This correspondent was fortunate to spend an afternoon discussing the recent conflict with the King of Italy, shortly before his kingdom’s demise and his untimely yet heroic death. Enjoying a typically warm late summer day in his palace at Caserta, we talked at length on how Italy’s military campaigns had fared over the past three years. Though things were looking bleak for the young kingdom, little were we to know that only a month later this palace would fall to Ottoman forces.

The war is turning against Italy. If you could replay events, what would you have done differently?

“I think I made some audacious moves that didn’t quite pan out. I think failing to contain the Ottoman threat was my biggest mistake – I banked on Russia and the Ottomans taking an interest in Austria. Instead they allowed me to get involved in a war that did little to benefit Italy.

I sacrificed opportunities to increase my military forces in exchange for what I thought were long-term strategic opportunities. For example, by failing to occupy Vienna in early 1901, or not holding onto Munich when it was seized by Italian forces, or failing to take and hold Trieste. The resources there may have helped to marshal additional fleets and prevent Ottoman domination.”

A fair analysis. What do you think was your country’s greatest achievement in this war?

“The lightning occupation of Tyrolia during the outbreak of the war. I should have followed up more heavily against Austria, and I should have made sure to hold the Ottomans in the Ionian Sea.”

The king takes this opportunity to break off our conversation and stare out at his palatial gardens, swearing and blaspheming at length in Italian. He concludes this outburst by hurling his still full brandy glass into some ornamental shrubbery.

It is fair to say that Italy’s involvement in this war will soon come to end. Do you have any predictions on what will happen next?

“Austria is performing surprisingly well given their stricken status at the beginning of this conflict. The French Republic does not look long for this world, giving Germany a lot of room to recover. A lot depends on the Ottomans – if the Sultan stabs Austria then that could swing the whole conflict. If both decide to pile onto Russia then that could swing it another way.

I’m afraid I don’t see England as much of a contender towards the latter stages of the war, they have committed their forces too much to the north, and do not have the necessary resources to face down another European power.”

I leave the King sitting forlornly under a parasol to soak in the day’s last rays of Campanian sunshine, unaware that I had transcribed some of his final words.