THE Italians, like the Russians, launched an early offensive in the year 1916, but whereas the latter was an emergency and diversionary operation to relieve pressure on Verdun, Cadorna’s effort in Italy was carried out in accordance with the agreement at Chantilly. Joffre hoped for no more than a minor operation early in the year, but this proved a slight effort indeed. The Austrians seem to have sized it up in advance and to have felt no anxiety about it. As already mentioned, Conrad had begged Falkenhayn to co-operate with him in inflicting a decisive defeat upon Italy; Falkenhayn had refused, in the main because he was pinched for resources with which to undertake his offensive against Verdun. He had also rejected Conrad’s proposal that German troops should relieve nine Austrian divisions in Russia so that the latter could be sent to the Tirol to strengthen the forces there facing the Italians. He considered that Italy was geographically too deep to be overwhelmed by any concentration that the Central Powers could muster. ‘Even if the blow succeeds’, he wrote to Conrad, ‘it would not be fatal to Italy. Rome will not necessarily be compelled to make peace because her army has suffered a heavy defeat in the extreme north-east of the country. She certainly cannot make peace against the wishes of the Entente, on whom she is absolutely dependent for money, food, and coal.’1
Conrad was therefore left to his own resources, but determined to persevere in his plan. His detestation of Italy was always apt to influence his otherwise good judgement. And he withdrew some fine divisions from the Eastern Front to reinforce the Archduke Eugen’s Army Group in the Tirol, according to Falkenhayn saying nothing about the transfer and even trying to conceal it. But he could not strike yet. More than almost anywhere else in Europe, active operations from the Tirol were dependent on the weather.