London Pact

From Freepedia

London Pact (Italian Patto di Londra) was a secret pact between Italy and Triple Entente, signed in London on April 26 1915 by Kingdom of Italy, Great Britain, France and Russia.

According to the pact, Italy was to leave the Triple Alliance and join Triple Entente, as already stated in a secret agreement signed in London, on 4-5 September 1914. Furthermore, Italy was to declare war against Germany and Austria-Hungary within a month — and in fact the declaration of war was published May 23 of the same year. In exchange, Italy was to obtain some territorial gains (see Italia irredenta) at the end of the war:

1. Trieste
2. Trento
3. Gorizia
4. Istria, but not Fiume
5. Zadar
6. Dodecanese
7. Protectorate over Albania
8. Vlorë
9. part of Dalmatia
10. part of the German Asian and African colonial empire

The pact was to be kept secret, but after the October Revolution, it was published by Russian journal Izsvestia, in November 1917.

The pact was nullified with the Treaty of Versailles, because Woodrow Wilson, supporting Slavic claims and not recognizing the treaty, rejected Italian requests on Dalmatian territories.