Societies at War

Abstract

With the mobilization of Italy’s society and economy for war, the lives of millions of men, women, and children were transformed. Whether emigrants, colonists, or mainland residents, Italians raised funds, worked in war industries, supported family members at the front, prayed for victory, and engaged in patriotic activities—or, alternatively, in anti-war politics. Anti-war sentiment, both real and imagined, encouraged the government to adopt increasingly harsh repressive measures—which in turn further alienated some sectors of the population. Socialists were particularly the object of official suspicion, while by contrast Catholics built an unprecedented bond with the nation. As the state sought to mobilize all available manpower, Italians overseas and in the colonies had a vital part to play. The authorities also sought to maximize the economic contribution, whether in money or materials, that Italy’s empire could make to the war effort—though with limited results.