Page - 1002 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

1002 The War becomes History by a popular movement. Karl summoned the Mayor of Vienna, Weiskirchner, and suggested that he organise ‘spontaneous’ demonstrations in Vienna on the evening of 28 October, in order to demonstrate approval of the imperial move. Weiskirchner refused.2493 The matter was not ended, however. It took on peculiar, almost embar- rassing features. The Armistice of Villa Giusti The commission of General von Weber, which had been at the ready in Trento since the beginning of the month, then briefly dismissed and again convened, was instructed to establish contact with the Italians. Now, at the latest, it must have become clear that the commission contained exclusively officers. Where, however, were the diplomats ? For years, representatives of the Foreign Ministry had been attached to the Army High Command. The relocation to Baden had made this unnecessary. But if it was believed that an armistice was solely the concern of the military, then it would have been ob- vious to assign someone to the commission who was not only a politician but also a diplomat and perhaps additionally a reserve officer. There were enough such people. But none of them was nominated for the armistice commission, which allows the con- clusion that the Foreign Ministry, which had vigorously helped to unleash the war, imposed considerable reserve on itself when it came to ending the conflict. General von Weber was only instructed that he was permitted to accept all conditions apart from those that the honour of the army did not allow or those that boiled down to a complete disenfranchisement. Whilst the armistice commission set off, the Army High Command instructed Army Group Boroević to hold out. The front had to be held until the armistice was concluded. Bo- roević responded laconically that, given the prevailing situation, he could not make any promises.2494 On 29 October, a member of the armistice commission, Captain Camillo Ruggera, approached the Italian lines. Although the group carried a flag for all to see and announced its approach with a trumpet signal, it was shelled.2495 It took hours until the letter could be handed over in which the desire for the conclusion of an armistice was expressed. Ruggera returned to Rovereto. The whole day passed without an an- swer. The Army High Command eventually sent an open radio signal and also made it known to the Italians that in the event of a withdrawal of the Imperial and Royal troops from Veneto, far-reaching demolitions would have to be carried out. The Italians indicated that they had received the radio transmission, but at the same time called into question the validity of the authority of the Austro-Hungarian armistice commission. Eventually, however, they accepted General von Weber.2496 Italy only wanted to open