ABSTRACT
A candid, detailed and generally objective account of the reaction of the Italian Supreme Command in the weeks which preceded and followed the Caporetto breakthrough has been given by Angelo Gatti. Gatti served in the Italian Supreme Command as the Chief Army Historian until he left for France in 1 9 1 8 . As a member of the innermost circle of the headquarters, his diary (first published in 1964) is a valuable source in understanding the overall atmosphere surrounding Cadorna and the Italian General Staff in October and November 1 9 1 7, at the time of their country 's worst military disaster. 1
Indeed, Colonel Gatti' s diary actually covers much more than the events of October and November 1 9 1 7. It also includes accounts of the 1 0th Isonzo Battle in May 1 9 1 7 and includes the dramatic days of the battle for Mt Ortigara in the following June . One can also find several interesting sections concerning the Italian political leadership of that time, such as some candid comments on the personal relationship between Giolitti and Prime Minister Salandra, the man who had signed the London Agreement with the Entente in April 1 9 1 5 .2
