Reactions when Italy declared neutral ?

[Simon Cains]

Good morning.  Is there a record of the reaction from Germany when Italy declared neutral in August 1914, even though they were in the Triple Alliance ?  Was it even a surprise at all ?  Italy said the alliance was only defensive, and Germany/Austro-Hungary had not been attacked.  ( except for the one shot at Sarajevo).   I just heard a talk which claimed that even in 1912 Italy had said they would never send troops to support the Alliance.

It certainly seemed an odd alliance, Italy had fought 3 wars against Austria, and lost territory that some wanted back.  Italy was planning invasion of Austria up to WW1, and both sides built forts along the frontier.  https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/pre-war_military_planning_italy   I like this cartoon where in the Triple Alliance, an adult German drags the Austrian boy along, while the Italian child throws a tantrum to stay with the French cockerel.  

[knittinganddeath]

If you want to see what German newspapers were saying, the Hessian newspaper archive has digitised newspapers from all over Hesse. The discussion about what Italy will do seems relatively subdued. For example: Italien und der Krieg (5 August 1914), Die Haltung Italiens and Bleibt Italien neutral? (both from 7 August), Italiens Haltung (10 August), and this reaction to the declaration of neutrality, Italiens Neutralität (11 August). I seem to remember there was a lot more speculation about Romania's neutrality.