Even though Italy was aligned with Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Triple Alliance, it refused to join the Central Powers in the First World War and remained neutral until May 23, 1915, when, after secret negotiations with the Allies, Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies. Unlike the other main powers, Italy entered the war in order to profit from it. In the secret Treaty of London, the allies promised Italy large amounts of territory for Italy in exchange for its co-operation. Once the war began, the Italian military acquired a reputation for being rather poor; fortunately for Italy, much of their fighting occurred against Austria-Hungary and not against Germany's more skilled troops. Still, events such as the Battle of Caporetto were rather embarrassing. However, as the Austro-Hungarian empire crumbled, Italy, with Allied help, won a decisive battle against them at Vittorio Veneto. After the war, at the Paris Peace Conference, Italy received only a small portion of the territory earier promised to it.
