Although in 1915 Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, the Italian government of Antonio Salandra had entered into clandestine discussions to join the Triple Entente. This led to the signing of the secret Treaty of London on 26 April by which Italy agreed to enter the war within one month. On 4 May Italy renounced the Triple Alliance, but did not yet enter the war in the side of the Entente as a majority in parliament continued to favour neutrality. The former Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti was warned that Salandra intended to take the country to war, and on 9 May he returned to Rome to try to prevent this. On 10 May he tried to persuade King Victor Emmanuel that a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies would show that parliament did not support entry into the war. Realising that he could not secure a majority, on 13 May, Salandra resigned.
