating the position of the Catholic Church and the Catholic religion in the Italian state.
3 -A financial convention agreed on as a definitive settlement of the claims of the Holy See following the losses of its territories and property.
The signing of this accord will finally end the prohibition of the catholic to participate to the Italian political life and ease internal and external tension, at the same time giving to the government some need good press and breath from all the economic and social tension bring by the war. What was really important was instead the secret protocol included in the proposal; basically the Pope stated that the condicio sine qua non for the signing of the document was the successful end of the talk with the Austro-Hungarian Empire regarding Italian neutrality. In later years this clerical intrusion on the Italian internal affair had bringed a lot of criticism, especially from the ultra nationalistic crowd, who see the Italian failure to join the conflict as a wasted occasion for completing the work beginned with the Risorgimento and to destroy an old enemy, but at the time this controversial move resulted in a little political coup, because with this provision a 'peculiar' interpretation of the concordat transformed the diplomacy between Vienna and Rome in an Italian internal affair and so outside the king prerogative. The motive of the acceptance by Benedict XV of the Von Bulow proposal was numerous, and the final answer at this question many times simple depend by the political leaning of the interested party. The true is probably a mix of the various theories floating in the cultural and academic circles; the idea of the Prince give at the Pope the occasion to play peacemaker (a role he sincerely pursuit during the entire great war period) and at the same time give him the occasion to normalize the relationship with the Italian state, an objective who the pope tried from his days as cardinal, the fact that all this endeavour in the end will help a staunch catholic power as the Austro-Hungarian Empire was simply the ice in the cake
Noi non ci saremo – La neutralità italiana nella grande guerra (italian neutrality in the great war) – M.Rossi Einaudi editori 1980
Yesterday the ambassador of Great Britain and France were seen enter the house of his Excellency the Prime Minister early in the morning and leave in the evening, reliable source indicated that they were not happy and some strong words were exchanged between the foreign ambassadors and recently appointed for the fifth time Prime Minister Giolitti.
Corriere della Sera 27 April 1915
Italy will stay neutral, all this rumours about secret negotiations, of honourless behind the scene pact between us and other powers are pure nonsense. Simple the usual alarmist rubbish who thrive in period of great strife like this. In all sincerity is not in the best interest of the Kingdom of Italy and his people to enter the war, so his majesty government will maintain his current policy, but the other nations be warned that we are ready to defend our self and protect our interest and the sacred border of Italy from any enemy, from east and west, to guarantee the independence of the country and at the sole goal of the indissoluble good of the king and country. Long live the King, Long live the army.
Original transcript of Prime minister Giovanni Giolitti addressing the Parliament 30 April 1915 - Historical archive of the Chamber of Deputies
Prime minister Giovanni Giolitti in 1916 at the apex of his success walking in the streets of Rome
The immediate consequence of the declaration of neutrality, apart the diminishing of the commerce with France and Britain and the following need to find alternative source of raw material, were a series of riot in all North Italy great cities and some in the South especially in Naples, but luckily for the government the interventionist greatly overestimated the support of the common people for their cause and the carabinieri and the police quickly quell them, even if in Milan at least three days were needed to end the protest and at the cost of 23 deaths and numerous wounded. Naturally the fact the leaders of the movement like Mussolini and D'Annunzio were arrested little before the declaration helped a lot.
History professor and author R. Drago during an interview by Emilio Fede for the documentary 'La storia siamo noi - 150 anni d'Italia'
Giovanni Giolitti know of how terrible the first great war will be, so keep Italy neutral to avoid the other empire fate, using the Prophecy of Nostradamus? We of Voyager believe so.
Roberto Giacobbo - Voyager: ai confini della conoscenza - 24 November 2009 episode (season 4) - Rai tre
[1] Maria Anna Von Bulow, wife of the Prince, born in Naples
[2] Cardinal Pietro Gasparri – Cardinal Secretary of State
[3] Giovanni Giolitti, former Italian prime minister and very influential political
I. The Cession to Italy by Austria-Hungary of the Trentino up to Salorno,
II. The correction of Italy's eastern frontier so that they coincide with the west bank of the Isonzo River
III. The transformation of Trieste in a Free Imperial City
IV. The recognition by Austria-Hungary of the importance of Italian culture on Trieste, Istria and Dalmatia and included the establishment of an Italian university in Trieste
V. The recognition by Austria-Hungary of Italy's full sovereignty over Valona and its bay, comprising the isle of Saseno together with such hinterland as might be requisite for their defence.
VI. Austria-Hungary's immediate and complete cessation from interesting itself in Albania as comprised within the frontiers traced by the Conference in London
VII. Italy undertakes to maintain benevolent neutrality towards Germany and Austro-Hungary throughout the war.
VII. The government of Austria-Hungary pledge to give the greatest possible importance at the other Italian request and to resolve the situation to both party satisfactions after the end of the current conflict.
IX. The recognition of Italian sovereignty of the Dodecanese Island.
X. For the delivery of the ceded territories (Articles I and II) from their quota of responsibility in the Austro-Hungarian Public Debt as well as in the debt resulting from pensions to retired Imperial and Royal functionaries, and against the integral and immediate transference to Italy of all domanial property, movable or immovable, with the exception of arms, situated in the said territories, and in compensation for every State right concerned the said territories, in all that may refer to them whether at present or in future, without any exception whatsoever, Italy will pay Austria-Hungary the capital sum in gold of 150,000,000 Italian lire.
XI. Austria-Hungary is to grant a complete amnesty followed by the immediate release of all those prosecuted and convicted upon military and political grounds who are natives of the ceded territories (Articles I. and II)
XII. The Italian government declare to not seek other compensation, territorial or otherwise, from the Austro-Hungarian under the provision of art. 7 of the Treaty of Alliance.
XIII. The official transfer of the territory mentioned in this treaty will be fulfilled after the cessation of the current hostility.
XIV. His majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia pledge to be the guarantee of the terms of treaty
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Image of D'Annunzio in his legionary uniform just before his flight over Istanbul
The incarceration of D’Annunzio in 1915 or as he later recalled his ‘Dark days of
May’ were a double-edged sword for the government of Giolitti.
Sure he was now not in the condition of directly committing seditious act or incite people to rebellion, but he was quickly becoming a martyr for the interventionist cause, even worse a martyr with powerful friends who from day one of his detention asked the release of the ‘vate’, first of them General Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia-Aosta duke of Aosta, and cousin of the current King.
The Giolitti solution of the ‘D’Annunzio problem’ in theory was meant to be acceptable to both parts, if the artist was so eager to fight and so fond of war, considered essential to clean the world, well he can participate at the fray enrolling in the ‘Legione Garibaldina’ a volunteers corps who Giuseppe ‘Peppino’ Garibaldi (nephew and named in honour of great patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and who already commanded a Italian volunteers formation who fight in the French front in the first stage of the war) was forming to fight at the Entente side, and many interventionist was flocking to him so to get a change to fight the hated Austrian but also to escape government persecution.
When in early November 1915 the Legion was sent to the struggling Macedonia Front D’Annunzio was with them with the grade of Lieutenant and, as the entire Legion, distinguished itself in the doomed attempt to save the remnants of the Serbian Army.
Two of the more astonishing and memorable effort of D’Annunzio in this theatre: The slap of Durazzo and the the fly over Istanbul even if of little military value were of great psychological and propagandistic impact especially for internal use of the Entente.
Even after the war this feat were famous and lionized enough (true to be told most is due to D’Annunzio great skill in self-promotion) to be the object of various film and books, one of the most famous is naturally ‘The Flyboys’ the 1963 kolossal directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
The greatest achievement of the poet will be obtained not against the hated Hapsburgs but in the desert during the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, when by pure change the now captain D’Annunzio was paired with T.E. Lawrence so beginning one of the greatest friendships of the author.
The so called ‘Odd couple’ was instrumental in establishing and preserves relationship with the Arab tribes fighting the Ottoman and coordinate their effort.
The Italian artist, who put is though and experience during this period in his monumental opera Notturno, demonstrated to be well versed to what now we call guerrilla warfare, Lawrence himself stated in his diary that Gabriel always claim to have a cunning plan.
Extract of the Gabriele D’Annunzio entry from ‘Hollywood – the other side of the golden age’ by Stephen M. Ambrose
Ok i try again to not be a lazy bum
and put my faulty ideas in print (in a manner of speakin)___________________________________________________________________
I'm tired of this farce, i probably cannot resist more than some days before hit someone, the negotiations are becoming more and more a kindergarten fight between unruly children than serious diplomatic talks, the Italians want too much and the Austrians don't want give nothing or just some useless scrap, it's seem to talk with two wall, I despair that my mission will be a failure and Germany will pay the price.
Maybe I have still a change, Maria Anna[1] last night has give me an idea, it's a long shot and probably doomed from the start but frankly I cannot think any other move to save the mission and blocking the spread of this madness beyond our control.
Tomorrow I will begin the preliminary contact with Cardinal Gasparri [2] and with the old bastard [3], with God help I will succeed.
Entry of the 18 April 1915 of the personal diary of Bernard von Bulow
Prince Von Bulow February 1915 during the Austro-Italian talk
Pope Benedetto XV with his public proposal of a concordat between the Kingdom of Italy and the Catholic Church so to resolve all the problem born from the Unification wars was a sudden storm on the Italian political scene, until this moment dominated by the fight between neutralist and who will want join one the alliance in the European war.
The papal proposal consisted in three parts:
1 - A political treaty recognising the full sovereignty of the Holy See in the State of Vatican City, which was thereby established.
2- A concordat regulating the position of the Catholic Church and the Catholic religion in the Italian state.
3 -A financial convention agreed on as a definitive settlement of the claims of the Holy See following the losses of its territories and property.
The signing of this accord will finally end the prohibition of the catholic to participate to the Italian political life and ease internal and external tension, at the same time giving to the government some need good press and breath from all the economic and social tension bring by the war. What was really important was instead the secret protocol included in the proposal; basically the Pope stated that the condicio sine qua non for the signing of the document was the successful end of the talk with the Austro-Hungarian Empire regarding Italian neutrality. In later years this clerical intrusion on the Italian internal affair had bringed a lot of criticism, especially from the ultra nationalistic crowd, who see the Italian failure to join the conflict as a wasted occasion for completing the work beginned with the Risorgimento and to destroy an old enemy, but at the time this controversial move resulted in a little political coup, because with this provision a 'peculiar' interpretation of the concordat transformed the diplomacy between Vienna and Rome in an Italian internal affair and so outside the king prerogative. The motive of the acceptance by Benedict XV of the Von Bulow proposal was numerous, and the final answer at this question many times simple depend by the political leaning of the interested party. The true is probably a mix of the various theories floating in the cultural and academic circles; the idea of the Prince give at the Pope the occasion to play peacemaker (a role he sincerely pursuit during the entire great war period) and at the same time give him the occasion to normalize the relationship with the Italian state, an objective who the pope tried from his days as cardinal, the fact that all this endeavour in the end will help a staunch catholic power as the Austro-Hungarian Empire was simply the ice in the cake
Noi non ci saremo – La neutralità italiana nella grande guerra (italian neutrality in the great war) – M.Rossi Einaudi editori 1980
Yesterday the ambassador of Great Britain and France were seen enter the house of his Excellency the Prime Minister early in the morning and leave in the evening, reliable source indicated that they were not happy and some strong words were exchanged between the foreign ambassadors and recently appointed for the fifth time Prime Minister Giolitti.
Corriere della Sera 27 April 1915
Italy will stay neutral, all this rumours about secret negotiations, of honourless behind the scene pact between us and other powers are pure nonsense. Simple the usual alarmist rubbish who thrive in period of great strife like this. In all sincerity is not in the best interest of the Kingdom of Italy and his people to enter the war, so his majesty government will maintain his current policy, but the other nations be warned that we are ready to defend our self and protect our interest and the sacred border of Italy from any enemy, from east and west, to guarantee the independence of the country and at the sole goal of the indissoluble good of the king and country. Long live the King, Long live the army.
Original transcript of Prime minister Giovanni Giolitti addressing the Parliament 30 April 1915 - Historical archive of the Chamber of Deputies
Prime minister Giovanni Giolitti in 1916 at the apex of his success walking in the streets of Rome
The immediate consequence of the declaration of neutrality, apart the diminishing of the commerce with France and Britain and the following need to find alternative source of raw material, were a series of riot in all North Italy great cities and some in the South especially in Naples, but luckily for the government the interventionist greatly overestimated the support of the common people for their cause and the carabinieri and the police quickly quell them, even if in Milan at least three days were needed to end the protest and at the cost of 23 deaths and numerous wounded. Naturally the fact the leaders of the movement like Mussolini and D'Annunzio were arrested little before the declaration helped a lot.
History professor and author R. Drago during an interview by Emilio Fede for the documentary 'La storia siamo noi - 150 anni d'Italia'
Giovanni Giolitti know of how terrible the first great war will be, so keep Italy neutral to avoid the other empire fate, using the Prophecy of Nostradamus? We of Voyager believe so.
Roberto Giacobbo - Voyager: ai confini della conoscenza - 24 November 2009 episode (season 4) - Rai tre
[1] Maria Anna Von Bulow, wife of the Prince, born in Naples
[2] Cardinal Pietro Gasparri – Cardinal Secretary of State
[3] Giovanni Giolitti, former Italian prime minister and very influential political
Treaty of Rome of 1 May 1915
I. The Cession to Italy by Austria-Hungary of the Trentino up to Salorno,
II. The correction of Italy's eastern frontier so that they coincide with the west bank of the Isonzo River
III. The transformation of Trieste in a Free Imperial City
IV. The recognition by Austria-Hungary of the importance of Italian culture on Trieste, Istria and Dalmatia and included the establishment of an Italian university in Trieste
V. The recognition by Austria-Hungary of Italy's full sovereignty over Valona and its bay, comprising the isle of Saseno together with such hinterland as might be requisite for their defence.
VI. Austria-Hungary's immediate and complete cessation from interesting itself in Albania as comprised within the frontiers traced by the Conference in London
VII. Italy undertakes to maintain benevolent neutrality towards Germany and Austro-Hungary throughout the war.
VII. The government of Austria-Hungary pledge to give the greatest possible importance at the other Italian request and to resolve the situation to both party satisfactions after the end of the current conflict.
IX. The recognition of Italian sovereignty of the Dodecanese Island.
X. For the delivery of the ceded territories (Articles I and II) from their quota of responsibility in the Austro-Hungarian Public Debt as well as in the debt resulting from pensions to retired Imperial and Royal functionaries, and against the integral and immediate transference to Italy of all domanial property, movable or immovable, with the exception of arms, situated in the said territories, and in compensation for every State right concerned the said territories, in all that may refer to them whether at present or in future, without any exception whatsoever, Italy will pay Austria-Hungary the capital sum in gold of 150,000,000 Italian lire.
XI. Austria-Hungary is to grant a complete amnesty followed by the immediate release of all those prosecuted and convicted upon military and political grounds who are natives of the ceded territories (Articles I. and II)
XII. The Italian government declare to not seek other compensation, territorial or otherwise, from the Austro-Hungarian under the provision of art. 7 of the Treaty of Alliance.
XIII. The official transfer of the territory mentioned in this treaty will be fulfilled after the cessation of the current hostility.
XIV. His majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia pledge to be the guarantee of the terms of treaty
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Image of D'Annunzio in his legionary uniform just before his flight over Istanbul
The incarceration of D’Annunzio in 1915 or as he later recalled his ‘Dark days of
May’ were a double-edged sword for the government of Giolitti.
Sure he was now not in the condition of directly committing seditious act or incite people to rebellion, but he was quickly becoming a martyr for the interventionist cause, even worse a martyr with powerful friends who from day one of his detention asked the release of the ‘vate’, first of them General Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia-Aosta duke of Aosta, and cousin of the current King.
The Giolitti solution of the ‘D’Annunzio problem’ in theory was meant to be acceptable to both parts, if the artist was so eager to fight and so fond of war, considered essential to clean the world, well he can participate at the fray enrolling in the ‘Legione Garibaldina’ a volunteers corps who Giuseppe ‘Peppino’ Garibaldi (nephew and named in honour of great patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi and who already commanded a Italian volunteers formation who fight in the French front in the first stage of the war) was forming to fight at the Entente side, and many interventionist was flocking to him so to get a change to fight the hated Austrian but also to escape government persecution.
When in early November 1915 the Legion was sent to the struggling Macedonia Front D’Annunzio was with them with the grade of Lieutenant and, as the entire Legion, distinguished itself in the doomed attempt to save the remnants of the Serbian Army.
Two of the more astonishing and memorable effort of D’Annunzio in this theatre: The slap of Durazzo and the the fly over Istanbul even if of little military value were of great psychological and propagandistic impact especially for internal use of the Entente.
Even after the war this feat were famous and lionized enough (true to be told most is due to D’Annunzio great skill in self-promotion) to be the object of various film and books, one of the most famous is naturally ‘The Flyboys’ the 1963 kolossal directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
The greatest achievement of the poet will be obtained not against the hated Hapsburgs but in the desert during the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, when by pure change the now captain D’Annunzio was paired with T.E. Lawrence so beginning one of the greatest friendships of the author.
The so called ‘Odd couple’ was instrumental in establishing and preserves relationship with the Arab tribes fighting the Ottoman and coordinate their effort.
The Italian artist, who put is though and experience during this period in his monumental opera Notturno, demonstrated to be well versed to what now we call guerrilla warfare, Lawrence himself stated in his diary that Gabriel always claim to have a cunning plan.
Extract of the Gabriele D’Annunzio entry from ‘Hollywood – the other side of the golden age’ by Stephen M. Ambrose
