Page - 1003 - in THE FIRST WORLD WAR - and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914 – 1918

The Armistice of Villa Giusti 1003 negotiations, though, when Austria-Hungary had acknowledged that the initiation of talks did not mean that the Allies would suspend their operations. The Army High Command agreed. It did not have any choice. A week earlier, Austria-Hungary would have been better able to act  – but it was now 30 October 1918. And the Italians now very consciously took their time. On the same day, the Italians reached Vittorio Veneto. Whilst negotiations were taking place, they were able to pursue the retreating and disbanding troops, accelerate their withdrawal here and there, overtake them, take prisoners and reach the aimed-for borders. On 31 October, Weber was permitted to cross the Italian lines with mem- bers of the Austro-Hungarian commission. Two German officers, Colonel Schäffer von Bernstein and Captain Heinz Guderian, went sent back by the Italians, however, although they had presented their credentials in the Lagarina Valley, in which they were empowered by Field Marshal Hindenburg to participate in the armistice nego- tiations.2497 This evidently did not interest the Italians. Weber and his entourage were brought to the villa of Senator Giusti del Giardino in the vicinity of Padua. This was the guest house of the Italian High Command, which was accommodated in Abano Terme.2498 The Allied delegation was not due to arrive, however, until 1 November. It was led by the Deputy Chief of the Italian General Staff, Major General Pietro Ba- doglio. Badoglio, however, did not yet have any conditions. They first had to be drafted by the Allied Supreme War Council in Versailles and would arrive in Padua, according to Badoglio, on 2 November. It happened a little quicker, after all. In fact, the Allied demands then arrived in the night of 1st/2nd. In summarised form, the ‘most sacred conditions’ were as follows : 1. Immediate cessation of hostilities. 2. Complete demobi- lisation, withdrawal of all troops from the front and downgrading of the Austro-Hun- garian Army after the war to 20 divisions. Withdrawal of all Austro-Hungarian troops from the territories occupied since 1914 and withdrawal from the territory south of the Brenner within a period of time to be fixed at a later date. Furthermore, occupation rights for the Allies and freedom of movement within Austria-Hungary. The Allies also made it clear that the treaty to be concluded was to extend to all Imperial and Royal fronts. Separate negotiations with General Laxa on a ceasefire in the Balkans would, therefore, not be necessary. Captain Ruggera brought the conditions back across the Austrian lines. They were transmitted to Baden. The Army High Command was appalled. Only an armistice was supposed to be concluded, and now a more or less unconditional surrender was being demanded. Par- ticularly critical was the point demanding that the Allies receive complete freedom of movement within Austro-Hungarian territory. This meant that from Austrian territory they could also attack the German Empire, which had not opened armistice negoti- ations. Karl assured Kaiser Wilhelm in a telegram that he would place himself at the head of the remaining loyal Austro-Hungarian troops and, if necessary, personally deny