Vanda Wilcox | John Cabot University (original) (raw)

Books by Vanda Wilcox

The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian e... more The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian experience of the First World War. Italy's decision for war in 1915 built directly on Italian imperial ambitions from the late nineteenth century onwards, and its conquest of Libya in 1911–12. The Italian empire was conceived both as a system of overseas colonies under Italian sovereignty, and as an informal global empire of emigrants; both were mobilized to support the war in 1915–18. The war was designed to bring about 'a greater Italy' both literally and metaphorically.
In pursuit of global status, Italy fought a global war, sending troops to the Balkans, Russia, and the Middle East, though with limited results. Italy's newest colony, Libya, was also a theatre of the war effort, as the anti-colonial resistance there linked up with the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria to undermine Italian rule. Italian race theories underpinned this expansionism: the book examines how Italian constructions of whiteness and racial superiority informed a colonial approach to military occupation in Europe as well as the conduct of its campaigns in Africa. After the war, Italy's failures at the Peace Conference meant that the 'mutilated victory' was an imperial as well as a national sentiment. Events in Paris are analysed alongside the military occupations in the Balkans and Asia Minor as well as efforts to resolve the conflicts in Libya, to assess the rhetoric and reality of Italian imperialism.

In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and internati... more In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and international scholars to analyse the political, military, social and cultural history of Italy in the country’s decade of conflict from 1911 to 1922. Starting with the invasion of Libya in 1911 and concluding with the rise of post-war social and political unrest, the volume traces domestic and foreign policy, the economics of the war effort, the history of military innovation, and social changes including the war’s impact on religion and women, along with major cultural and artistic developments of the period. Each chapter provides a concise and effective overview of the field as it currently stands as well as introducing readers to the latest research.
Contributors are Giulia Albanese, Claudia Baldoli, Allison Scardino Belzer, Francesco Caccamo, Filippo Cappellano, Selena Daly, Fabio Degli Esposti, Spencer Di Scala, Douglas J. Forsyth, Irene Guerrini, Oliver Janz, Irene Lottini, Stefano Marcuzzi, Valerie McGuire, Marco Pluviano,
Paul O’Brien, Carlo Stiaccini, Andrea Ungari, and Bruce Vandervort.

Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to t... more Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to that of the armies on the Western Front, and troop morale in particular has been seen as a major weakness of the Italian army. In this first book-length study of Italian morale in any language, Vanda Wilcox reassesses Italian policy and performance from the perspective both of the army as an institution and of the ordinary soldiers who found themselves fighting a brutally hard war. Wilcox analyses and contextualises Italy's notoriously hard military discipline along with leadership, training methods and logistics before considering the reactions of the troops and tracing the interactions between institutions and individuals. Restoring historical agency to soldiers often considered passive and indifferent, Wilcox illustrates how and why Italians complied, endured or resisted the army's demands through balancing their civilian and military identities.

In the English-speaking world the literature of the First World War is overwhelmingly preoccupied... more In the English-speaking world the literature of the First World War is overwhelmingly preoccupied with the efforts of the British Army on the Western Front. The Greater War breaks out of this mould by offering a broad-ranging, international approach to the conflict. Comprising of thirteen chapters written by experts on the cutting edge of historical research this collection of essays covers new aspects of the French, German, Italian and American efforts in the First World War, as well as aspects of Britain's colonial campaigns. Thematically, the chapters look at issues from tactics and operations to logistics, morale, culture and global strategy. The sheer breadth of the work makes it an indispensable text for anyone wanting to break out of the familiar ruts of Flanders' fields and gain a broader understanding of the war.

Introduction; Jonathan Krause

1. The Battle of the Ardennes, August 1914: France's Lost Opportunity; Simon House

2. 'Only Inaction is Disgraceful': French Operations under Joffre, 1914-1916; Jonathan Krause

3. The Influence of Industry on the Use and Development of Artillery; Alex Bostrom

4. Missed Opportunity? - The French tanks in the Nivelle Offensive; Tim Gale

5. Applying Colonial Lessons to European War: The British Expeditionary Force 1902 – 1914; Spencer Jones

6. Jan Smuts, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in German East Africa; Stuart Mitchell

7. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Battles for Jerusalem: Command and Tactics in the Judaean Hills, November 1917 – January 1918; Christopher Newton

8. A Picture of German Unity? Federal Contingents in the German Army, 1916 – 1917; Tony Cowan

9. Out of the Trenches: Hitler, Wagner, and German national regeneration after the Great War 1914-1918; David Hall

10. Training, morale and battlefield performance in the Italian army, 1914-1917; Vanda Wilcox

11. Seasoning the US 2nd Infantry Division; Bryon Smith

12. From the Essex to the Dresden: British Grand Strategy in the South Pacific, 1814 – 1915; Andrew Lambert

13. Attrition: How the War was Fought and Won; William Philpott

Peer Reviewed Articles by Vanda Wilcox

During the First World War, Italian soldiers’ attitudes varied widely, from enthusiasm to outrigh... more During the First World War, Italian soldiers’ attitudes varied widely, from enthusiasm to outright rejection of military service thanks to diverse political opinions, socioeconomic backgrounds and conceptions of national identity. The majority were relatively unenthusiastic but obedient, owing not only to the army’s use of harsh coercive techniques but also to soldiers’ own sense of duty to family, nation and comrades. Despite many episodes of indiscipline, most Italians faced their military service with determination, making endurance the most common response to the war.

1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2014-10-08. DOI: 10.15463/ie1418.10220, Oct 2014

This essay, part of the "Violence" thematic section of the International Encyclopaedia of the Fir... more This essay, part of the "Violence" thematic section of the International Encyclopaedia of the First World War, offers a concise outline of the military and naval war between Italy and Austria-Hungary in the Italian theatre, including the Adriatic.

As an open access, online publication, the encyclopedia aims to make scholarship freely available to a wider public.

Journal of Strategic Studies

How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? Using the... more How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? Using the Italian Army at Caporetto as a case study, this article explores the cyclical relationship between battlefield performance and morale. Combining quantitative analysis of army statistics with qualitative analysis of various official and private sources, this article analyses morale before the battle and during its opening phase. Italian morale appears surprisingly resilient and decisions to surrender or desert frequently relied on objective assessment of events rather than demoralisation. In this case it was battlefield defeat which turned disaffection into a full- scale morale crisis.

Emotion plays a vital role in any rounded history of warfare, both as an element in morale and as... more Emotion plays a vital role in any rounded history of warfare, both as an element in morale and as a component in understanding the soldier's experience. Theories on the functioning of emotions vary, but an exploration of Italian soldiers’ emotions during the First World War highlights both cognitive and cultural elements in the ways emotions were experienced and expressed. Although Italian stereotypes of passivity and resignation dominated contemporary discourse concerning the feelings and reactions of peasant conscripts, letters reveal that Italian soldiers vividly expressed a wide range of intense emotions. Focusing on fear, horror and grief as recurrent themes, this article finds that these emotions were processed and expressed in ways which show similarities to the combatants of other nations but which also display distinctly Italian features. The language and imagery commonly deployed offer insights into the ways in which Italian socio-cultural norms shaped expressions of personal war experience. In letters that drew on both religious imagery and the traditional peasant concerns of land, terrain and basic survival, soldiers expressed their fears of death, isolation, suffering and killing in surprisingly vigorous terms.

This article explores the idea of ‘Italy’ in the imagination of peasant and working class Italian... more This article explores the idea of ‘Italy’ in the imagination of peasant and working class Italian soldiers during the First World War, as revealed in soldiers’ letters, diaries and memoirs. After first outlining the organizational structures of the armed forces and the way this influenced men’s wartime experiences, it analyses the ways in which military service could offer experiences and encounters which helped to shape an idea of Italy in men’s minds. Once under arms, men visited parts of the country they had never seen before and developed personal relationships with fellow citizens from other parts of the peninsula. They encountered the reality of state power often for the first time, and were educated in the idea of national duty. Men’s wartime experiences and encounters influenced their understanding of nation, patriotism and of their duty towards the nation at war. In the much-debated development of Italian national identity, the First World War was a critical moment. The article argues that soldiers’ ideas about Italy did indeed change during the war, and a greater sense of national identity began to emerge, but that this process was not necessarily elite-directed or controlled. Instead by the time men were demobilised after the war they had developed their own image of nation and nationality based on personal encounters and experiences, and their subjective assessments of the war itself.

In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and... more In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and the cultural and social issues surrounding them risks obscuring the vital role of the body and of physical experience. In letters and diaries, Italian soldiers frequently describe their bodily experiences and transformations, enabling them to express their emotions obliquely through the use of the body as a metaphorical representation of the spirit. Building on international comparisons, this paper emphasises the centrality of the physical in our understanding of combatants’ experience. Soldiers' bodies, which were transformed by changes in diet, fitness and health, acted as the primary vector through which military life was experienced. The paper analyses both the emotional impact of bodily transformations and the ways in which Italian soldiers represented these experiences in their writings.

Book Chapters by Vanda Wilcox

"1916 in Global Context An anti-Imperial moment" Edited by Enrico Dal Lago, Róisín Healy, Gearóid Barry, 2017

In September 1916 Cesare Battisti, a member of the Vienna Reichsrat and volunteer in the Italian ... more In September 1916 Cesare Battisti, a member of the Vienna Reichsrat and volunteer in the Italian army, was executed for treason by Austria-Hungary, along with fellow irredentists Damiano Chiesa and Fabio Filzi. Born in Trento, these Italians were Austrian citizens, and in Battisti’s case an elected official of the Austrian state, and yet they considered their national loyalty to Italy more important than any duty owed to the Habsburg Empire. By contrast, fellow Trentino parliamentary deputy Alcide De Gasperi – who would himself become an Italian statesman of the highest standing after the Second World War – remained in Vienna throughout the war; his citizenship outweighed his Italian nationality. From an Italian perspective, the irredentist volunteers like Battisti were to be commended for their noble self-sacrifice rather than considered as traitors to Austria; no duty was owed to the empire did not, in this view. Paradoxically though Italy was simultaneously decrying the treacherous ‘betrayal’ of newly conquered Arabs and Berbers in Libya who refused to support the Italian occupation there. Under what circumstances, then, was loyalty owed to empires? This essay uses Battisti’s own writings and the responses to his death to analyse contemporary Italian conceptions of citizenship, national identity and loyalty.

L’Italia Neutrale, 1914-1915, ed.s Giovanni Orsina and Andrea Ungari

Dans la guerre 1914-1918. Accepter, endurer, refuser

To what extent was the battle of Caporetto a turning point in the operation of Italian troop mora... more To what extent was the battle of Caporetto a turning point in the operation of Italian troop morale? What can it reveal about Italian soldiers' choices to endure or to refuse to fight? Moving beyond a simple dichotomy of coercion vs consent, this chapter argues that a network of intersecting social, cultural and familial ties helped Italians to endure the war effort, and than the reforms enacted after the dramatic defeat of 1917 facilitated this process.

"The Wars before the Great War: Conflict and International Politics before the outbreak of the First World War" edited by William Mulligan, Andreas Rose and Dominik Geppert, Apr 2015

How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the ... more How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War? What motivated them, and what purpose did they ascribe to the conflict? This essay examines concepts of patriotism, faith and duty as revealed in soldiers' writings, as well as highlighting their attitudes to the enemy. Given the failures of previous colonial ventures, there was some apprehension over the outcome of the conflict, but at the same time many soldiers displayed considerable arrogance rooted in a sense of racial, cultural and religious superiority.

"The Greater War Other Combatants and Other Fronts, 1914-1918" edited by Jonathan Krause, 2014

The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter ... more The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter of debate ever since the defeat at Caporetto in 1917. This essay proposes that one explanation of poor or inconsistent battlefield outcomes was inadequate training in the infantry and other service branches. Training also exerts a considerable influence on troop morale, another area in which the Italian army has been subject to much critique. The paper explores the Italian army’s preparation for war, considering pre-war debates over doctrine and training practices as well as the adaptations made during the period of neutrality (August 1914-May 1915). It then analyses standard training during the first two years of the war, assessing its duration, the level of tactical instruction provided, familiarisation with equipment, and the impact of Italian command culture. The essay concludes that serious structural problems within the Italian army, along with material shortages, made it difficult to provide effective training in the period 1914-1917, and that the weaknesses in the system caused measurable damage to the army’s performance.

Constructions of Conflict: Transmitting Memories of the past in European Historiography, Literature and Media eds. K. Jones and K. Hall , 2011

This article analyses the multiple forms through which the First World War was remembered and com... more This article analyses the multiple forms through which the First World War was remembered and commemorated in Rome in the post-war and Fascist period. Exploring the tension between private grief and public triumphalism, the chapter discusses monuments, events and sites of memory in the city of Rome to offer some new insights into the legacy of the First World War in Italy.

Defeat and Memory: Cultural Histories of Military Defeat in the Modern Era ed. J. Macleod , 2008

Although Italy was one of the victorious allies in 1918, cultural and social memory of the First ... more Although Italy was one of the victorious allies in 1918, cultural and social memory of the First World War often focused on a sense of bitterness or perceived victimhood. Prioritising the humiliating defeat at the battle of Caporetto in 1917 within the national narrative of the war helped to underline the sense of the "mutilated victory" after the disappointments of the Paris Peace Conference. This article analyses the ways in which Caporetto was perceived and commemorated in Italy in the 1920s and 1930s. A model of redemptive sacrifice allowed a triumphal reworking of this most traumatic of defeats.

1917: Beyond the Western Front, ed. I.F.W. Beckett , 2008

This paper explores the role of Italian generals in the opening phases of the battle of Caporetto... more This paper explores the role of Italian generals in the opening phases of the battle of Caporetto, 1917. While mass surrender has traditionally been read as a symptom of defeatism and low morale, there are other possible interpretations. By analysing incidents of mass surrender the article offers an operational and institutional explanation for the Italian defeat. Poor leadership and panicked decision-making by senior Italian officers played an important part in the outcome of the battle.

"Warfare and Belligerence: Perspectives in First World War Studies" ed. P.Purseigle, 2005

This article briefly outlines the structures and practices of Italian military discipline during ... more This article briefly outlines the structures and practices of Italian military discipline during the First World War. The Italian army became known for the harshness of its repressive policies, even by the standards of other contemporary armies. Italian troops continued to assert their own agency in a variety of forms of indiscipline throughout the war.

Talks by Vanda Wilcox

The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian e... more The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian experience of the First World War. Italy's decision for war in 1915 built directly on Italian imperial ambitions from the late nineteenth century onwards, and its conquest of Libya in 1911–12. The Italian empire was conceived both as a system of overseas colonies under Italian sovereignty, and as an informal global empire of emigrants; both were mobilized to support the war in 1915–18. The war was designed to bring about 'a greater Italy' both literally and metaphorically.
In pursuit of global status, Italy fought a global war, sending troops to the Balkans, Russia, and the Middle East, though with limited results. Italy's newest colony, Libya, was also a theatre of the war effort, as the anti-colonial resistance there linked up with the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria to undermine Italian rule. Italian race theories underpinned this expansionism: the book examines how Italian constructions of whiteness and racial superiority informed a colonial approach to military occupation in Europe as well as the conduct of its campaigns in Africa. After the war, Italy's failures at the Peace Conference meant that the 'mutilated victory' was an imperial as well as a national sentiment. Events in Paris are analysed alongside the military occupations in the Balkans and Asia Minor as well as efforts to resolve the conflicts in Libya, to assess the rhetoric and reality of Italian imperialism.

In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and internati... more In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and international scholars to analyse the political, military, social and cultural history of Italy in the country’s decade of conflict from 1911 to 1922. Starting with the invasion of Libya in 1911 and concluding with the rise of post-war social and political unrest, the volume traces domestic and foreign policy, the economics of the war effort, the history of military innovation, and social changes including the war’s impact on religion and women, along with major cultural and artistic developments of the period. Each chapter provides a concise and effective overview of the field as it currently stands as well as introducing readers to the latest research.
Contributors are Giulia Albanese, Claudia Baldoli, Allison Scardino Belzer, Francesco Caccamo, Filippo Cappellano, Selena Daly, Fabio Degli Esposti, Spencer Di Scala, Douglas J. Forsyth, Irene Guerrini, Oliver Janz, Irene Lottini, Stefano Marcuzzi, Valerie McGuire, Marco Pluviano,
Paul O’Brien, Carlo Stiaccini, Andrea Ungari, and Bruce Vandervort.

Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to t... more Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to that of the armies on the Western Front, and troop morale in particular has been seen as a major weakness of the Italian army. In this first book-length study of Italian morale in any language, Vanda Wilcox reassesses Italian policy and performance from the perspective both of the army as an institution and of the ordinary soldiers who found themselves fighting a brutally hard war. Wilcox analyses and contextualises Italy's notoriously hard military discipline along with leadership, training methods and logistics before considering the reactions of the troops and tracing the interactions between institutions and individuals. Restoring historical agency to soldiers often considered passive and indifferent, Wilcox illustrates how and why Italians complied, endured or resisted the army's demands through balancing their civilian and military identities.

In the English-speaking world the literature of the First World War is overwhelmingly preoccupied... more In the English-speaking world the literature of the First World War is overwhelmingly preoccupied with the efforts of the British Army on the Western Front. The Greater War breaks out of this mould by offering a broad-ranging, international approach to the conflict. Comprising of thirteen chapters written by experts on the cutting edge of historical research this collection of essays covers new aspects of the French, German, Italian and American efforts in the First World War, as well as aspects of Britain's colonial campaigns. Thematically, the chapters look at issues from tactics and operations to logistics, morale, culture and global strategy. The sheer breadth of the work makes it an indispensable text for anyone wanting to break out of the familiar ruts of Flanders' fields and gain a broader understanding of the war.

Introduction; Jonathan Krause

1. The Battle of the Ardennes, August 1914: France's Lost Opportunity; Simon House

2. 'Only Inaction is Disgraceful': French Operations under Joffre, 1914-1916; Jonathan Krause

3. The Influence of Industry on the Use and Development of Artillery; Alex Bostrom

4. Missed Opportunity? - The French tanks in the Nivelle Offensive; Tim Gale

5. Applying Colonial Lessons to European War: The British Expeditionary Force 1902 – 1914; Spencer Jones

6. Jan Smuts, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and the Great War in German East Africa; Stuart Mitchell

7. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Battles for Jerusalem: Command and Tactics in the Judaean Hills, November 1917 – January 1918; Christopher Newton

8. A Picture of German Unity? Federal Contingents in the German Army, 1916 – 1917; Tony Cowan

9. Out of the Trenches: Hitler, Wagner, and German national regeneration after the Great War 1914-1918; David Hall

10. Training, morale and battlefield performance in the Italian army, 1914-1917; Vanda Wilcox

11. Seasoning the US 2nd Infantry Division; Bryon Smith

12. From the Essex to the Dresden: British Grand Strategy in the South Pacific, 1814 – 1915; Andrew Lambert

13. Attrition: How the War was Fought and Won; William Philpott

During the First World War, Italian soldiers’ attitudes varied widely, from enthusiasm to outrigh... more During the First World War, Italian soldiers’ attitudes varied widely, from enthusiasm to outright rejection of military service thanks to diverse political opinions, socioeconomic backgrounds and conceptions of national identity. The majority were relatively unenthusiastic but obedient, owing not only to the army’s use of harsh coercive techniques but also to soldiers’ own sense of duty to family, nation and comrades. Despite many episodes of indiscipline, most Italians faced their military service with determination, making endurance the most common response to the war.

1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2014-10-08. DOI: 10.15463/ie1418.10220, Oct 2014

This essay, part of the "Violence" thematic section of the International Encyclopaedia of the Fir... more This essay, part of the "Violence" thematic section of the International Encyclopaedia of the First World War, offers a concise outline of the military and naval war between Italy and Austria-Hungary in the Italian theatre, including the Adriatic.

As an open access, online publication, the encyclopedia aims to make scholarship freely available to a wider public.

Journal of Strategic Studies

How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? Using the... more How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? Using the Italian Army at Caporetto as a case study, this article explores the cyclical relationship between battlefield performance and morale. Combining quantitative analysis of army statistics with qualitative analysis of various official and private sources, this article analyses morale before the battle and during its opening phase. Italian morale appears surprisingly resilient and decisions to surrender or desert frequently relied on objective assessment of events rather than demoralisation. In this case it was battlefield defeat which turned disaffection into a full- scale morale crisis.

Emotion plays a vital role in any rounded history of warfare, both as an element in morale and as... more Emotion plays a vital role in any rounded history of warfare, both as an element in morale and as a component in understanding the soldier's experience. Theories on the functioning of emotions vary, but an exploration of Italian soldiers’ emotions during the First World War highlights both cognitive and cultural elements in the ways emotions were experienced and expressed. Although Italian stereotypes of passivity and resignation dominated contemporary discourse concerning the feelings and reactions of peasant conscripts, letters reveal that Italian soldiers vividly expressed a wide range of intense emotions. Focusing on fear, horror and grief as recurrent themes, this article finds that these emotions were processed and expressed in ways which show similarities to the combatants of other nations but which also display distinctly Italian features. The language and imagery commonly deployed offer insights into the ways in which Italian socio-cultural norms shaped expressions of personal war experience. In letters that drew on both religious imagery and the traditional peasant concerns of land, terrain and basic survival, soldiers expressed their fears of death, isolation, suffering and killing in surprisingly vigorous terms.

This article explores the idea of ‘Italy’ in the imagination of peasant and working class Italian... more This article explores the idea of ‘Italy’ in the imagination of peasant and working class Italian soldiers during the First World War, as revealed in soldiers’ letters, diaries and memoirs. After first outlining the organizational structures of the armed forces and the way this influenced men’s wartime experiences, it analyses the ways in which military service could offer experiences and encounters which helped to shape an idea of Italy in men’s minds. Once under arms, men visited parts of the country they had never seen before and developed personal relationships with fellow citizens from other parts of the peninsula. They encountered the reality of state power often for the first time, and were educated in the idea of national duty. Men’s wartime experiences and encounters influenced their understanding of nation, patriotism and of their duty towards the nation at war. In the much-debated development of Italian national identity, the First World War was a critical moment. The article argues that soldiers’ ideas about Italy did indeed change during the war, and a greater sense of national identity began to emerge, but that this process was not necessarily elite-directed or controlled. Instead by the time men were demobilised after the war they had developed their own image of nation and nationality based on personal encounters and experiences, and their subjective assessments of the war itself.

In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and... more In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and the cultural and social issues surrounding them risks obscuring the vital role of the body and of physical experience. In letters and diaries, Italian soldiers frequently describe their bodily experiences and transformations, enabling them to express their emotions obliquely through the use of the body as a metaphorical representation of the spirit. Building on international comparisons, this paper emphasises the centrality of the physical in our understanding of combatants’ experience. Soldiers' bodies, which were transformed by changes in diet, fitness and health, acted as the primary vector through which military life was experienced. The paper analyses both the emotional impact of bodily transformations and the ways in which Italian soldiers represented these experiences in their writings.

"1916 in Global Context An anti-Imperial moment" Edited by Enrico Dal Lago, Róisín Healy, Gearóid Barry, 2017

In September 1916 Cesare Battisti, a member of the Vienna Reichsrat and volunteer in the Italian ... more In September 1916 Cesare Battisti, a member of the Vienna Reichsrat and volunteer in the Italian army, was executed for treason by Austria-Hungary, along with fellow irredentists Damiano Chiesa and Fabio Filzi. Born in Trento, these Italians were Austrian citizens, and in Battisti’s case an elected official of the Austrian state, and yet they considered their national loyalty to Italy more important than any duty owed to the Habsburg Empire. By contrast, fellow Trentino parliamentary deputy Alcide De Gasperi – who would himself become an Italian statesman of the highest standing after the Second World War – remained in Vienna throughout the war; his citizenship outweighed his Italian nationality. From an Italian perspective, the irredentist volunteers like Battisti were to be commended for their noble self-sacrifice rather than considered as traitors to Austria; no duty was owed to the empire did not, in this view. Paradoxically though Italy was simultaneously decrying the treacherous ‘betrayal’ of newly conquered Arabs and Berbers in Libya who refused to support the Italian occupation there. Under what circumstances, then, was loyalty owed to empires? This essay uses Battisti’s own writings and the responses to his death to analyse contemporary Italian conceptions of citizenship, national identity and loyalty.

L’Italia Neutrale, 1914-1915, ed.s Giovanni Orsina and Andrea Ungari

Dans la guerre 1914-1918. Accepter, endurer, refuser

To what extent was the battle of Caporetto a turning point in the operation of Italian troop mora... more To what extent was the battle of Caporetto a turning point in the operation of Italian troop morale? What can it reveal about Italian soldiers' choices to endure or to refuse to fight? Moving beyond a simple dichotomy of coercion vs consent, this chapter argues that a network of intersecting social, cultural and familial ties helped Italians to endure the war effort, and than the reforms enacted after the dramatic defeat of 1917 facilitated this process.

"The Wars before the Great War: Conflict and International Politics before the outbreak of the First World War" edited by William Mulligan, Andreas Rose and Dominik Geppert, Apr 2015

How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the ... more How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War? What motivated them, and what purpose did they ascribe to the conflict? This essay examines concepts of patriotism, faith and duty as revealed in soldiers' writings, as well as highlighting their attitudes to the enemy. Given the failures of previous colonial ventures, there was some apprehension over the outcome of the conflict, but at the same time many soldiers displayed considerable arrogance rooted in a sense of racial, cultural and religious superiority.

"The Greater War Other Combatants and Other Fronts, 1914-1918" edited by Jonathan Krause, 2014

The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter ... more The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter of debate ever since the defeat at Caporetto in 1917. This essay proposes that one explanation of poor or inconsistent battlefield outcomes was inadequate training in the infantry and other service branches. Training also exerts a considerable influence on troop morale, another area in which the Italian army has been subject to much critique. The paper explores the Italian army’s preparation for war, considering pre-war debates over doctrine and training practices as well as the adaptations made during the period of neutrality (August 1914-May 1915). It then analyses standard training during the first two years of the war, assessing its duration, the level of tactical instruction provided, familiarisation with equipment, and the impact of Italian command culture. The essay concludes that serious structural problems within the Italian army, along with material shortages, made it difficult to provide effective training in the period 1914-1917, and that the weaknesses in the system caused measurable damage to the army’s performance.

Constructions of Conflict: Transmitting Memories of the past in European Historiography, Literature and Media eds. K. Jones and K. Hall , 2011

This article analyses the multiple forms through which the First World War was remembered and com... more This article analyses the multiple forms through which the First World War was remembered and commemorated in Rome in the post-war and Fascist period. Exploring the tension between private grief and public triumphalism, the chapter discusses monuments, events and sites of memory in the city of Rome to offer some new insights into the legacy of the First World War in Italy.

Defeat and Memory: Cultural Histories of Military Defeat in the Modern Era ed. J. Macleod , 2008

Although Italy was one of the victorious allies in 1918, cultural and social memory of the First ... more Although Italy was one of the victorious allies in 1918, cultural and social memory of the First World War often focused on a sense of bitterness or perceived victimhood. Prioritising the humiliating defeat at the battle of Caporetto in 1917 within the national narrative of the war helped to underline the sense of the "mutilated victory" after the disappointments of the Paris Peace Conference. This article analyses the ways in which Caporetto was perceived and commemorated in Italy in the 1920s and 1930s. A model of redemptive sacrifice allowed a triumphal reworking of this most traumatic of defeats.

1917: Beyond the Western Front, ed. I.F.W. Beckett , 2008

This paper explores the role of Italian generals in the opening phases of the battle of Caporetto... more This paper explores the role of Italian generals in the opening phases of the battle of Caporetto, 1917. While mass surrender has traditionally been read as a symptom of defeatism and low morale, there are other possible interpretations. By analysing incidents of mass surrender the article offers an operational and institutional explanation for the Italian defeat. Poor leadership and panicked decision-making by senior Italian officers played an important part in the outcome of the battle.

"Warfare and Belligerence: Perspectives in First World War Studies" ed. P.Purseigle, 2005

This article briefly outlines the structures and practices of Italian military discipline during ... more This article briefly outlines the structures and practices of Italian military discipline during the First World War. The Italian army became known for the harshness of its repressive policies, even by the standards of other contemporary armies. Italian troops continued to assert their own agency in a variety of forms of indiscipline throughout the war.

La grande guerra coinvolse più di 5 milioni di soldati italiani e le esperienze belliche di quest... more La grande guerra coinvolse più di 5 milioni di soldati italiani e le esperienze belliche di questi uomini spesso gli cambiarano la vita, grazie alle forti emozioni che vissero prima, durante e dopo il combattimento. Queste emozioni erano strettamente legate ai loro corpi, che non solo vivevano sensazioni come freddo, fame o stanchezza ma sui quali erano centrate speranze, paure, soddisfazioni, dolori e rabbia. L'esperienza soggettiva di guerra rimane fondamentalmente di natura corporea, anche se oggi la possiamo rintracciare soltanto fra i testi che i protagonisti ci hanno lasciato. Attraverso le lettere, i diari e le memorie dei soldati, cerchiamo di capire le emozioni e le esperienze fisiche che caratterizzarono la prima guerra mondiale

This paper examines the experience of Italian soldiers during the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-12, u... more This paper examines the experience of Italian soldiers during the Italo-Turkish war of 1911-12, using letters and diaries as sources to explore the attitudes, beliefs and reactions of officers and men. There was considerable enthusiasm for fighting among many, but little real understanding of the war's purpose or political dimensions. Italian perceptions of local civilians and enemy forces were strongly coloured by both racial and religious elements, which generated a more aggressive war culture than would emerge in the war of 1915-18 against European opponents.

English Historical Review, 2008

... James Grossman, Sarah Austin, and Carla Zecher were gracious hosts at the Newberry Library, a... more ... James Grossman, Sarah Austin, and Carla Zecher were gracious hosts at the Newberry Library, and among the research fellows there Rebecca Bach ... to Vesna Grujin and Kimberly Jack for assistance with re-search, and to James Beal, Gerald Natchwey, Patrick Query, Timothy ...

Pacific Standard magazine, Jun 12, 2014

Comment and analysis on the disrupted Serbia-Italy game, October 2010, in When Saturday Comes

Comment on the birth of the supporters' trust movement in Italian football, 2010

Comment and analysis on the killing of Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri in November 2007, and its conseq... more Comment and analysis on the killing of Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri in November 2007, and its consequences for Italian football policing. From "When Saturday Comes" , January 2008.

Comment on the death of police inspector Filippo Raciti in February 2007 and associated debates o... more Comment on the death of police inspector Filippo Raciti in February 2007 and associated debates on hooliganism and policing in Italian football, in "When Saturday Comes", April 2007.

The 8th International Conference of the International Society for First World War Studies will ex... more The 8th International Conference of the International Society for First World War Studies will explore the theme of “Landscapes of War”. In recent years scholars have sought to move towards a global history of the Great War, focusing on the geographical scope and diversity of the conflict, from Flanders to the Caucasus, the Alps to East Africa, from the Mediterranean to the oceans. This conference will focus on the physical spaces in which the war took place across the many different theatres of war, and the ways in which these diverse landscapes were encountered, altered, imagined, experienced, represented and remembered. How did the physical characteristics of the various battlegrounds impact on military strategies and operations? How did men, women and children interpret the landscape? How did generals, soldiers, prisoners, workers, farmers, reporters, artists, architects, tourists and others interact with the landscapes of the war? How does the study of the landscape enhance our understanding of the military, political, economic, social and cultural history of the conflict?

In September 2015, the International Society for First World War Studies will hold a conference o... more In September 2015, the International Society for First World War Studies will hold a conference on the theme of "Landscapes of the Great War" in Trento and Padua.

Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

This chapter offers a working definition of a ‘landscape of war’ and explores the importance of t... more This chapter offers a working definition of a ‘landscape of war’ and explores the importance of this analytical category for the history of the First World War. It offers a historiographical overview which contextualises the contributions in the present volume, arranged thematically into four sections: environment and climate, industrial and urban landscapes, cross-cultural encounters with landscapes, and post-war legacies.

The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian e... more The Italian Empire and the Great War brings an imperial and colonial perspective to the Italian experience of the First World War. Italy’s decision for war in 1915 built on its imperial ambitions from the late 19th century onwards and its conquest of Libya in 1911–12. The Italian empire was conceived both in conventional terms as a system of settlement or exploitation colonies under Italian sovereignty, and as an informal global empire of emigrants; both were mobilized in support of the war in 1915–18. The war was designed to bring about ‘a greater Italy’ both literally and metaphorically. In pursuit of global status, Italy endeavoured to fight a global war, sending troops to the Balkans, Russia, and the Middle East, though with limited results. Italy’s newest colony, Libya, was also a theatre of the Italian war effort, as the anti-colonial resistance there linked up with the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and Austria to undermine Italian rule. Italian race theories underpinned this expan...

First World War Studies, 2020

– which covered Brussels and the eastern part of the country – was all but impossible for civilia... more – which covered Brussels and the eastern part of the country – was all but impossible for civilians. Amazingly, Thorp enjoyed more regular contact with her nephew in Ruhleben than she did with friends in the étape. Only once did she leave the Brussels region during the war – on a day trip to visit the nephew’s family in Antwerp. Yet through Dutch, German, and German-controlled Belgian newspapers, she knew about the Gotha raids on a school in East London in June 1917, the Papal peace note of August 1917, Wilson’s Fourteen Points, the Allied counter-offensive of 18 July 1918, Ludendorff’s resignation on 26 October 1918, and a whole host of other events within days of their occurrence. Her knowledge of developments in Russia was also good, as she was privy to discussions between the Wittoucks and their foreign diplomat friends. In particular, she was keenly aware of the impact on Madame Wittouck, herself Russian-born, of the news of the murder of her cousin, ex-Premier Ivan Goremykin, by a revolutionary crowd in Sochi. The most interesting parts of the diary come towards the end, when Thorp reveals the sheer chaos of the last weeks of the war. On the move were not only German soldiers but also tens of thousands of displaced or forcibly evacuated French and Belgian civilians, many of them ending up in Brussels. In October 1918, she was able to follow debates in the German Reichstag as reported in the press and could see that the writing was now on the wall for the Imperial regime. On 14 November she ‘shook hands with & talked to two Tommies in the street, a Canadian & a Londoner, fine bright young fellows.’ On 15 November she paid one of her regular visits to the ‘slums’ of Brussels to deliver charity to the poor; and on 18 November she looked after three British POWs ‘who had escaped from their camp in Westphalia, rang at our bell & were brought in, looking like scarecrows’ (pp. 248–50). For all her empathy for civilian and Allied victims of the war, however, Thorp ultimately comes across as a rather unlikeable character. Throughout her diaries, she took pleasure in reports that the food situation in Germany was even worse than in occupied Belgium. Her sense of charitable obligation did not extend towards German women and children. She fantasized about the vengeance that was supposedly coming to members of the separatist, pro-German Council of Flanders after the war (in fact, the latter was evacuated to Germany in early November 1918). And in February 1917, she naively wrote that she was ‘glad to think [that] the English blockade never caused any wilful loss of life!’ (p. 91). Like so many other people in privileged positions, then, the war did more to rob Thorp of the power of perception than it did to grant her the ability to feel for the suffering of others.

Brill’s Digital Library of World War I

Defeat and Memory, 2008

Defeat has been synonymous with the Italian army in European popular perceptions for much of the ... more Defeat has been synonymous with the Italian army in European popular perceptions for much of the twentieth century, but stereotypes of Italian military ineptitude abounded within Italy before unification. Indeed many contemporary supporters of the Risorgimento were keen to procure unification by force of arms rather than through negotiation explicitly to prove that Italians could and would fight; it was feared that Italians were innately unsoldierly.1 Mazzini, for instance, was concerned that the Italian ‘vices’ of ‘sentimentality and morbid compassion’ would hinder the nation from obtaining its true greatness.2 Others agreed: in 1870 the French theorist Ardant du Picq, who had served in Italy, wrote that ‘Italy will never have a really firm army. The Italians are too civilized, too fine’.3 The defeats and humiliations of the half-century preceding the First World War, especially against African opponents, had created considerable fears among some Italians that as a people they lacked martial qualities. Supporters of intervention in the First World War were keen to display Italy’s martial abilities not only to themselves but to the world, and to expunge the humiliations of her defeats against Austria-Hungary at Custoza and Lissa (1866) and especially the colonial disasters of Dogali (1887) and Adowa (1896).4 Catastrophic defeat, and the consequent fear of future defeat, was thus a well-established trope in Italian culture by 1915. In a sense, the seeds of Caporetto — and the way it was to be remembered — were sown in the national psyche long before the war itself began.

Facing Armageddon: The First World War Experienced. …, 1996

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

In May 1915, Italy attacked Austria-Hungary along the Isonzo River and in the Trentino, hoping to... more In May 1915, Italy attacked Austria-Hungary along the Isonzo River and in the Trentino, hoping to conquer territory which it believed to be rightfully Italian. An immobile, entrenched war of attrition quickly developed with neither side able to break through in 1915 or 1916. In the Adriatic both sides stuck to small scale operations. In October and November 1917 a joint Austro-German attack at Caporetto inflicted a massive defeat on Italy, but the Central Powers were unable to capitalise on their victory and Italy recovered well. As Austria-Hungary disintegrated at home, Italy emerged victorious after the final battle of Vittorio Veneto.

Journal of Strategic Studies, 2014

Abstract How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? ... more Abstract How does morale relate to tactical and operational failure? Is it a cause or an effect? Using the Italian Army at Caporetto as a case study, this article explores the cyclical relationship between battlefield performance and morale. Combining quantitative analysis of army statistics with qualitative analysis of various official and private sources, this article analyses morale before the battle and during its opening phase. Italian morale appears surprisingly resilient and decisions to surrender or desert frequently relied on objective assessment of events rather than demoralisation. In this case it was battlefield defeat which turned disaffection into a full- scale morale crisis.

The English Historical Review, 2020

The Italian Empire and the Great War

Italy joined the Allies in sending troops to occupy the defeated Ottoman Empire; a detachment wen... more Italy joined the Allies in sending troops to occupy the defeated Ottoman Empire; a detachment went to Constantinople while a larger Expeditionary Force, commanded from the Dodecanese islands, moved into Antalya and the surrounding region where Italy hoped to create a lasting Eastern Mediterranean sphere of influence or even perhaps a League of Nations Mandate. Ultimately, the Treaty of Sèvres was a disappointment, offering no guarantees in Asia Minor; since Italy was both unwilling and unable to fight against Atatürk’s forces to secure its goals in Turkey, it was forced to withdraw altogether by 1923, though it kept hold of the Dodecanese. In Libya, having lost functional control of the interior, Italy had few options but to concede considerable power to Sanussiya brotherhood and others. It also granted local constitutions in 1919, creating a new form of colonial citizenship there. Far from expanding it, the war had left Italy’s empire weakened.

The Italian Empire and the Great War

As a relatively new nation-state, which considered itself to be territorially incomplete, Italy f... more As a relatively new nation-state, which considered itself to be territorially incomplete, Italy faced a challenge in defining Italian identity. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, italianità—Italianness—became understood in increasingly racialized terms. Eugenics thrived in Italy and race theory underpinned attitudes not only to colonialism and colonial subjects but also to the conduct of war, among the general public and particularly in military circles. The results can clearly be seen in the conduct of the Italian army in Libya, both in 1911–12 and during the First World War, and in Italy’s treatment of Slav and German civilians under military occupation. Racial definitions of italianità also shaped attitudes to the rights, duties, and delimitation of Italian citizenship, especially under the pressures of war.

The Italian Empire and the Great War, 2021

In August 1915 Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire. While it sent no troops to the main Alli... more In August 1915 Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire. While it sent no troops to the main Allied fronts against the Ottomans, it fought this enemy both at sea and on land, in a form of proxy conflict. Turkey, Germany, and Austria sent funds and army officers to support anti-Italian insurrections both in Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, with varying results; a combination of religious and political motives encouraged the indigenous peoples of Libya to resist Italian control vigorously, in what should be understood as another theatre of the First World War. Examining the actions and objectives of anti-colonial leaders as well as Italian policies and practices help explain the weakness of Italian colonial control in Libya. At one stage Italy feared an Islamic insurrection might also break out in their East African colonies. Anti-colonial resistance, real or feared, placed a great strain on relatively scarce Italian resources which were needed in other theatres.

The Italian Empire and the Great War, 2021

With the mobilization of Italy’s society and economy for war, the lives of millions of men, women... more With the mobilization of Italy’s society and economy for war, the lives of millions of men, women, and children were transformed. Whether emigrants, colonists, or mainland residents, Italians raised funds, worked in war industries, supported family members at the front, prayed for victory, and engaged in patriotic activities—or, alternatively, in anti-war politics. Anti-war sentiment, both real and imagined, encouraged the government to adopt increasingly harsh repressive measures—which in turn further alienated some sectors of the population. Socialists were particularly the object of official suspicion, while by contrast Catholics built an unprecedented bond with the nation. As the state sought to mobilize all available manpower, Italians overseas and in the colonies had a vital part to play. The authorities also sought to maximize the economic contribution, whether in money or materials, that Italy’s empire could make to the war effort—though with limited results.

Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to t... more Italian performance in the First World War has been generally disparaged or ignored compared to that of the armies on the Western Front, and troop morale in particular has been seen as a major weakness of the Italian army. In this first book-length study of Italian morale in any language, Vanda Wilcox reassesses Italian policy and performance from the perspective both of the army as an institution and of the ordinary soldiers who found themselves fighting a brutally hard war. Wilcox analyses and contextualises Italy's notoriously hard military discipline along with leadership, training methods and logistics before considering the reactions of the troops and tracing the interactions between institutions and individuals. Restoring historical agency to soldiers often considered passive and indifferent, Wilcox illustrates how and why Italians complied, endured or resisted the army's demands through balancing their civilian and military identities.

Memoria e Ricerca, Dec 1, 2011

In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and... more In discussions of combat experience too narrow a focus on soldiers’ psychological experiences and the cultural and social issues surrounding them risks obscuring the vital role of the body and of physical experience. In letters and diaries, Italian soldiers frequently describe their bodily experiences and transformations, enabling them to express their emotions obliquely through the use of the body as a metaphorical representation of the spirit. Building on international comparisons, this paper emphasises the centrality of the physical in our understanding of combatants’ experience. Soldiers’ bodies, which were transformed by changes in diet, fitness and health, acted as the primary vector through which military life was experienced. The paper analyses both the emotional impact of bodily transformations and the ways in which Italian soldiers represented these experiences in their writings.

The Wars before the Great War

How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the ... more How did Italian soldiers experience, narrate and interpret their experiences in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War? What motivated them, and what purpose did they ascribe to the conflict? This essay examines concepts of patriotism, faith and duty as revealed in soldiers' writings, as well as highlighting their attitudes to the enemy. Given the failures of previous colonial ventures, there was some apprehension over the outcome of the conflict, but at the same time many soldiers displayed considerable arrogance rooted in a sense of racial, cultural and religious superiority.

The Greater War

The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter ... more The performance of the Italian army under the command of General Luigi Cadorna has been a matter of debate ever since the defeat at Caporetto in 1917. This essay proposes that one explanation of poor or inconsistent battlefield outcomes was inadequate training in the infantry and other service branches. Training also exerts a considerable influence on troop morale, another area in which the Italian army has been subject to much critique. The paper explores the Italian army’s preparation for war, considering pre-war debates over doctrine and training practices as well as the adaptations made during the period of neutrality (August 1914-May 1915). It then analyses standard training during the first two years of the war, assessing its duration, the level of tactical instruction provided, familiarisation with equipment, and the impact of Italian command culture. The essay concludes that serious structural problems within the Italian army, along with material shortages, made it difficult to provide effective training in the period 1914-1917, and that the weaknesses in the system caused measurable damage to the army’s performance.

Italy in the Era of the Great War, 2018

In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and internati... more In Italy in the Era of the Great War, Vanda Wilcox brings together nineteen Italian and international scholars to analyse the political, military, social and cultural history of Italy in the country’s decade of conflict from 1911 to 1922. Starting with the invasion of Libya in 1911 and concluding with the rise of post-war social and political unrest, the volume traces domestic and foreign policy, the economics of the war effort, the history of military innovation, and social changes including the war’s impact on religion and women, along with major cultural and artistic developments of the period. Each chapter provides a concise and effective overview of the field as it currently stands as well as introducing readers to the latest research. Contributors are Giulia Albanese, Claudia Baldoli, Allison Scardino Belzer, Francesco Caccamo, Filippo Cappellano, Selena Daly, Fabio Degli Esposti, Spencer Di Scala, Douglas J. Forsyth, Irene Guerrini, Oliver Janz, Irene Lottini, Stefano Marcuzzi, Valerie McGuire, Marco Pluviano, Paul O’Brien, Carlo Stiaccini, Andrea Ungari, and Bruce Vandervort.

1917: Beyond the Western Front, 2008

The Italian defeat at Caporetto in October 1917 has been the subject of fierce historiographical ... more The Italian defeat at Caporetto in October 1917 has been the subject of fierce historiographical debate. An examination of the conduct of the opening stage of the battle offers some answers as to the nature and causes of mass surrender at Caporetto. This chapter focuses on the first 48 hours of the battle, and the responses of senior Italian officers, in order to understand the central and controversial issue of how tactical defeat became strategic defeat, and how it happened so quickly. Not all lost battles lead to serious strategic disasters like that at Caporetto: the Italians had suffered tactical defeats before, most notably in the Trentino during the Austrian offensive of May 1916. By considering combat motivation and officers? decision-making we can seek to understand why so many men surrendered in the first few days of the battle, and how these surrenders entailed defeat on such a scale. Keywords: Caporetto; Italian Defeat; mass surrender