Some people found comfort in the worlds of elderly residents who, half a century earlier, had already lived under Austro-Hungarian rule: "Ma per tornare a quella notte drammatica [28 ottobre 1917], mio nonno e mia nonna dissero che loro erano nati sotto l'Austria e che allora non si stava male. Loro, a buon conto, non si sarebbero mossi." ("But to go back to that emotional night [28th October 1917], my grandfather and my grandmother said that they were born under Austrian rule and that at that time life was not so bad. On their part, in any event they would not move." Giacomo Viola, Storie della ritirata nel Friuli della Grande Guerra, Gaspari, Udine, 1998, page 81). As the Austro-German troops arrived, others showed that they were happy with their arrival. On one hand, there had remained effectively in popular culture a liking for the Habsburgs rather than for the House of Savoy. On the other hand, however, fear of the German soldiers convinced many people to show themselves well-disposed so as to avoid all problems.
And yet, despite these hopes, 1918 was still a very difficult year. Besides the local clergy, almost all the administrators (mayors, councilors, doctors and teachers) and the middle class had generally managed to escape and left behind them in Friuli and in Venetothe poorer section of the population. These people were forced to obey decisions taken by the military commanders who, out of necessity, ordered the requisition of anything that could be useful to the troops on the Piave. "Quando dovevano fare una requisizione, prima circondavano nel massimo silenzio l'abitato. Poi mettevano sentinelle armate nei vari punti del paese per impedire qualunque movimento. Dopo entravano nelle piazze con camion e carrette. Si dividevano i vari settori. Da noi, senza domandare permesso e senza salutare, entrarono prima nel cortile e dopo nella stalla. Quando mio nonno li seguì, vide che avevano già slegato due vitellini di due e tre mesi. Il povero nonno domandò quello che intendevano fare. Ci avevano già portato via il cavallo e una decina di bestie. […] Uno di quelli che portavano il fucile urlò "Ruic!" [Silenzio] E mostrò che se non la finiva avrebbero portate via anche le vacche, che sembravano volessero rompere le catene per andare verso i loro figli spinti e tirati fuori dalla porta: teneri muggiti di dolore e di richiamo." (When they had to issue a requisition, first they would surround the built-up area in great silence. Then they would put armed guards in various sections of the town to prevent any movement. After this they would enter the squares with trucks and carts. Then they would divide the various sectors. In our house, without even asking for permission and without as much as a greeting, they entered first in the yard and then in the stable. When my grandfather followed them, he saw that they had already freed two calves that were two or three months old. My poor grandfather asked them what they intended to do. They had already taken away from us our horse and ten heads of livestock. […] One of the men who carried a rifle shouted "Ruic!" ["Silence!]" and made it clear that if he did not stop, they would also take away the cows which seemed as if they wanted to break the chains to go near their foals which were being pushed and dragged out of the door: with soft sad bellows calling them back." Giacomo Viola, Storie della ritirata nel Friuli della Grande Guerra, Gaspari, Udine, 1998, page 124).
