Professor Gustavo Corni presents his book "Occupied Italy 1917-1918" in this autumn edition of Caorle Oltremare.
Book description:
Between the end of October and the beginning of November 1917, the population of Friuli and Veneto east of the Piave was swept away by two unstoppable waves: first, the columns of retreating Italian soldiers and military vehicles after the breaking of the front at Caporetto, and a few days later, the second wave of victorious Austro-Hungarians and Germans. For almost a year, a ruthless occupation regime was imposed in the invaded territory. Everything was counted, estimated, requisitioned, and consumed on site by the occupiers, leaving the occupied population with only crumbs. Complex relationships were established between occupiers and the occupied, including mutual compassion. But there were also attitudes of mutual hatred. The theme has been largely overlooked by historiography, even at a local level. Gustavo Corni's monograph, a specialist in the history of Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries, aims to be the first broad fresco based on Austro-German and Italian archival sources and a rich diary production.
About the author:
Gustavo Corni, formerly a full professor of Contemporary History at the University of Trento, has taught at the Universities of Venice, Chieti, and Trieste. He is a scholar of the history of Germany, comparative dictatorships, and European social and economic history. He has been a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation multiple times and in 2008-2009 was a fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies. Among his most recent publications: History of Germany. From Bismarck to Merkel (Il Saggiatore 2017); Weimar. Germany from 1918 to 1933 (Carocci 2020); William II (Salerno, 2022).
