This was an age of naked profit. The farce that had suddenly erupted within the Entente swiftly vanished without a trace as the British changed their foreign policy.
Yet the repercussions ran deep. The Italians were naturally the biggest losers, and now even they themselves had no idea what to do.
Defect to the Entente? Their attitude was obvious—they were not welcome! The Bulgarian-French forces had already occupied Rome. Who would still dare believe that the benefits John Bull had promised could be honored?
No, they did not even have the chance to join the Entente. The Bulgarians and French had taken a hard line: surrender unconditionally, or keep fighting!
Fine, the enemy had seen Italy's true colors. There was no need to launch an attack at all. The food crisis had already arrived; in a few more months, Italy would collapse on its own.
Remain in the Alliance? Sorry, once they had played the traitor, turning back would not be so easy. At the very least, they no longer had the confidence to ask the Germans for aid!
For the Italian government, it no longer mattered which side they joined. Their tragedy had already been set in stone!
If the Entente won, they would be a defeated nation. If the Alliance won, the traitors would still be purged. Either way, there would be no good fruit for them to eat!
Vittorio Emanuele III truly had no way out now, and divisions had also arisen within the Italian government.
The pro-war faction advocated fighting the Entente to the bitter end. They had won the support of most Italians. Having just been played by the British, how could they not seek revenge?
The peace faction, meanwhile, advocated ending the war. Things had already come to this—no matter who won or lost,