Italy had been a unified country only 45 years, and since 1870 had been undergoing political convulsions as different factions vied for power. Italy did not have the Military or Armament to fight in WWI.
 
Italy had stayed out of World War I, starting July 30, 1914, even though it was a member of the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany. Italy claimed that it was under no obligation to honor the agreement because Austria-Hungary had not gone to war in self-defense. 
 
Britain and France BEGGED Italy to join them and made HUGE inducements in the form of a Secret Treaty. On May 1915, Italy entered World War I on the side of the Allies who promised to give Italy "The Irredenta", territories inhabited by an Italian majority but retained by the Austrian Empire after 1866 (hence 'unredeemed' Italy). These included Trentino and Trieste, Istria, Gorizia and Gradisca, Dalmatia and Rijeka (Fiume). The ideology was then extended to Former Italian territories of Corsica, the Ionian islands, Malta, Nice, and Ticino. Plus German Colonies in Africa, etc.

The Italians, led by General Luigi Cadorna, hammered away at Austria-Hungary for two years in a series of battles along the Isonzo River in Austria-Hungary. Italy suffered enormous casualties. Italian Infantry had to scale mountains against deeply entrenched Austrian artillery, that rained death on the Italians below in Icy Freezing Blizzards. ("Farewell to Arms" by  Ernest Hemingway)  

Italy suffered more combined Military and Civilian Deaths at 1.2 million than did Great Britain at 1.1 million, and TEN times as many as US. France suffered 1.8 million.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties
 
The Treaty of Versailles, June 28, 1919, was a galactically stupid document, that sowed the seeds of WWII. Britain was the most content, having kept its empire and control of the seas.  France had succeeded in imposing harsh terms on Germany -- its traditional foe. Promises to Italy were largely ignored, and created so much resentment in Italy that Mussolini was able to exploit the anger of the War Veterans, that formed the core of the Fascist Party, that took control in Italy in 1922. Germany was so harshly punished in so many ways that Hitler was likewise able to exploit the resentment, and took control in Germany in 1932.  

*Then the Americans show up. Yes, Americans are Over There. On the bloodstained front, with their allies, the Italians. And what do these American doughboys do in Italy? They deceive the enemy by walking around in many different beautiful uniforms.

American Expeditionary Force in World War I:    http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/dbsitaly.htm

?The Yanks Come to the Italian Front" ...?The 332nd Infantry Regiment, 83rd Division, with attached medical and supply units, was sent to the Italian front in July 1918 in response to urgent requests from the Italian Government. Its principal missions were to build up Italian morale and to depress that of the enemy by creating the impression that a large force of Americans had reached that front and was preparing to enter the battle line and to take an active part in the fighting. 

?The regiment was first stationed near Lake Garda, where it trained in methods of warfare suitable for the difficult mountain terrain which comprised the greater part of the Italian theater of operations. Early in October it moved to Treviso, behind the Piave River Front, where it was assigned to the Italian 31st Division. From there, for purposes deceiving the enemy, it staged a series of marches in which each battalion, with different articles of uniform and equipment, left the city by a separate road, circulated during daylight hours in exposed positions for both the Italians and Austrians to see, and returned after nightfall to its station at Treviso in as inconspicuous a manner as possible.?

(((So that?s what the Americans were doing in the awesome bloodletting on the Italian front: walking around playing dress-up where they were sure to be seen. There?s a kind of genius to this strategy. Obviously the fighting 332nd had immediately gone native. They must?ve been the most Italianized American military unit to date, short the many Italian regiments who fought in the American Civil War (on both sides). Furthermore, one can?t doubt that this was by far the most militarily effective use of one meager American regiment. Make them look like a hundred regiments, and try to make sure nobody shoots at them.)))

(((Not their fault, mind you",  these wartime impostors were as keen to kick ass any other Yankee unit in the Great War.)))

?Early on November 4th the 2nd Battalion crossed the river on a narrow footbridge and after a brief struggle captured the Austrian position on the far side. Continuing to move forward along the Treviso-Udine railroad, the 2nd Battalion occupied the town of Codroipo where it took possession of large stores of munitions and supplies. In this, their only offensive operation, the 332nd Infantry had one man killed and four wounded. At 3:00pm, November 4th, when the armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary became effective, the leading American elements were at Villorba" ...

(((That wasn?t the only American contribution to the Italian war effort.)))... " 54 airplane pilots also served with the Italian Army. The American pilots, as members of Italian bombardment squadrons, engaged in bombing raids behind the Austrian lines, being especially active during the progress of the Vittorio-Veneto offensive."...

http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/
2010/01/american-warfare-in-italy-1918/
 
 

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