Jews in the Army of the Kingdom of Italy (1848-1923) By Andrew J. Schoenfeld, MD

Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine The Italian Jews of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were one of the most fervent nationalist groups in the nascent Italian State. As a result, they actively enlisted in the army of the Kingdom of Italy and its predecessor, the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. Indeed, their valorous and inspired service has prompted some authors to liken the Italian Jews of the nineteenth century to a type of military caste. Many Jews, such as Giuseppe Ottolenghi, Cesare Rovighi and Enrico Guastalla attained high levels of command in the Italian military and were even counted among the King's most trusted martial advisors. Unfortunately, the events of World War II and the attitude that modern scholars maintain towards the Jews of Italy has resulted in the achievements of these inspired individuals and communities being lost to posterity. 1 Perhaps in no state since the Roman Empire did Jews attain such a level of integration and importance as they did in the late nineteenth century Kingdom of Italy. Residents of the Italian peninsula since the days of the Maccabees, nowhere in Europe was there a longer tradition of a Jewish community so well versed and productive within the parameters of "native" culture. Fluent in Italian long before the Renaissance, Jews were involved in a cross-cultural exchange with fellow Christians in almost every state on the peninsula. A unique Italian Jewish culture was formulated by the cultural milieu in the lands below the Alps (possessed of its own religious rite and Judeo-Italian prayers) even as Jews could not help but influence Italian Christians with their prominence in the fields of medicine, literature and business. While official state regulations restricted Jewish activity in certain fields, the coming of the Risorgimento removed hindrances that prevented Jews from laboring in state service. The enlightened Savoyard Kings of Sardinia-Piedmont and later Italy allowed Jewish Italians to achieve success in a dizzying number of fields, most notably government administration and the military. Yet, for all their great achievements and dedication to the land of their birth, the history of the Italian Jews remains one of the least well documented in all of Europe, with perhaps only the Jews of the Balkan states receiving even less attention in the historical literature. Countless treatises have been penned on various aspects of Jewish history in the German, Russian and Polish lands but only relatively few works have been published on the Italian Jews and none of these have been definitive. The Russo-Polish Jews have Dubnow and the German Jews have Graetz and Zunz, but no great Italian Jewish historian has emerged in order to recount the achievements of this grand civilization that spans the entire scope of Western history. While it is too great an endeavor to attempt to record the entire treatise of Italian Jewry here, I hope to bring to light a small facet of this community's story: one which speaks to its high level of integration and dedicated service within the Italian state. 2 At the dawn of the nineteenth century, the Italian Peninsula was carved up into a myriad number of small kingdoms and duchys, all of whom expressly proscribed members of the Jewish faith from service in state government, including the military. Although certain Jews like Abraham Castello, Salamone Fiorentino and Isaac Maurogonato played prominent roles in Parma, Venice and the Papal States, it was well accepted that Jews were not suited for the profession of arms. While individual Jews were able to achieve a modicum of political influence at certain courts, the practice of the military profession was strictly forbidden in Sardinia-Piedmont, Parma, Modena and the Papal States. Lombardy and Venice, as provinces of Austria, technically allowed Jewish military service but there are no specific examples of Italian Jews from these regions serving in the Austrian army. While these injunctions against Jews were either holdovers from more conservative times or the reflection of popular sentiments, the political clime of the early nineteenth century would not only pave the way for Italian Jewish emancipation but also remove the impediments to national service. The French Revolution and the military success of Napoleon were not only responsible for eliminating Jewish disabilities in Italy and elsewhere but also contradicted the popular belief that Jews were unfit or unable to serve in a military capacity. The example of Andrea Massena proved particularly inspiring for the Jews of Italy, especially since he was a scion of their community.1

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