The Generalissimo

Luigi Cadorna and the Italian Army, 1850-1928
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-1-009-09867-0
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 300 Seiten

Reihe: Cambridge Military Histories

Luigi Cadorna remains one of the most controversial generals in Italian history. Appointed chief of the armed forces in 1914, he led the Italian army in the field from May 1915 until the aftermath of their calamitous defeat at Caporetto in 1917. In this major new biography, Marco Mondini traces Cadorna's rise, the nature of his command, the course of the Isonzo campaign, and the battles over his post-war reputation. He brings a new cultural perspective to Cadorna's life, demonstrating the role of Italy's military and national culture, the myths of the Risorgimento, and the mobilization of propaganda in creating an effective cult of personality. Utilizing ego-documents, memoirs, letters and public writings, Mondini delves into the ideology and psychology that combined to create such an untouchable autocrat, arguing that the history of fascism in Italy cannot be fully understood without appreciating Cadorna's role in the First World War.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mondini, Marco

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: forgetting Cadorna; Part I. The Ascent: 1. The force of destiny; 2. 'That most imperfect military organization': the army in Cadorna's time; 3. Waiting for war; Part II. The Enigma of Consensus: 4. Preparing for war; 5. The real thing; 6. Man management; Part III. The Downfall: 7. At Cadorna's court; 8. Caporetto according to Cadorna: a moral autobiography of the Italians; Conclusion: The Memoir Battle.

Über Autor(innen)

Mondini, Marco
Marco Mondini is Associate Professor in History of Conflicts at the University of Padua. His recent publications include Il ritorno della guerra. Combattere, uccidere, morire in Italia (1861-2022), Roma 1922. Il fascismo e la guerra mai finita, The Mediatization of War and Peace (as co-editor with C. Cornelissen) and Fiume 1919. Una guerra civile italiana.