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.

About the Author
Vanda Wilcox is the author of Morale and the Italian Army in the First World War (2016) and editor of Italy in the Era of the Great War (2018). She has taught at John Cabot University and Trinity College, Rome Campus, and most recently at NYU Paris.

Reviews
Highly Recommended * N. Greene, CHOICE *
Wilcox makes an important contribution to advancing ... older school of thought by bringing to the fore the long-neglected role of empire in the Italian wartime experience. * Jessi A. J. Gilchrist, University of Toronto, International Journal *
Wilcox has strengthened her reputation as a leading scholar of Italy and the Great War ... a well written, perceptive and valuable account * Tim Halstead, The Western Front Association *
Italy's Great War was an imperial war, a war for territory gained by conquest. Vanda Wilcox's elegant narrative lays bare these tragic illusions, and shows why they could never have been realized. Here is an original contribution to the defeat embedded in Italy's 'victory' in the Great War. * Jay Winter, Yale University *
It is a grim story, but one which...is told extremely well. * Charles J. Esdaile, University of Liverpool, England, War in History *
The Italian Empire and the Great War provides a superb, updated discussion of Italian military and diplomatic decision making during the First World War. Comprehensive and clear, this engaging study will be very useful to both scholars and students. * Michael R. Ebner, Syracuse University, Journal of Modern History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198822943
Author Vanda Wilcox
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 163mm * 20mm