Page - 856 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

856 Peace Feelers in the Shadow of Brest-Litovsk colonisation of Romania, and a guarantee of the transit of goods from and to Romania through Austria-Hungary.2028 Furthermore, autonomies were specified for Courland and Lithuania, with the simultaneous annexation of these territories to the German Empire. Thus, the demands to be presented within the framework of peace negotiations with Russia and Romania were already being fully discussed. The aspect of peace with victory could not be ignored. Basically, however, it was equally frivolous to talk of an abandonment of annexation plans while Austria-Hungary was aiming to rake in Po- land in its entirety, even if this was with the most sincere intention and perhaps in the form of a Habsburg secundogeniture. The Turn of the Year, 1918 The occupation of Italian territory as a result of the advance through to the Piave River had only worsened the position of the Habsburg Monarchy. Austria-Hungary had made only inadequate preparations both in terms of accommodating the additional 140,000 prisoners, and when it came to administering the Italian territories. The reloca- tion of the front forwards towards the south-west had led to a significant shortening of the lines, but had equally made it necessary to establish military control of the occupied territories. And a further problem was caused by the fact that the area under occupation had in the meantime been eaten bare. The area occupied by the armies of the Central Powers following the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo covered the provinces of Udine and Belluno, as well as parts of the prov- inces of Veneto, Treviso and Vicenza. This area, which until the end of 1917 had been a base area for the Italian armies, was now being used as a base area by the Austro-Hun- garian Army.2029 Since during the winter of 1917/1918, neither staff nor materials were available in order to set up an Imperial and Royal military administration, the Italian institutions were essentially left as they were, and only a few laws and regulations were issued. Furthermore, a Military Governor General was not installed and no uniform Government General was established ; to a far greater extent, the conquered Italian territory was placed under the control of Army Group Commands Boroević and Con- rad.2030 On 15 December 1917, Austria-Hungary and the German Empire concluded a limited agreement regarding the distribution of war spoils and goods, according to which a distribution ratio of 1 :1 was to apply for items not subject to separate regula- tions. The Germans withdrew ; the Austrians remained. Now, an exhausting battle began, with each side fighting against the other. The troop commands were anxious to provide everything needed to feed their soldiers through requisitions, while the district commands also had to make sure that the population did not perish.2031 The largest portion of the industrialists, bank employees, businessmen,