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So randomly I was reading a book by an Italian monk on why Italy had joined the Great War, which provides an interesting view of what spy mania really means, as he believed German nannies were turning Italian children into spies. Anyway, he starts calling the Austrians 'Austrogoths' for a while in the book. Everyone knows the name 'Hun' for the Germans, but this is the the only place I've seen Austro-Goth, and I am wondering if anyone else has ever seen this term used as an insult in the Great War. I'm trying to deduce if this was ever a common or even uncommon term, or just something one guy made up during the war.

I haven't seen it - but the insult works pretty welll (ostrogoths=foreign rulers who "oppressed" the native roman/italian populace and who cut the aquaducts of Rome and "destroyed culture" etc.). Pretty smart, because all the connotations fit.

I remembered a piece of propaganda comparing the Austrians 'invading' Italy (technically it was the other way around, but tell that to the propaganda machine) to the Huns, but the Austo-Goth is a new one.
Anyway, the Italian soldiers tended to call the Austrians 'Cecco' (an Italian nickname for Francesco, that is Italian for 'Franz'. In the same way, emperor Franz Joseph had been nicknamed 'Cecco Beppe') and the derivative 'cecchino' (plur. 'cecchini'), that also doubles as sniper due the perceived exceptional aim of the Austrian soldiers (not sure if they actually were that good or just an impression).

The writer seemed fairly smart, just in a delusional spy mania, Austrians are out to rape Italy because the Hun is busy kind of way. He also suggested a shield was better than a rifle for mountain fighting going on int 1915-16, which may have had some real truth. Use the shield to survive long enough to get withing hand grenade range. Man I hope I saved it, I need to dig this book back up.