The problematic ally: Italy, Britain and the Entente

Abstract

ABSTRACT British statesmen and generals held Italy in low regard because of racial attitudes, ignorance of the conditions under which Italian soldiers fought, and a conviction that Italy should subordinate its interests to those of the United Kingdom. They placed unreasonable expectations on the Italian army and interpreted its failure to meet them as confirmation of British prejudices. British politicians viewed their Italian counterparts as ‘devious’ when they pursued national self-interest while those same British leaders put the interests of the British empire above those of the Entente. If Italian soldiers failed to press home an attack or hold a position, British generals accused them of defeatism, lack of fighting spirit or outright cowardice but did not level the same criticism at their own troops when they suffered reverses. Not until the summer of 1917 did a high-ranking British officer even tour the Italian front. British generals repeatedly dismissed Italian intelligence as alarmist only to have it proved correct. Throughout the war, the British treated Italy as a junior member rather than an equal partner in the alliance. This study reveals how prejudice, ignorance and arrogance shaped Anglo-Italian relations and adversely effected allied strategic planning.