On 3 November 1918, at Villa Giusti, near Padua, the plenipotentiaries of the Italian supreme command, led by Lieutenant-General Pietro Badoglio, and those of Austria-Hungary, led by General Viktor Weber Edler von Webenau, signed the protocol of armistice conditions between the Allied and Associated Powers and Austria-Hungary, together with a supplementary protocol. It is not the Compiègne armistice with Germany and not the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Military clauses, point 1: immediate cessation of hostilities by land, sea and air. Point 2: total demobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian army and immediate withdrawal of forces from the front between the North Sea and Switzerland; within remaining territory, at most 20 divisions at peace strength; half the divisional, corps and army artillery is to be delivered. Point 3: evacuation of all territories invaded since August 1914 and withdrawal behind a line following the crest of the Rhaetian Alps to the sources of the Adige and Eisack, then Reschen, Brenner, Ötz and Ziller, then Toblach, Tarvis and the Julian Alps, turning south-east to the coast so as to include Castua, Mattuglie and Volosca, together with the province of Dalmatia and the listed islands, in the evacuated zone occupied by Allied and United States troops. Military and railway equipment, including coal, is left in place. Fresh destruction, pillage or requisition is forbidden.

Point 4: free movement over roads, railways and waterways in Austria-Hungary; occupation of strategic points; paid requisition. Point 5: complete evacuation of German troops within 15 days from the Italian and Balkan fronts and from all Austro-Hungarian territory; those remaining are interned. Point 6: administration of evacuated territories remains with the local authorities under the control of the occupying armies. Point 7: immediate repatriation without reciprocity of Allied prisoners of war, interned subjects and evacuated civilians. Point 8: sick and wounded who cannot be moved stay in the care of Austro-Hungarian personnel, with the medical material required.

Naval conditions, point 1: cessation of hostilities at sea and information on the location of Austro-Hungarian ships; freedom of navigation in territorial waters, neutrality objections being waived. Point 2: surrender of 15 Austro-Hungarian submarines (1910–1918) and of all German submarines in Austro-Hungarian waters; the rest are paid off and disarmed. Point 3: surrender of 3 battleships, 3 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats, 1 minelayer and 6 Danube monitors, designated by the Allies; remaining surface ships concentrate, pay off and disarm. Point 4: freedom in the Adriatic and on the Danube, with the right to sweep mines and to occupy or dismantle fortifications. Point 8: occupation of the land and sea fortifications, islands, dockyards and arsenal at Pola. Point 11: Allied naval prisoners return without reciprocity.

The annexed protocol, military clause 1: hostilities cease 24 hours after signature, namely at 15:00 on 4 November 1918 (Central European Time); Italian and associated forces halt at the line then reached; Austro-Hungarian troops withdraw at least three kilometres; Austro-Hungarian troops caught behind the Italian line are prisoners of war. Clause 5: withdrawal on the Italian front is to be completed within 15 days; by the fifth day, beyond the line Tonale–Noce–Lavis–Avisio–Pordoi–Livinallongo–Falzarego–Pieve di Cadore–Mauria–Upper Tagliamento–Fella–Raccolana–Sella di Nevea–Isonzo. Naval clauses require ships to be surrendered at Venice between 08:00 and 15:00 on 6 November 1918, except the Danube monitors.

The instrument is a military armistice, not a peace of sovereignty. It is not the Belgrade armistice signed by Hungary on 13 November 1918 and it does not transcribe the secret Treaty of London of 1915. The Italian occupation of Innsbruck and North Tyrol after 4 November is an execution of the occupation clauses, not a separate annexation article.

Image: Villa Giusti, Padua, place of signature; Red Foxes, 11 December 2017; CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Armistice of Villa Giusti. Treaty text: Protocol of armistice conditions between the Allied and Associated Powers and Austria-Hungary, Villa Giusti, 3 November 1918.