[2] After the defeat of Caporetto and the advance of Austrian troops to the Piave, Del Bono urged the Supreme Command and Prime Minister Orlando not to abandon Venice, but at the same time he worked with Paolo Thaon Di Revel to prepare a plan for large-scale flooding of the areas between the Adige and the Brenta and construct a defensive line on the right of the Po.

[2] As minister Del Bono was also involved in the political and military decisions that determined the borders and power relations in the eastern Mediterranean.

He was suspicious of French backing for the new Kingdom of Yugoslavia, convinced that France’ project to establish a base at Fiume was intended to push Italy out of the upper Adriatic.

However in the event Britain and France were determined mainly to se use their own advantage in the region, and supported the Greek Occupation of Smyrna.

[7][4]: 561 During his period in office Italy had to manage the reconstitution of its merchant marine, 57.5% of which had been sunk in the First World War with the loss of many trained and experienced seamen.