Propaganda and censorship in Italy during the First World War

Propaganda and censorship in Italy during the First World War

During the First World War, Italy used propaganda and censorship to get people to support the war. At the start, the government did not create propaganda. Newspapers that supported the war shared messages to encourage people. They often left out hard truths about life in the trenches. The army focused on keeping order, not on supporting soldiers’ spirits. That job was left to the Church.

After a big defeat for Italy at the Caporetto battle, the government realized they needed a better plan. They started to organize efforts to inspire people and soldiers to keep fighting for the nation. This showed how important it was for leaders to guide public opinion during hard times.

Pro-war propaganda to May 1915

Unlike some other countries, Italy did not have organized government propaganda when the First World War began in 1914. Italy joined the war in May 1915. During this time, businesses and newspapers encouraged the country to join the war instead of the government.

From late 1914 to early 1915, many Italian newspapers pushed the country to join the war. Big companies and banks, like Ansaldo and Fiat, supported this effort. They helped fund newspapers, including Benito Mussolini’s paper Avanti!, to argue for joining the side of the Entente. Most educated people supported joining the war, thinking it would be short and bring Italy new land. However, most ordinary people did not want to go to war. The government, led by Antonio Salandra, did not involve Parliament much in the decision and did not feel the need for strong propaganda efforts.

Government and private initiatives after May 1915

When the war began, leaders thought it was clear why Italy was fighting and didn’t think they needed to convince people to support it. They believed the war would end quickly, so they didn’t spend much time sharing messages about it. It wasn’t until 1916 that the government started to share a few messages about the war.

Many private groups helped too. These groups worked to support people at home and teach them about the war. By mid-1917, these groups joined together into one big organization led by Ubaldo Comandini. This group helped people at home and soldiers away from the front. They created talks, plays, and other materials to keep support for the war strong.

Press censorship

The government did not tell people to support the war, but it did control what newspapers could write. Writers who visited the battlefields sent back true stories, but readers only saw stories that hid or changed the facts. Many people did not want to know the real truth and only looked at simple news updates. Over time, this made a gap between the soldiers fighting and those who stayed home. Soldiers often felt unhappy with the writers and the people who did not fight, feeling that the stories did not show what they were really going through.

Restrictions on soldiers

During World War I, the army checked the letters soldiers sent home and rarely let them leave. In winter 1915, some soldiers could visit their families, but this did not work well. The soldiers saw that people at home did not understand the real conditions of the war, because newspapers and the military kept much hidden. The government did not ask people to use less or live with fewer things, hoping the war would end quickly. When the soldiers returned, their towns did not celebrate them as heroes. Leaders also stopped soldiers from sharing what they saw at the front and made sure they could not go to cafes or spend time with girls. One writer, Corrado De Vita, felt angry seeing young people enjoy themselves in theaters and cafes.

Propaganda at the front before Caporetto

Before 1917, efforts to support soldiers were not well organized. Messages about the war were usually given by officers or special speakers, and soldiers often found these hard to relate to. Many soldiers fought mostly because it was their duty, not because they fully understood the reasons for the war. This was because many had little education and leaders focused more on rules than on encouraging spirit.

Up to 1917, care for soldiers was mostly provided by priests. They set up comfortable places where soldiers could rest, read, and write letters home. These places helped build trust and improve morale without formal speeches. One leader, Luigi Capello, tried new ways to encourage his troops by using lower officers and ordinary soldiers to talk to groups. However, these efforts were stopped later that year.

Propaganda at the front after Caporetto

After losing the battle at Caporetto, the army changed its methods. They started a new Propaganda Office (Servizio P) to help soldiers see why fighting mattered. The office made talking points and new newspapers for soldiers. These newspapers told stories about life at the front in a happy and hopeful way, even while talking about the hard times. They used new ways to share messages, like pictures and creative writing. This was one of the first big efforts to shape public opinion to support the nation, led by experts like Giuseppe Lombardo Radice. The goal was to teach soldiers and keep their spirits up while they learned about the country and its ideas.

Shaping public opinion after Caporetto

The loss at the battle of Caporetto in October 1917 changed how Italy shared news about the war. New leaders, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando and Armando Diaz, worked to keep troops and citizens feeling strong. With enemy soldiers now in Italy, many felt they were fighting to protect their homes and families.

After this defeat, some people worried Italy might need to step back or even make peace with Austria-Hungary. Writers and leaders tried hard to encourage the country to stay in the war. Groups formed to support the war and oppose those who wanted to stop fighting. Even famous thinkers joined together to think about Italy’s history in a new way. However, it was hard to know what ordinary people thought because the government did not allow open talks about the defeat. While many stayed united, there were signs of unhappiness, especially among those working long hours, with less food, and rising prices. The government promised better times after the war to keep support strong.

Italian propaganda in Allied countries

See also: Adriatic Question

Before a certain government came to power, Italy did not share its message much in other countries. Most work was done by local groups of Italians living abroad. In Britain, groups like the "Pro Italia" committee in London held charity events to raise money and support. Other groups included the British Italian League and the Society of the Friends of Italy. Official groups were the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Dante Alighieri Society, which had offices in several cities.

Later, a special office was created to share Italy's message, aiming to win support for Italy's goals after the war. This was important because other countries had revealed secret treaties that affected Italy's plans. Meetings were held to discuss agreements, leading to plans for a bigger meeting in Rome in 1918.

Efforts to share Italy's story included sending letters, posters, photos, and postcards to schools, universities, and public places. There were also films, plays, and meetings where people talked about Italy's goals in the war. These events drew many people.

Italy also organized visits by Italian scholars to universities and art exhibitions. However, as the war continued, Italy's unclear positions and changing messages made it hard to gain trust and support from other countries, even after important victories.

Italian propaganda in Austria-Hungary

Before 1918, Italy tried to send messages to people in Austria-Hungary, but it was hard to do. In 1918, Italy joined with other countries to find better ways to share these messages. This created the Padua Commission. The group had leaders from the military and civilians, mostly from Italy. One leader was Ugo Ojetti. He worked with the Yugoslav Committee to make a plan. The plan wanted to help groups in Austria-Hungary want to be free.

From May to November 1918, Italy sent about 60 million copies of messages and almost 2 million news sheets to Austria-Hungary. Soldiers took these messages home, which worried leaders in Austria-Hungary. The messages were for Croats, Slovenes, and Serbs. They asked these groups to stand up against the Habsburg monarchy and to want their own country. Because of this, many soldiers from Austria-Hungary gave up to Italian forces and often carried the messages with them. Italy also shared news from the Western Front to lower the spirit of Austria-Hungarian soldiers. In the summer of 1918, the writer Gabriele D'Annunzio flew over Vienna to drop more messages for the people there.

Italian propaganda in Japan

A Japanese poet named Harukichi Shimoi worked to build strong ties between Japan and Italy during the war. He joined special war units called the Arditi and helped connect important figures like Gabrielle D'Annunzio and newspaper editor Benito Mussolini. He wrote a book in both Italian and Japanese to share Italy’s story with the world. His efforts led to a famous flight known as the Rome-Tokyo Raid by Arturo Ferrarin.