Podcast Summary

New Books Network

Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Dr. Selena Daly
Episode: “Emigrant Soldiers: Mobilising Italians Abroad in the First World War” (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Release Date: October 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Selena Daly discussing her new book, Emigrant Soldiers: Mobilising Italians Abroad in the First World War. The book investigates the phenomenon of approximately 300,000 Italian men who returned from various global diasporas to fight for Italy during World War I. Through the lens of migration, identity, and military history, Daly explores the diversity of these soldiers’ experiences, the logistical and emotional challenges they faced, and the broader significance of this unique mass mobilization.

Key Discussion Points

The Genesis and Scope of the Study

[02:24–07:13]

• Selena Daly’s Background: Associate Professor of Italian Studies at UCL; historian interested in modern Italy, diaspora, and prior research in futurism and WWI.
• Motivation for the Book: Daly noticed major histories of Italian migration traditionally end in 1914, raising the question: What happened to Italians who’d emigrated before WWI?
• Research Gap: Little existing scholarship on voluntary migrant mobilization versus forced migration (e.g. prisoners of war, refugees).
• Scale and Uniqueness: Roughly 300,000 Italian men returned from abroad to serve—a mass mobilization not mirrored by other diaspora groups during the war.
  • “What I realised that this was a uniquely Italian phenomenon… a mass mobilization.” (07:01)

Numbers and Definitions: Who Were the Emigrant Soldiers?

[07:13–12:24]

• Demographics: In 1911, 5 million Italians lived abroad (1/6th of Italy’s population); about 1.2 million men abroad were eligible for military service.
• Actual Return Rates: Only a fraction returned (e.g., 1 in 8 from the US, 1 in 6 from Argentina); both mass return and large-scale draft evasion occurred.
• Comparative Context: Italian emigrant soldiers made up 7.2% of Italy’s fighting force—numerically significant, comparable or larger than more widely studied groups like ANZAC or French colonial troops.
• Clarification: These men were conscripts (not volunteers), returning under legal obligation as army reservists.
  • “I think it is actually really remarkable that so many men did actually return to Italy for their service, considering there were no punitive coercive measures obliging them to do so.” (09:21)

Motivation and Diversity: Why and How Did Emigrants Respond?

[12:24–21:15]

• Complex Motivations:
  • Patriotism: Sometimes present, often stronger in middle class or those raised in Italy, but complicated by recent Italian unification and strong regional identities.
  • Fear and Coercion: Anxiety over legal consequences or social shame for draft evasion; some consulates “named and shamed” non-returnees in the press.
  • Adventure/Naivety: Many viewed return initially as an adventure—often misunderstanding the harsh realities of war.
    • Vincenzo d’Aquila quote: “They looked upon the voyage as an agreeable cruise or junket…” (15:40)
  • Family Pressures: Many young, single men returned out of concern for seeing or aiding their families in Italy.
    • “Men with, you know, a wife… more than two children… tended to stay put and not leave.” (19:41)
• Microhistory Approach: Daly follows four individual emigrant soldiers from different parts of the world to highlight diversity within the group.

Logistics of Mobilization

[21:15–26:01]

• Transatlantic Journey: Logistically challenging and perilous, especially from the Americas. Shortages of steamships caused long delays, prompting some to abandon departure and become draft evaders.
• Dangers: Submarine threats, sabotage (e.g., bombs planted aboard ships), and general wartime risk.
  • “The journey took two weeks from North America to Italy and three weeks from South America… constant threat of submarine attack…” (24:32)

Arrival and Reception in Italy

[26:01–30:52]

• Initial Welcome: Early arrivals received public recognition and media attention—celebrated in press across multiple languages.
• Integration: Soldiers quickly dispersed into standard regiments, disappearing as a visible cohort. Little special treatment; often not recognized as a distinct group.
• General Perception: Mix of respect and skepticism from native conscripts; sometimes regarded as foolish or even resented for “prolonging the war.”
  • “They felt the emigrants were left feeling a little bit foolish…” (29:36)

Draft Evasion: Process and Outcomes

[30:52–34:46]

• Evasion Mechanisms: Usually easy, especially in neutral countries—simply ignoring consular notices sufficed for most. More complicated in France and Britain due to bilateral agreements to return draft evaders/deserters.
• Consequences: Primarily affected future ability to return to Italy; risked arrest and conscription if they did. Little impact if they remained abroad.

The Emigrant Soldiers' Wartime Experiences

[34:46–39:27]

• Varied Backgrounds: Some had never been to Italy, experiencing it as “tourists”; others retained strong local ties.
• Regret and Disillusionment: Many struggled with language barriers, lack of integration, and minimal recognition.
  • “Within months of being at the front, feelings of regret surface…” (37:26)
• Skill Utilization: Occasionally individual skills learned abroad (languages, technical expertise) had military value.

Coping and Communication

[39:27–43:07]

• Letters: Lifeline for soldiers, but those with families abroad faced expensive, unreliable communication due to wartime conditions.
• Morale: Familiar products like cigarettes from home helped; leave was challenging for those without family in Italy.
• In-group Solidarity: Emigrant soldiers often socialized more with each other (or even with British/French soldiers) than with Italian-born comrades.
  • “In some ways they feel like they have more in common with a French soldier than… with an Italian soldier.” (42:09)

Demobilization and Return After the War

[44:08–49:08]

• Chaotic Repatriation: Around 151,000 had their passage home paid by the government; others waited long periods or paid their own way.
• Protests: Delays led to angry, politicized veterans. Only during this postwar phase did the Italian government issue certificates and attempt (with mixed success) to recognize their unique contribution.
  • “Ultimately, the men weren’t particularly interested in a piece of paper. What they wanted was to be able to get back to their families…” (47:56)
• Reintegration Challenges: Pensions awarded, but small and plagued by bureaucracy and unfavorable exchange rates; challenges in returning to work abroad, sometimes facing xenophobia but occasionally held in higher esteem than other Italian immigrants.
• Discrimination and Reception: US/UK sometimes considered returnee veterans preferable immigrants compared to new arrivals from southern Italy.

Draft Dodgers After the War

[52:04–55:30]

• Partial Amnesty: Only for those who’d served in Allied armies or worked in war industries; many remained banned from returning to Italy without risk of imprisonment and forced conscription.
• Mussolini’s Era: Gradual relaxation; by 1928, short returns to Italy for draft evaders became quietly tolerated.

The Emigrant Soldiers and Fascism

[55:30–58:34]

• Mussolini’s Interest: Saw emigrants as important to fostering Italian identity abroad and set up Fascist Party branches internationally.
• Veterans and Fascism: Emigrant soldiers rarely active participants in fascist organizations; generally disillusioned after their war experiences.
  • “By and large, the emigrant veterans themselves weren’t particularly interested in the fascist cause.” (57:56)
• Recognition: Their war service was finally highlighted in the early 1930s during Fascist commemorations—decades after the fact.

Methodology and Next Project

[58:34–60:43]

• Approach: A “global microhistory”—following individuals across the diaspora to illuminate both personal and collective experiences.
• New Project: Daly is writing a global history of Italian emigration from Marco Polo to the present, incorporating the same microhistorical approach but on a broader scope.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the unique scale of Italian mobilization:
  “There was a lot of diversity within this group of how much people were eager to be part of this, how they even got to Italy, depending where they were coming from...” – Dr. Miranda Melcher [01:35]
• On underlying motivations:
  “Patriotism is, is kind of the easy answer… but it really isn’t that straightforward.” – Dr. Selena Daly [14:08]
• On lived experience and regret:
  “Within months of being at the front, feelings of regret surface. They say, this isn’t what I was expecting… I made such a stupid decision.” – Dr. Selena Daly [37:26]
• On identity:
  “In some ways they feel like they have more in common with a French soldier than… with an Italian soldier.” – Dr. Selena Daly [42:09]
• On postwar recognition:
  “Ultimately, the men weren’t particularly interested in a piece of paper. What they wanted was to be able to get back to their families…” – Dr. Selena Daly [47:56]
• On fascist outreach abroad:
  “Mussolini said that Italians should remain Italian until the seventh generation.” – Dr. Selena Daly [56:08]

Important Timestamps

• [02:24] — Dr. Selena Daly introduces herself and outlines her approach.
• [07:13] — Discussion of the numbers: possible, actual, comparative mobilization.
• [13:16] — Factors influencing decision-making for returning or not.
• [21:49] — Logistical challenges of returning to Italy.
• [26:23] — Perceptions and reception of emigrant soldiers in Italy.
• [31:19] — Mechanisms and consequences of draft evasion.
• [35:17] — Daily life and challenges for born-abroad soldiers.
• [39:27] — Communication difficulties; letters, leave, and morale.
• [44:08] — Postwar demobilization and return home.
• [49:08] — Reintegration abroad and lingering bureaucracy.
• [52:29] — Postwar fate of draft dodgers.
• [55:56] — Mussolini’s policies and the legacy of emigrant veterans.
• [58:59] — Daly’s next project: a global microhistory of Italian emigration.

Tone and Style

The conversation is analytical yet accessible, blending macro-historical context with engaging personal stories. Daly offers both detailed statistical and archival insights as well as humanizing anecdotes, all delivered in a clear, reflective, and richly contextualized tone.

Summary

Daly’s research rewrites our understanding of both Italian migration and the global impact of WWI, revealing the enduring complexities of national obligation, identity, and recognition for diasporic communities caught in global conflict. Her book fills a significant gap and opens new avenues for both migration and military history.

Recommended for listeners interested in migration studies, Italian history, military studies, and the global experience of war.