An enthusiastic crowd outside the Italian Embassy in London cheer the decision by Italy to remain neutral at the outbreak of War. Though part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary since 1882, Italy felt this was a defensive alliance and as the other two powers had been the agressors, they were not obliged to support them. Italy subsequently joined the war on the side of the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) in April 1915, seeing an opportunity to regain territory from Austria-Hungary.