Bollettino della Vittoria

Last updated
The text of the Bollettino della Vittoria
carved on the marble of the Altare della Patria, with the two altars bearing the inscription
.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%}
Et Facere Fortia
(left)
Et Pati Fortia
(right) echoing the Latin phrase et facere et pati fortia Romanum est ('It is the attribute of a Roman to perform as well as to suffer mighty things'.) Victory proclamation WW1 Vittoriano.jpg
The text of the Bollettino della Vittoria carved on the marble of the Altare della Patria, with the two altars bearing the inscription Et Facere Fortia (left) Et Pati Fortia (right) echoing the Latin phrase et facere et pati fortia Romanum est ('It is the attribute of a Roman to perform as well as to suffer mighty things'.)

The Bollettino della Vittoria is the official document after the Armistice of Villa Giusti with which General Armando Diaz, the supreme commander of the Royal Italian Army, announced, on November 4, 1918, the surrender of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the victory of the Kingdom of Italy in World War I.

Contents

Legacy

Its material author was, in reality, general Domenico Siciliani, head of the press office of the supreme command. [1] Every year, Italian institutions celebrate the event with National Unity and Armed Forces Day on November 4.

The Bollettino della Vittoria, together with the address to the navy by Paolo Thaon di Revel, is a symbol of the Italian victory in World War I. Commemorative plaques with the text are exposed in every town hall and military barracks of Italy that are fused using the bronze of enemy artillery pieces.

A similar bulletin was never drafted for the air forces since they were part of the Aeronautical Service, a department dedicated to Royal Italian Army aircraft: the Royal Air Force, the third armed force of the Kingdom of Italy, was established only in 1923, after the end of the war.

Text

Italian

Comando Supremo, 4 Novembre 1918, ore 12

La guerra contro l'Austria-Ungheria che, sotto l'alta guida di S.M. il Re, duce supremo, l'Esercito Italiano, inferiore per numero e per mezzi, iniziò il 24 maggio 1915 e con fede incrollabile e tenace valore condusse ininterrotta ed asprissima per 41 mesi, è vinta.

La gigantesca battaglia ingaggiata il 24 dello scorso ottobre ed alla quale prendevano parte cinquantuno divisioni italiane, tre britanniche, due francesi, una cecoslovacca ed un reggimento americano, contro settantatré divisioni austroungariche, è finita.

La fulminea e arditissima avanzata del XXIX Corpo d'Armata su Trento, sbarrando le vie della ritirata alle armate nemiche del Trentino, travolte ad occidente dalle truppe della VII armata e ad oriente da quelle della I, VI e IV, ha determinato ieri lo sfacelo totale del fronte avversario. Dal Brenta al Torre l'irresistibile slancio della XII, della VIII, della X armata e delle divisioni di cavalleria, ricaccia sempre più indietro il nemico fuggente.

Nella pianura, S.A.R. il Duca d'Aosta avanza rapidamente alla testa della sua invitta III armata, anelante di ritornare sulle posizioni da essa già vittoriosamente conquistate, che mai aveva perdute.

L'Esercito Austro-Ungarico è annientato: esso ha subito perdite gravissime nell'accanita resistenza dei primi giorni e nell'inseguimento ha perdute quantità ingentissime di materiale di ogni sorta e pressoché per intero i suoi magazzini e i depositi. Ha lasciato finora nelle nostre mani circa trecentomila prigionieri con interi stati maggiori e non meno di cinquemila cannoni.

I resti di quello che fu uno dei più potenti eserciti del mondo risalgono in disordine e senza speranza le valli che avevano disceso con orgogliosa sicurezza.

Il capo di stato maggiore dell'esercito, il generale Diaz

English

From the Supreme Headquarters 12:00 hours, November 4, 1918

The war against Austria-Hungary, which the Italian Army, inferior in number and equipment, began on 24 May 1915 under the leadership of His Majesty and supreme leader the King and conducted with unwavering faith and tenacious bravery without rest for 41 months, is won.

The gigantic battle, which opened on the 24th of last October and in which fifty-one Italian divisions, three British, two French, one Czechoslovak and a US regiment joined against seventy-three Austrian divisions, is over.

The lightning-fast and most audacious advance of the XXIX Army Corps on Trento, blocking the retreat of the enemy armies from Trentino, as they were overwhelmed from the west by the troops of the VII army and from the east by those of the I, VI, and the IV armies, led to the utter collapse of the enemy's front. From the Brenta to the Torre, the fleeing enemy is pushed ever further back by the irresistible onslaught of the XII, VIII, X Armies and of the cavalry divisions.

In the plains, His Royal Highness the Duke of Aosta is advancing at the head of his undefeated III Army, eager to return to the previously successfully conquered positions, which they had never lost.

The Austro-Hungarian Army is vanquished: it suffered terrible losses in the dogged resistance of the early days, and during the pursuit it lost an enormous quantity of materials of every kind as well as almost all its stockpiles and supply depots. The Austro-Hungarian Army has so far left about 300,000 prisoners of war in our hands along with multiple entire officer corps and at least 5,000 pieces of artillery.

The remnants of what was one of the world's most powerful armies are returning in hopelessness and chaos up the valleys from which they had descended with boastful confidence.

Chief of Staff of the Army, General Diaz

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arditi</span> Italian special forces in WWI

Arditi was the name adopted by a Royal Italian Army elite special force of World War I. They and the opposing German Stormtroopers were the first modern shock troops, and they have been defined "the most feared corps by opposing armies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Army (Italy)</span> Italian Army field army, in World War I

The 1st Army was a Royal Italian Army field army, in World War I, facing Austro-Hungarian and German forces, and in World War II, fighting on the North African front.

The 10th Army was a field army of the Royal Italian Army, which fought in World War I and in Italian North Africa during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Vittorio Veneto</span> Battle during World War I (October–November 1918)

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops during the defensive Battle of the Piave River, the Italian army launched a great counter-offensive: the Italian victory marked the end of the war on the Italian Front, secured the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and contributed to the end of the First World War just one week later. The battle led to the capture of over 5,000 artillery pieces and over 350,000 Austro-Hungarian troops, including 120,000 Germans, 83,000 Czechs and Slovaks, 60,000 South Slavs, 40,000 Poles, several tens of thousands of Romanians and Ukrainians, and 7,000 Austro-Hungarian loyalist Italians and Friulians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armando Diaz</span> Italian general

Armando Diaz, 1st Duke della Vittoria, was an Italian general and a Marshal of Italy. He is mostly known for his role as Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito during World War I from November 1917. He managed to stop the Austro-Hungarian advance along the Piave River in the First Battle of Monte Grappa. In June 1918, he led the Italian forces to a major victory at the Second Battle of the Piave River. A few months later, he achieved a decisive victory in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which ended the war on the Italian Front. He is celebrated as one of the greatest generals of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Asiago</span> Battle on the Italian Front during World War I

The Battle of Asiago(Battle of the Plateaux) or the Südtirol Offensive (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), nicknamed Strafexpedition ("Punitive expedition") by the Austro-Hungarian forces, was a major counteroffensive launched by the Austro-Hungarians on the territory of Vicentine Alps in the Italian Front on 15 May 1916, during World War I. It was an "unexpected" attack that took place near Asiago in the province of Vicenza (now in northeast Italy, then on the Italian side of the border between the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary) after the Fifth Battle of the Isonzo (March 1916).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armistice of Villa Giusti</span> 1918 peace treaty between Italy and Austria-Hungary at the end of WWI

The Armistice of Villa Giusti or Padua ended warfare between Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front during World War I. The armistice was signed on 3 November 1918 in the Villa Giusti, outside Padua in the Veneto, Northern Italy, and took effect 24 hours later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Alpini Regiment</span> Military unit

The 6th Alpini Regiment is a training regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment is based in Bruneck and assigned to the Alpine Training Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco De Martini</span> Italian army officer

Francesco de Martini was an Italian officer of the Military Information Service in Eritrea, when the Allies invaded Italian East Africa during World War II. He enlisted as a private in the Italian army in 1923, and left active service as brigadier general and the most decorated soldier of the Italian army during World War II.

3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca dAosta" Military unit

The 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" was a Cavalry or "Celere" (Fast) division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and during World War II was mobilized in June 1940. As a cavalry division it took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and was part of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia. Annihilated during the Red Army's Operation Little Saturn in December 1942, the survivors returned to Italy in spring 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Unity and Armed Forces Day</span> National Day in Italy

National Unity and Armed Forces Day is an Italian national day since 1919 which commemorates the victory in World War I, a war event considered the completion of the process of unification of Italy. It is celebrated every 4 November, which is the anniversary of the armistice of Villa Giusti becoming effective in 1918 declaring Austria-Hungary's surrender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guido Keller</span> İtalian aviator

Guido Keller was an Italian aviator and political activist who was closely associated with Gabriele D’Annunzio and played an important role in the seizure of Fiume in 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Corps of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta</span>

The Military Corps of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, is a voluntary auxiliary body of the Italian Army for health and humanitarian assistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bollettino della Vittoria Navale</span>

The Bollettino della Vittoria Navale is the official document written after the armistice of Villa Giusti with which the admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel, supreme commander of the Royal Italian Navy, announced, on 12 November 1918, the surrender on the seas of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy's victory in the World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpini Battalion "Val Brenta"</span> Military unit

The Alpini Battalion "Val Brenta" is an inactive battalion of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta"</span> Military unit

The 5th Infantry Regiment "Aosta" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Messina in Sicily. The regiment is part of the Italian army's infantry corps and operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Aosta".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">85th Volunteer Training Regiment "Verona"</span> Military unit

The 85th Volunteer Training Regiment "Verona" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Verona in Veneto. The regiment is named for the city of Verona and was part of the Italian Army's infantry arm until it became a training unit and was redesignated as a "multi-arms unit".

The Cadorna Line, officially the Northern Frontier, was the Italian defensive system on the northern border facing Switzerland, designed and built between 1899 and 1918. Its purpose was to protect the Po Valley and its main industrial centres from an attack by France, Germany or Austria-Hungary violating Swiss neutrality.

"Avanti ragazzi di Buda" is an Italian anti-communist song written by Pier Francesco Pingitore and composed by Dimitri Gribanovski. It commemorates the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and is a widespread and well-known song in Italy, having some presence in Hungary as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlo Rossi (general)</span> Italian general (1880–1967)

Carlo Rossi was an Italian general during World War II.

References

  1. Giuseppe Fumagalli, Chi l'ha detto?, Hoepli, 1921, p. 615 (In Italian)