Virility, Bloo d, and Honor: Italy’s Belated Entry into WWI in 1915
P resented by: Steven C. Hughes, Professor Emeritus of History at Lo yola University Maryland
As the great powers went to war in Augu st of 1914, Italy - despite its thirty-year old defensive alliance with Ger many and Austria - declared itself neutral in the conflict, as did Spain, t he Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland. However, un like these other states, Italy did eventually enter the war (albeit on the side of France, England, and Russia) in May of 1915 after a series of debat es, demonstrations, and street struggles that would manage to betray the an ti-war sentiment of much of the populace while undercutting the opposition of a substantial majority of the parliament. This “Interventionist Cr isis” is considered by many historians to be a defining moment in the failu re of Italian democracy and the genesis of the fascist movement. This talk will lay out the forces at play during the crisis and will focus on how tro pes of masculinity, virility, and blood variously played their part in mobi lizing large sectors of the middle classes to take to the streets – sometim es with targeted violence - in support of the war. Conversely, we wil l look at why the language of honor was less commonly used than one might a ssume during the debates and will then finish with a discussion of how the crisis helped determine the course of the post war period.
Free Event – Refreshments and soc ial hour will follow.
LOCATION: Our La
dy of Mount Carmel Parish Hall
ADDRESS: 3549 Navajo S
treet, Denver Co 80211
Virility, Blood, and Honor: Italy ’s Belated Entry into WWI in 1915
Presented by: Ste ven C. Hughes, Professor Emeritus of History at Loyola University Maryland< /em>
As the great powers went to war in August of 1914, Italy - despi te its thirty-year old defensive alliance with Germany and Austria - declar ed itself neutral in the conflict, as did Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, N orway, Denmark, and Switzerland. However, unlike these other states, Italy did eventually enter the war (albeit on the side of France, England, and Russia) in May of 1915 after a series of debates, demonstrations, and s treet struggles that would manage to betray the anti-war sentiment of much of the populace while undercutting the opposition of a substantial majority of the parliament. This “Interventionist Crisis” is considered by ma ny historians to be a defining moment in the failure of Italian democracy a nd the genesis of the fascist movement. This talk will lay out the forces a t play during the crisis and will focus on how tropes of masculinity, viril ity, and blood variously played their part in mobilizing large sectors of t he middle classes to take to the streets – sometimes with targeted violence - in support of the war. Conversely, we will look at why the languag e of honor was less commonly used than one might assume during the debates and will then finish with a discussion of how the crisis helped determine t he course of the post war period.
Free Event – Refreshments and social hour will follow.
LOCATION: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish
Hall
ADDRESS: 3549 Navajo Street, Denver Co 80211