The first to move were the inhabitants of
Cividale del Friuli and of the neighbouring areas on 25th October 1917. Although the civilian authorities had announced that there was no cause for alarm, the residents saw the soldiers throw down their arms and escape hurriedly. The next day the
people of Udine heard the first shots fired by the
weapons of the Austro-German forces.
The railway station was taken by storm and the same thing happened to
Viale Venezia, the wide road that even today from the centre of the city leads towards
Codroipo and the
Ponte della Delizia on the river Tagliamento. The same thing happened in
the hills of Friuli (
Tarcento,
San Daniele del Friuliand
Gemona del Friuli), in
Carnia and in the
plains of Friuli. This was a race against time: it was necessary to reach the areas around the
bridges over the Tagliamento before the soldiers would explode them to halt the
advance of the Austro-German forces.
Those who succeeded in doing so lived for more than a year away from their own homes, often in
some isolated village in the south of Italy. The most fortunate families were able to remain together while in the confusion that arose, many were divided. Those who were lost and who remained alone were especially
children and
women who were forced to live in poverty or to perform
degrading jobs. Others instead moved when it was already too late and had to
turn back, very often to discover that their own houses had already been sacked or had even been occupied by soldiers.
