Kaiser Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary starts in dismay at the approach of an Italian Army. Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915. The agreement the Emperor refers to was the Triple Alliance between Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy.
Ma i nostri patti giovanni perdio!!!But our agreement for God's sake, John!!!Reverse:Logo: CCM
"With unexampled treachery and greed the King of Italy has forgotten the fraternal obligations which were binding on him as an ally of our Monarchy. From the outbreak of the war, when he should have stood at the side of our brave armies, the treacherous king played the role of a masked trickster, acting with duplicity and all along maintaining secret contacts with our enemies. This treachery culminated on the night of 22/3 May in his declaration of war on our Monarchy. Our supreme commander is convinced that our ever valiant and glorious armies will answer this contemptible treachery of a faithless enemy with such a blow that the traitor will come to recognize that by starting war against us in this shameless and treacherous fashion he has encompassed his own destruction. We firmly believe that with the help of God the day will soon dawn when the plains of Italy will see once more the victors of Santa Lucia, Vicenza, Novarra and Custozza. We want to win, we must win and win we certainly shall!"
Excerpt from Jaroslav Hašek's novel The Good Soldier Švejk. Švejk (or Schweik) was a foot soldier in an Austro-Hungarian Czech battalion on its way to the Russian front lines when his battalion learned that Italy had declared war on Austria-Hungary. The men are assembled, and their captain, 'in an unusually exalted voice,' reads them the order above. The speaker is Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, who is affronted not only by Italy, but by Italian King Victor Emmanuel. With Austria-Hungary and Germany, Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance, but had declared neutrality at the beginning of the war. The battles the Emperor refers to were Austrian victories over the Italians in the First Italian War of Independence in 1848.
The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek, pp. 512, 513, copyright © Cecil Parrott, 1973 (translation), publisher: Penguin
1915-05-23, May, 1915, Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary
