Actions of the Italian government regarding prisoners of war of Italian nationality of the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I
- Authors: Shevyakov S.V.1
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Affiliations:
- Derzhavin Tambov State University
- Issue: Vol 29, No 3 (2024)
- Pages: 857-868
- Section: FOREIGN COUNTRIES’ HISTORY
- URL: https://bakhtiniada.ru/1810-0201/article/view/297847
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.20310/1810-0201-2024-29-3-857-868
- ID: 297847
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Abstract
Importance. From 1915 to 1917, a camp for Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war of Italian nationality functioned in Kirsanov, Tambov Governorate, who accepted the offer of the Italian government to send them to Italy and subsequently join the ranks of its armed forces. The Italian government decided to carefully select prisoners of war based on their political and national trustworthiness, thereby delaying repatriation. Prisoners of war began to write to irredentist associations in Italy and the national press, thereby putting pressure on the Italian government. As a result of these actions, the Italian government changed course to send prisoners of war as soon as possible. The activities of prisoners of war are insufficiently covered in modern historiography. The purpose of the study is the impact of the media on the Italian government, which was provided by prisoners of war of the Austro-Hungarian army of Italian nationality in Tambov Governorate during World War I, aimed at accelerating repatriation to the Italian Kingdom.Materials and Methods. The source base is archival materials, as well as a number of published studies. The retrospective method is used, which allows to recreate, in individual details and later sources, the actions of the Italian government in relation to Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war of Italian nationality.Results and Discussion. It is shown that the sending of prisoners of war to Italy was delayed at the initiative of the Italian government. The prisoners of war who were in the Kirsanov camp were able to put pressure on the Italian government with the help of the media. In the spring of 1916, the government, realizing the possible negative consequences, agreed in favor of all prisoners of war who agreed to join the Italian armed forces, rather than limiting it to a few officers who could pay for the trip.Conclusion. While waiting to be sent to Italy, a group of soldiers and officers, being prisoners of war, contacted the national press and irredentist associations. The purpose of these appeals was to put pressure on the Italian government, which was supposed to speed up the repatriation of prisoners of war.
About the authors
S. V. Shevyakov
Derzhavin Tambov State University
Author for correspondence.
Email: mig1709@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8699-7240
Research Scholar of Social History Laboratory
33 Internatsionalnaya St., Tambov, 392000, Russian FederationReferences
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