English-language historiography traditionally disregards Italian military history with sweeping generalizations about ineptitude, cowardice, and an ethnic/cultural aversion to warfare. This dismissive and demeaning approach obscures thoughtful analysis and discourse on the strengths, weaknesses, and ways in which Italy’s military history is not dissimilar from other nations. Italy experienced two anti-insurgent operations, two conventional wars against European powers, a civil war, and two colonial campaigns during its first fifty years as a nation. These encounters forced versatility. Italy entered World War One as a young nation with a fledgling industry and limited raw materials. Nevertheless, it progressed along the tactical learning curve of modern industrial warfare like other belligerents. The country’s strategic aspirations in World War Two, like those of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, exceeded its war-making capabilities. The Italian Way of War synthesizes previous scholarship with original research to provide a balanced narrative and assessment of Italian military history from 1866 to 1943.
Introduction; 1 The First Fifty Years; 2 The Great War; 3 The Interwar Period; 3 The Second World War, 1940-41; 4 The Second World War, 1942-43; Bibliography; Index.
Jeffrey LaMonica is professor of history and coordinator of the Global Studies Program at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania. He holds degrees in history and global studies from LaSalle University, Villanova University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Professor LaMonicas publication topics include the US Armys 1916 punitive expedition into Mexico, tactical development in the US Army during World War One, and Cold War diplomacy. He resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
