Page 102 - The Secret War in the Italian front in WWI (1915-1918)

THE SECRET WAR ON THE ITALIAN FRONT IN WWI (1915 – 1918)

Propaganda towards the enemy, aimed mainly at stirring internal conflict and encouraging ambitions
of independence of the nationalities comprised within the Hapsburg Empire, gained strength by
employing deserters and ‘unredeemed’ prisoners. One of the first and most active collaborators
of the Italian Intelligence Service had been the Bohemian deserter Francesco Hlavacek who had
reached the Italian lines on 10 August 1916, carrying many documents, maps, and sketches of
enemy positions. After the initial questioning, he remained for about a month at the artillery
Headquarters of the 2 Army corps and provided, moving from one lookout to the other, a lot of
nd
useful information on enemy positions. He then summed up the information and data collected
over several months in a lucid report - a copy of which was sent to the Supreme Command - also
containing a plan to attack the Bainsizza plateau .
56
Before the Italian strike of May 1917, he was recalled to the war zone and employed by the 47
th
Division Headquarters, tasked with the military demonstration in Loga and Bodrez. On that occasion,
he become an actual collaborator of the
Headquarters and his suggestions proved
to be extremely useful for the operation.
He then personally questioned a large
part of Bohemian prisoners to identify
the new defence lines that the enemy
had established on the plateau after his
desertion.
He later joined the Czechoslovakian
Patriotic Committee located in Rome.
Before the Bainsizza attack, Hlavacek
was once again recalled and assigned to
the 24 Army Corps, in charge with the
th
breakthrough .
57
Starting from early 1918,
Czechoslovakian, Romanian, Polish
and Jugoslav prisoners were detained
in concentration camps separated
from the rest of the Austro-Hungarian
troopers, to facilitate their recruitment
as volunteers .
58
In February 1918, the Supreme
Command asked the Ministry of War
permission for the official employment, 5.9 Document of the Austro-Hungarian Intelligence Service
within Intelligence Offices of the regarding the Czechoslovakian Legion, translated by the
Armies, of volunteer enemy prisoners Headquarters of the 3 Army
rd
of various nationalities who had been

56 Supreme Headquarters - Office of Situation, War Bulletins and Missions Abroad, Memorandum no. 15109 of 2 October
1916, Memorie di un ufficiale disertore dell’Esercito austriaco circa una nostra eventuale operazione tra Aussa and Descia
(Memoirs of a deserting officer of the Austrian Army regarding our possible operation between Aussa and Descia), AUSSME,
Series E2, env.67.
57 2nd Army Headquarters - Intelligence Office, Letter no.2835, 31 August 1917, Rimunerazione dell’informatore boemo
Francesco Hlavacek (Remuneration of Bohemian Informer Francesco Hlavacek), AUSSME, Series F-3. The 24 Army Corps
th
broke through the Isonzo enemy lines and got through the Bainsizza plateau.
58 Circular letter no. 11054/A, 18 August 1918.

100