Marco Mondini - Böcker

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.

This comprehensive collection of chapters provides a nuanced and multifaceted analysis of the global impact of the March on Rome, offering valuable insights into the spread and adaptation of Fascist ideologies in different cultural and political contexts beyond Italy in the 1920s and 1930s.The chapters seek to contextualise the transformation of political cultures in 1920s Europe and provide a better understanding of the reasons for Fascism's success in the interwar world. By exploring these diverse perspectives and experiences, the book sheds light on the complex processes of ideological transfer, adaptation, and resistance that characterised the global reception of Fascism in the wake of the March on Rome. It underscores the importance of considering local contexts, transnational networks, and individual actors in tracing the trajectory of Fascist influence across Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the United States.This book will appeal to an academic and scholarly audience at many levels, particularly in undergraduate and postgraduate courses on Italian and European history. Its accessible engagement of the broader issue of fascism and its transnational spread will also be of interest to a general readership interested in the history of Europe during the interwar period.