"A traitor backstabbing an ally' - what a truly appalling notion...
NIce, but better try to be specific and better don't forget that the Austrian general attitude for the alliance with Italy (and everyone else not Germany really) was: ask everything but don't give anything (basically you will be satisfied with just the honor to be allied with Wien); this will not be like 1915 were the alliance is already dead and everybody knows it, the negotiation between Rome and Wien had gone to the trashbin and the Imperial court had done the possible to give Italy an excuse to not partecipate so to not divide the spoil. No, in 1908 basically you attack a supposed ally by no reason except Conrad hate when he had suffered one of the biggest natural disaster know to man and probably you don't even say anything to your other ally because otherwise he will point out the idiocy in that.
In addition, at least in this period the italian army had not depleted his resources in the war against the Ottoman and due to the economic situation had not have the possibility to replenish it; this was a period of expansion and (relatively) economic boom.
Your patriotism does you credit, but Italy was scarcely a modern day Sparta. The Italian military had been recently humbled by Ethiopia, the Italian military only prevailed against Ottoman garrison forces due to naval supremacy and in the first world war the Italians managed to make A-H forces look truly formidable, despite A-H having to fight on multiple fronts after having its prewar armies gutted by Russia.
Sure, but neither is A-H, a nation that had not fought a real war in the last 40 years, that for financing the armed forces had forced the various generals to go litteraly behind the goverment back and his commanded by one of the biggest military idiot of the time (that was considered much better of his competition in the K.u.K. armee). Plus is better remember that much of A-H success on the italian front was due to the terrain, one of the most favorable to the defenders in Europe, in this scenario they will be the attacker forfeiting that advantage and instead getting the burden of logistic.
The relative combat readiness of the A-H army deteriorated in the years preceding the first world war. In the early years of the 20th century the A-H military was recognized as being surprisingly competent, but due to severe budget restraints, its ongoing development was impaired. The Italian military of the period was consistently held in low regard in terms of both organization and equipment. As far as terrain, the Italians planned to withdraw immediately behind the Piave river in the case of A-H hostilities. It is well within the A-H capacities to win ugly against a heavily outnumbered opponent with inferior organization and equipment.
Yes it was considered greatly competent and the French believed in the supreme importance of Elan...and Conrad was also considered a military genius; unfortunely reality demonstrated otherwise, and the general hasburg attitude towards the italian army will probably create a sense of superiority and undestimation of the enemy that will not bode very well for the future, expecially in a period were the defenders hold almost any advantage.
Regarding Italy being heavily outnumbered and with inferior equipment; well in the first case we are not talking about a blitzkrieg, you in this period need time to mobilize and it's extremely difficult to do covertly so i doubt that Rome will be caught with her pants down...unless you go for the 'go as you are' type of war but this mean forfeit much of your advantage; plus his better to remember that due to the enourmous trust between the two allies, both side of the border were heavily fortified and in this period there was less railway and good road available for A-H command to transport troops in the zone.
Finally we are talking about two great power, so no winning quickly is out of the question due to the technological and logistical constrait of the time...and this if the war don't expand
Why would Oskar Potiorek be chosen to take on the Italians? The invasion of Serbia was not well managed, but A-H did not enjoy a significant numerical advantage over the Serbian defenders due to the redeployment of A-H troops to the Russian front.
The invasion was a utter disaster and calling now well managed is like calling Caporetto a slight strategic retreat and the entire operation show a lack of both preparation and undertanding of the enemy