In the agreement of the Triple Alliance, the signatories agreed not to enter into other coalitions which threatened the other members. Germany and Austria-Hungary pledged to help Italy if France attacked it. Italy would grant the same assistance to Germany. In addition, all agreed that if two great powers attacked a partner, the other members would immediately provide assistance. In other conflicts they committed themselves to maintaining neutrality. One part of the agreement also declared that the Alliance was not opposed to the United Kingdom because it was a potential Alliance member. The membership of Italy was considered a formality, because neither Germany or Austria-Hungary regarded it as an equal power. Italy actually could have served as a buffer for both nations against their enemies. The Dual Alliance agreement was valid for five years, then periodically renewed and updated. On 20 February 1887, Germany promised Italy assistance against France, even if Italy itself had to attack as the result of French expansion in North Africa. In addition, representatives of Austria-Hungary and Italy agreed to maintain the status quo in the Balkans. On 6 May 1891 and 28 June 1902 German support of Italy in North Africa was extended to the region of Tripoli.
However, shortly after the turn of the century, Italy was regarded as an unreliable Alliance partner, after reaching an agreement with France that ended their mutual rivalry that had culminated in a customs war between 1886 and 1898. In 1896 Italy acknowledged the French protectorate of Tunisia and the trade treaty of 21 November 1898 ended the customs war. Another agreement was signed in 1900, in which Italy gave France a free hand in Morocco and France gave Italy a free hand in Tripoli. On 1 November 1902, both countries agreed on a neutrality treaty in the even of an attack on a partner, a clear breach of the Triple Alliance agreement.
Source:
ARON, R. Historie XX. století, Prague 1999. p. 69-71.
BĚLINA, P. / MORAVCOVÁ, D. / PEČENKA, M.: Kapitoly z dějin mezinárodních vztahů 1914-1941. Institut pro středoevropskou kulturu a politiku, Prague 1994.
FEJTÖ, F.: Rekviem za mrtvou říši. O zkáze Rakouska-Uherska, Prague 1998.
FUČÍK, J.: Soča (Isonzo) 1917 [Bojiště českých dějin], Prague-Litomyšl 1999.
PEČENKA, M. / LUŇÁK, P.: Encyklopedie moderní historie, Prague 1999.
SKŘIVAN, A.: Císařská politika. Rakousko-Uhersko a Německo v evropské politice v letech 1906-1914, Prague 1996.
SKŘIVAN, A.: Evropská politika 1648-1914, Prague 1999.
SKŘIVAN, A.: Lexikon světových dějin 1492-1914, Prague 2002.
SKŘIVAN, A. / KŘIVSKÝ, P.: Století odchází, Prague 2004.
ŠEDIVÝ, I.: Češi, české země a velká válka 1914-1918, Prague 2001.
Triple Alliance
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Alliance_(1882)#/media/File:Triple_Alliance.png
2. When did Italy enter the war?
1914
1917
1915
