Mitografia della Grande Guerra: gli Arditi e il salentino Messe

The theme of report concerns military myths created more or less deliberately by the Supreme Command of the Italian Army, personified by "Generalissimo" Luigi Cadorna. The tools for this operation, aimed at making acceptable the terrible reality of the war to the Italian population, for the most part illiterate, not committed to the front, were the bulletins from the Front of the same Supreme Command and the newspapers, especially the illustrated newspapers. Among the latter, the Domenica del Corriere, a color weekly of the Corriere della Sera illustrated by Achille Beltrame, was particularly popular and appreciated. The examination of the covers of this newspaper allows us to identify the following myths: Vittorio Emanuele III at the front, a soldier among the soldiers, that is the myth of the soldier King; the courage and loyalty of the Italian soldier opposed to the cowardice and perfidy of the enemy; the invincibility of our soldiers specialized in mountain warfare, that is the Alpini with the black pen; the daring of prestigious departments such as the sharpshooters and the recklessness of the assault departments, namely the Arditi. Among the latter was studied the singular figure of the Salento, of Mesagne, greater Giovanni Messe, a splendid warrior immortalized in a table of Beltrame, who manages to travel a lightning career, from non-commissioned officer to General and Marshal of Italy, thanks to the courage in fighting and its high command abilities.