On 31st October 1918 the Austro-Hungarian generals and Italian generals met at Villa Giusti, just outside Padua, to start discussions about peace conditions. In agreement with the allies, Italy presented to the Habsburg Empire an armistice that was based on the demands of the Treaty of London. The armistice formulated the right of the army to occupy the whole Austro-Hungarian land on the Adriatic coast, the reduction of the army to 20 divisions, the handing over of 50% of the artillery in their possession, the immediate release of prisoners and the return to Germany of all German troops within two weeks.
Upon being informed by his emissaries, Charles I could do nothing else but accept these conditions and consequently the armistice was signed at 3.20 pm on 03rd November 1918. The "ceasefire" was due to come into force at 3.00 pm on 04th November and would put an official end to the Great War after almost three and a half years. Even if not directly, this signature sanctioned also the end of the centuries-old Empire of Austria-Hungary that fell apart under the relentless waves of nationalist movements.
In the meantime in Veneto, Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli the armies did not stop. On the contrary, the Austro-Hungarian troops tried to move back while Italian troops pursued them so as to occupy the maximum possible amount of territory. On 01st November a proclamation by General Armando Diaz was distributed on land that had been occupied the previous year; it was announced that quite soon the Italian army would arrive in the name of Italy.
A sector was assigned to each army: the First Army had to advance towards Trento, the Sixth Army had to head to Egna (Südtirol), the Fourth Army to Bolzano while the Eight Army had to climb again Cadore, Agordino and finally occupy Brunico and San Candido. The Seventh Army had the task of taking possession of the zone of Mezzolombardo (to the north of Trento), the Twelfth Army had to control the basin of Feltre while the Tenth Army and the Third Army (that was now called the "Armata Invitta" (Invincible Army) because it had never been defeated on the battlefield) had the river Tagliamento and Friuli as their objective.
It was a particularly favourable day when the Eight Army went up again the front on the Dolomites and regained Belluno and Ponte delle Alpi and then moved eastwards to Longarone and to Pieve di Cadore. On the Asiago plateau the assault teams broke in various points the line of resistance by the Austro-Hungarians especially in the areas of Mount Sisemol, Val Ronchi, Mount Longana and Mount Nos. A British division instead encountered much more difficulty to break through the positions that still existed at Camporovere, on Mount Rasta and on Mount Interrotto. It was only at night, after action to outflank these areas that the fortifications at Mount Interrotto fell and British soldiers were able to join the Italian column that arrived from Roana.
The First Army started its operations on the Pasubio Mountains to liberate the road leading to Trento. On the other side of the front, the Tenth Army and the Third Army secured the passage on the river Livenza and entered Sacile. The advance parties consisting of cavalry troops overcame even these lines and reached the area around Roveredo and Pordenone.
