Cap 15. L’ultimo D’Annunzio: L’Oro alla Patria (3)
Nonostante la breve indecisione iniziale, mon Maître sostenne pienamente la guerra d’Etiopia.
Come sapete, durante il regime fascista Gabriele, in questa specie di esilio al Vittoriale, ebbe alcuni momenti di frizione con il Duce, ma gli si avvicinò in occasione di quella guerra.
L’invasione dell’Etiopia, uno Stato libero, e governato da un Negus, iniziò il 3 ottobre 1935. L’imperatore era Hailé Selassié e si diceva che fosse l’erede della dinastia che ebbe origine dal re Salomone e dalla regina di Saba.
La guerra si concluse con la vittoria italiana e la proclamazione dell’impero nel 1936, celebrato dall’altisonante annuncio di Benito Mussolini agli italiani del ritorno dell’impero sui “colli eterni di Roma”.
Questa guerra risvegliò in Gabriele il suo antico furore nazionalista e uno dei suoi rari soprassalti emotivi verso il regime.
Comprese che la conquista d’Etiopia era il principio d’una nuova storia, l’era dell’Impero: so che inviò a Mussolini queste parole di elogio: “La tua conquistatrice e divoratrice corsa equestre è di là da ogni impresa d’Oltremare…Tu hai disegnato, col tuo cavallo, l’estremo confine della tua conquista africana”
Tuttavia, quando il Duce aggredì l’Etiopia, la Società delle Nazioni non restò con le mani in mano e cercò di fermare quell’espansionismo imponendo delle sanzioni economiche, che la propaganda fascista definì le “inique sanzioni” e che rimasero in vigore sino al luglio del 1936.
Come potete immaginare, la deliberazione delle sanzioni fece esplodere il risentimento dei cittadini italiani contro la Società delle Nazioni e provocò la mobilitazione interna. So che si cominciarono a raccogliere metalli utili per la causa bellica e che ci fu anche l’iniziativa denominata “Oro alla Patria”, durante la quale gli italiani furono chiamati a donare il proprio oro allo Stato per sostenere i costi della guerra e far fronte alle difficoltà delle sanzioni.
Il 18 dicembre 1935, in una giornata fredda e piovosa, gli italiani donarono alla patria i loro anelli nuziali ricevendo in cambio una fede di acciaio che portava stampigliata la dicitura: “ORO ALLA PATRIA”.
I giornali scrissero che “Nell’Italia di Mussolini il metallo nobile è l’acciaio”.
Fu regalato di tutto: sia oggetti preziosi che oggetti di poco conto, con storie strappalacrime come quella di un bambino che scrisse: “Per il Duce Mussolini darei tutto, fino anche il sangue e il mio orologino d’oro”.
Il 7 dicembre del 1935, “nell’ora delle inique sanzioni”, anche il mio Gabriele inviò a Mussolini la sua vera e una cassa d’oro, ferro e bronzo, accompagnando l’offerta con la frase latina “Non dolet”–
Quando gli chiesi che cosa significasse, mi spiegò che faceva riferimento alla storia di un’eroina dell’antica Roma di nome Arria.
continua
Despite his brief initial indecision, Mon Maître fully supported the Ethiopian war.
As you know, during the fascist regime Gabriele, in this sort of exile at the Vittoriale, had some conflicts with the Duce, but he became close to him during that war.
The invasion of Ethiopia, a free state, and governed by a Negus, began on 3 October1935. The emperor was Haile Selassie and was said to be the heir to the dynasty that originated with King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba .
The war ended with the Italian victory and the proclamation of the empire in 1936, celebrated by Benito Mussolini’s resounding announcement to the Italians of the return of the empire to the “eternal hills of Rome”.
This war revived in Gabriele his ancient nationalist frenzy and one of his rare emotional outbursts in favour of the regime.
He understood that the conquest of Ethiopia was the beginning of the era of the Empire: I know that he sent these words of praise to Mussolini: “Your conquering and devouring equestrian race is beyond any overseas enterprise …You have drawn, with your horse, the extreme border of your African conquest”
However, when the Duce attacked Ethiopia, the League of Nations did not remain idle and tried to stop that expansionism by imposing economic sanctions, which fascist propaganda defined as “unjust sanctions” and which remained in force until July 1936.
As you can imagine, the sanctions resolution exploded the resentment of Italian citizens against the League of Nations and caused internal mobilization. I know that useful metals began to be collected for the war cause and that there was also the initiative called “Gold to the Homeland”, during which Italians were called to donate their gold to the State to support the costs of the war and cope with the difficulties of sanctions.
On 18 December 1935, on a cold and rainy day, the Italians donated their wedding rings to their motherland, receiving in exchange a steel wedding ring stamped with the words: “GOLD TO THE HOMELAND”.
The newspapers wrote that “In Mussolini’s Italy the noble metal is steel”.
Everything was given: both precious and trivial objects, with heartbreaking stories like that of a child who wrote: “For Duce Mussolini I would give everything, even my blood and my gold watch.”
On 7 December 1935, “in the hour of unjust sanctions”, my Gabriele also sent Mussolini his ring and a chest of gold, iron and bronze, accompanying the offer with the Latin phrase “Non dolet”.
When I asked him what it meant, he explained that it referred to the story of an ancient Roman heroine named Arria.
to be continued
Thank you for the information on that war, Luisa
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I am glad you enjoyed it, Derrick
Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts. 🙂
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Sempre interessante, grazie Luisa. Non posso fare a meno di notare che chi impose le sanzioni all’Italia erano gli stessi che però si erano accaparrati le proprie colonie in tutto il mondo. L’ipocrisia del mondo rapace e predatorio anglosassone non è cambiata per nulla, basta confrontare le innumerevoli sanzioni imposte alla Russia e quelle imposte a Israele, cioè nulla.
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Sono totalmente d’accordo con te: l’ipocrisia era ed è imperante
Grazie per il passaggio e buon Lunedì dell’Angelo 🙏🤍🙏
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Buon lunedì dell’Angelo anche a te Luisa🙏❤️
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All the Empires going the same way with the sad end.
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Thank you for sharing this reflection on which I totally agree 🙏🙏🙏
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[…] Le donne del mio Vate – ☾ CVI ☽ 🖋️ […]
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Thank you for sharing this post on your blog!
Much appreciated 🙏🙏🙏
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It was an exciting episode with the great and one of the most brutal dictators, Haile Selassie. Excellent!🥰🤙💖
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Thanks a lot for your thoughtful response, dear Aladin 🙏❤️🙏
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You are most welcome, lovely friend 🧡
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🙏🥰🙏
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A most interesting detour in the saga. The refrain “in the hour of unjust sanctions” is still ringing in nations with tyrannical (and wanna be tyrants) today. Never a dull moment with Vate.
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Nations always striving for what once was, rather than what could be. The eternal striving to vanquish. Have a great Monday Luisa. Allan
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How history repeats itself.
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Purtroppo non cambia mai nulla e non si impara niente dagli errori passati. Grazie, Luisa, buon Lunedì ❣️😘
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Questo è il destino o la maledizione della razza umana, che sembra mancare di ogni sorta di apprendimento intelligente🙏🌼
Buon Lunedì dell’Angeli, cara Dani
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Thank you Luisa for showing us an insight into Italian imperialism and how people felt at the time. It helps us all understand how things were back then.
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Thank you so much for appreciating my efforts, dearest Malc.
I wish you a happy Easter Monday and a joyful week! 🙏🏻
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The same goes to you of course my lovely 🐣💙
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🙏🤗🙏
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Well not only did you promise more, you certainly delivered xxx
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I’m happy you liked it, dearest Shey.
Thank you very much for your appreciation, which warms my soul in these days of continuous rain, here in the north of Italy🙏
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oh my friend, it has been the same here for weeks now and sio cold, so let your soul be warm xxxxxx
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Thanks a lot for your lovely reply💖
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Mia nonna paterna ha dato la fede. Lo raccontava mio padre.
Buona serata
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Sì, i nostri nonni hanno dovuto farlo!
Forse si sentivano parte di un progetto grandioso 🤔🤔🤔
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Mi pare obbligati
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Eh sì, ma alcuni erano fieri del loro bel gesto… tanto può la propaganda, ogni tipo di propaganda
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Per gli errori di chi cercava gloria in una politica espansionistica fu sempre il popolo che dovette tappare i buchi per le sanzioni e anche la povera gente doveva dare il pizzo…tra stato e mafia non c’è mai stata differenza…Sì doveva pagare e si paga da sempre…Anche il Vate ha dato il suo apporto economico sancito in oro ..Bello questo capitolo storico collegato alla vita del Vate .. Grazie Luisa … Buona Notte e fai bei sogni, un abbraccio 🙏🌃🥰🌹💞
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Grazie infinite a te, cara Desire, per questa bella e approfondita riflessione!🙏🙏🙏
Ti auguro una buona giornata e contraccambio l’abbraccio con tanto affetto
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Your fascinating story STILL continues! Brava!
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Thank you so much, dear Ana 🙏you are always very kind and I appreciate your generous words❣️💐🤗
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Generous, nothing. This story deserves publishing in a book.
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You’re so kind, my dearest Ana, but I wouldn’t know where to start… I have no ambitions as a writer because I think that nowadays there are already many (sometimes I think there are more writers than really interested readers😉) and very good ones
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I understand completely! Besides, what they put you through to publish a book is horrible. This one, however, appeals to everything book readers love, so it’s too bad more won’t get to be delighted by it!
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Thank you again, my dearest friend … I’ll think about it 🤗💖
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Well, if you decide to go for it, don’t let the publishers make you miserable. They will if they can ~ and I’m here to tell you your story needs no editing whatsoever!
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Thank you so much for your immense kindness, my dearest friend 💞🙏💞
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That Gabriele was supporting Mussolini and the war against Ethiopia was kind of disappointing. But this post was interesting history.
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I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, Thomas.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, with which I fully agree. 🙂❤️🌺
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My goodness, donating their wedding rings. How many they would need to be worth something. Very interesting part of history. I don’t think we would see that loyalty today, but who knows. We are in scary times in our world.
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Many donated their wedding rings because they had been convinced by propaganda, in the idea of being part of a grandiose project: the reconstruction of an empire, like that of ancient Rome
But many were forced to do so because the regime, every regime, does not allow dissent
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Yes, I understand, sad to think of this.
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I know… 😒💍
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When you wrote about his sudden demise, I was expecting to read about his wake. Ah, the stream-of-consciousness brings us back to the vain poet who compares giving away a breast plate with stabbing himself in the chest. Non dolet, Paete!
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Thank you for this insightful comment, dear Shaharee 🙏🙏🙏
Since the narrator is his handmaid/her lover, she will dwell a little longer on the doubts and thoughts that came to her regarding that death
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La storia si ripete immutabile nel tempo. Cambiano i nomi ma non la sostanza.
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Purtroppo è così… e l’uomo sembra non far mai vero tesoro degli errori passati 🙏🙏🙏
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Direi proprio di no.
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https://youtu.be/i22cE1JRMEE?si=iD8cxke5qjLbB7WH se ti va. Ora non sto bene ma ho registrato qualcosa prima. Grazie
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Grazie di cuore, carissimo Stefano. 🙏🙏🙏Per il momento l’ho postata qui https://wordsmusicandstories.wordpress.com/2024/04/03/letture-ad-alta-voce-di-stefano-pierini-%f0%9f%8e%a4/
e anche condivisa su Facebook 🙏💞🙏
Mi dispiace molto che tu non stia bene e ti auguro di riprenderti velocemente
Ti mando tutto il mio affetto 🤗
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