The Balkans, Italy and Africa 1914 - 1918 by David Jordan

The Balkans, Italy and Africa 1914 - 1918 by David Jordan

Italy had been allied with the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires since 1882 as part of the Triple Alliance. However, the nation had its own designs on Austrian territory in Trentino, Istria and Dalmatia. Rome had a secret 1902 pact with France, effectively nullifying its alliance. At the start of hostilities, Italy refused to commit troops, arguing that the Triple Alliance was defensive in nature, and that Austria-Hungary was an aggressor. The Austro-Hungarian government began negotiations to secure Italian neutrality, offering the French colony of Tunisia in return. However, Italy then joined the Entente in April 1915 and declared war on Austria-Hungary in May. Fifteen months later, it declared war on Germany. Faced with Russia, Austria-Hungary could spare only one third of its army to attack Serbia. After suffering heavy losses, the Austrians briefly occupied the Serbian capital, Belgrade. Serbian counterattacks, however, succeeded in driving them from the country by the end of 1914. The Serbs suffered defeat near modern day Gnjilane in Kosovo, forces being evacuated by ship to Greece. In late 1915 a Franco-British force landed at Salonica in Greece, to offer assistance and to pressure the government to declare war against the Central Powers. Only at the end of the conflict were the Entente powers able to break through, which was after most of the German and Austro-Hungarian troops had been withdrawn. Some of the first clashes of the war involved British, French and German colonial forces in Africa. On 7 August, French and British troops invaded the German protectorate of Togoland. On 10 August German forces in South-West Africa attacked South Africa; sporadic and fierce fighting continued for the remainder of the war. With the last few men who served in World War I now dying out, and the 90th anniversary of the Armistice coming in November 2008, there is no better time to revaluate this controversial war and shed fresh light on the conflict.

David Jordan is a lecturer at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Wiltshire, England. With a PhD from the University of Birmingham, he has held positions at the universities of Birmingham, Worcester, and Keele, as well as the Open University. Dr. Jordan has written many books and articles on military subjects, including Wolfpack, The U.S Navy Seals, Battle of the Bulge: The First 24 Hours, and The Fall of Hitler’s Third Reich.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9781906626037
ISBN 10	1906626030
Titel	The Balkans, Italy and Africa 1914 - 1918
Autor	David Jordan
Serie	The History Of World War I
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Hardback
Verlag	Amber Books Ltd
Erscheinungsjahr	2008-09-15
Seitenanzahl	224
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis	Nicht verfügbar