Totentanz Series: Death Chokes Italy Obverse

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs during the war, Sidney Sonnino, played a role in concluding the secret Treaty of London in April 1915, which was seen as a major betrayal to the Central Powers, whose cause he had initially supported. The Treaty not only brought Italy into the war on the side of the Entente, but also included plans to dismantle and partition Austria-Hungary for Italy’s benefit in the event of an Entente victory. Eberbach suggests that the Italian battering by the Austrian-Hungarians in the Trentino Offensive (also known as the Battle of Asiago) in May–June 1916 was just retribution for their betrayal.

Death on knees choking a she-wolf (Italy); below: FÜR·LATEINISCHE·BUNDES·/ TREUE/ 1915/ TRIENT 1916 FRIAUL (“for Latin loyalty 1915, Trentino 1916 Friuli”)