what if Italy joined central powers but the ottomans joined the entente

Italy joining the Central Power would be a very poor move. They are a resource and industry poor country with minimal domestic industry who's economy was highly dependent on overseas imports of vital commodities (including virtually all thier energy/coal and minerals and a substantial chunk of thier food) and capital inflows to cover thier thier spending even in wartime. The Entente in general and Britain in particular provided and controlled the access to the lion's share of these resources and in the event the Italians seemed to be moving into hostilities can easily choke them off while the Central Powers are in no position to fill the gap. Italy required a mass financial subsidies and extensive imports from Britain to join and throughout the war for a reason; thier own economy simply could not support the war effort. When they joined the war the entire Italian Army (including that still struggling to pin down the locals in Libya) didn't even have a 1/3rd of the machine guns France did at the start of the war or even a full 200 artillery pieces. It was just was not ready for major offensive operations, especially in the face of its industry being choked of raw materials and fuel, it's coastal shipping and trains facing major fuel shortages, and a general economic crisis.

Italy's government also likely finds itself with a dearth of domestic support. Entering the war was far more controversial and saw far more domestic opposition protests with greater intensity than in most other participants. Even before the war the country had just experienced the "Red Week" strikes and riots of June 1914 that paralyzed and disrupted large parts of the country by Socialists over attacks on anti-militerists. Never the less liberating "Unredeemed Italy" was a goal that at least mustered some support and the Entente keeping the imports flowing and bankrolling plenty of the effort helped blunt the domestically disrupting economic damage, helping keep the country from slipping into the "R Red Bianium" until post war. Have the country go to war over goals with far less cultural resonance while sending the country into economic crisis and shortages while the Entente are now actively supporting rather than trying to suppress the opposition elements and jio

/r/AlternateHistory Thread