Page 56 - The Secret War in the Italian front in WWI (1915-1918)

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

The achievements of the intelligence activities were summarised in the territorial monographs
concerning bordering areas (picture 3.4). In 1913, General Alberto Pollio decided to reorganise
the monographs production and established the Office for Monographs & Military Territorial
Guidebooks within the Divisional Headquarters in Milan. The office was headed by General Carlo
Porro - future Deputy Chief of the Army Staff - under the direct authority of the Chief of the
Army Staff . In October 1914, Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Garruccio, the future Chief of the
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Intelligence Office of the Supreme Command, took command of the Office for Monographs.
At the time, this Office could rely on the help of agents who, on behalf of the Intelligence Office,
had been working in Austria-Hungary for some years or had been sent there with the aim of
acquiring information about military fieldworks, communication routes and infrastructure.

3.5 Areas of the Eastern border involved in mountain troops regiments’ reconnaissance

fInancIal Issues

The efficiency of the Intelligence Office in peacetime also relied on the network of agents scattered abroad.
However, the recruitment of spies and informers, the trips, and accommodations in foreign countries of
officers who carried out reconnaissance activities and the bribery of foreign officials required a considerable
amount of money, while Intelligence Office always had limited resources available. All service heads, and
sometimes even the Chiefs of Army Staff, complained to the Minister of War about this situation, but the
frequent requests for greater financial resources were usually met only partially. The allocation of 61,000
liras in 1894 was increased to 98,000 liras in 1913, despite the demand of at least 200,000 liras, “which
was seen as essential to meet all the needs of the service” . With respect to this shortage of money, in
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October 1912, Colonel Rosolino Poggi, who replaced Colonel Negri as director of the Intelligence Service,
reported to Cadorna that, “the service was limited due to scarce available resources that the Ministry did
not increase, in spite of the continuous demands made by the Headquarters of the General Staff Corps” .
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17 Headquarters of the General Staff Corps - Secretariat Office, Circular no. 225, 10 November 1913, AUSSME, F4 Series.
18 Intelligence Office, Memorandum n. 642, 18 November 1913, Aumento dell’assegno ordinario pel servizio informazioni
(Increase of the ordinary allowance for Information service), AUSSME, F-4 Series.
19 Ministerial Dispatches no.81 of 23 October 1913 and no.29 of 18 June 1914.

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