Italy and the Cultural Politics of World War I

Italy and the Cultural Politics of World War I explores the variety of texts recently published to commemorate the Great War, including Italian socialist pacifism, the role of women during the conflict, and a dominant cultural movement, Futurism, whose leader, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, glorified war and enlisted in the fight. It also examines the representations of soldiers through an analysis of their letters, dominated by descriptions of the terrible hunger they suffered. Popular film absorbed the cultural lessons in Marinetti's writings and represented soldiers as modernist heroes in comedies and dramas, while propaganda films represented cowards as baffoons and fools. The publishing industry supported national propaganda efforts, and Italian socialism remained the only European socialist party that did not renege on its pacifism to embrace nationalism and the war.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 182 pages
\n Publication date: 06 November 2018
\n Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
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Italy and the Cultural Politics of World War I engages in a dialogue with the diverse range of texts recently published to commemorate the Great War. It delves into various aspects of Italian culture during the conflict, including socialist pacifism, the role of women, and the influential cultural movement known as Futurism, led by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who celebrated war and actively enlisted in the fight. While Marinetti's works on war portrayed soldiers as heroic and virile endeavors, other soldiers created documents that deviated from this idealized narrative. Italy and the Cultural Politics of World War I focuses on the representations of soldiers through an analysis of their letters, which are predominantly filled with descriptions of the severe hunger they endured. In contrast, popular films absorbed the cultural lessons from Marinetti's writings and portrayed soldiers as modernist heroes in comedies and dramas. However, films did not hesitate to also represent cowards who could only be portrayed as baffoons and fools in propaganda films. Another medium utilized to serve the fighting soldier and inform readers about the ideological and historical motivations for the conflict was the publication of texts. The publishing industry actively supported national propaganda efforts.

The publishing industry played a crucial role in disseminating information and promoting specific ideologies. While socialism posed a potential threat to anti-war publications, after initially opposing the conflict, socialists eventually adopted a neutral position. Italian socialism, in particular, stood out as it remained the only European socialist party that did not renounce its pacifism in favor of nationalism and the war. However, it also opposed actions that would undermine the Italian war industry. The war had a profound impact on Italian culture, affecting every aspect of society. WWI influenced art, literature, music, and politics, shaping the cultural landscape of Italy and Europe for years to come.

\n Weight: 280g\n
Dimension: 154 x 225 x 12 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781611479522\n \n