Italian citizens enlisting while in America (WW1)

[nrepole]

Hi everyone

My relative migrated from Italy to the US in May 1914. With the commencement of

WW1 and Italy's participation in it from 1915, he was initially called a draft dodger

by the military board back home. But in 1916 he attended the Italian consulate 

in New York City and was enlisted into the Italian army. However, he remained in America.

In fact, he filled out a US WW1 registration card on Sep 12, 1918 (as an Italian citizen).

But he was never drafted into the military - for Italy or US.

Question 1: Did he voluntarily go to consulate to enlist or was he forced to?

Question 2: Were all young male Italian citizens living overseas called to enlist?

Question 3: Are there instances where Italian Citizens living in US were conscripted

and brought back to Europe to fight in WW1?

Kind regards

Nick

[helpjpl]

... as soon as Italy entered the war, it became clear that citizens resident abroad would not be exempt from their military duties. Citizens living elsewhere in Europe were given one month to present themselves to the authorities, while those across the Atlantic were allowed a grace period of three months, until the end of August 1915, to answer the call to arms.

In 1915, there were more than 700,000 Italian men over the age of 21 in the United States and thus potentially liable for the draft. By the end of 1918, 103,259 of them had returned to Italy, approximately 13 per cent of the eligible population.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02656914211006298

 

JP

[nrepole]

Thanks JP!!

I looked at the the article and from what I understand, even though my relative went to Italian consulate 

and was given a medical and enlisted as a 1st category recruit, he was NOT forced to return to Italy. Is this correct?

Another thing: he was able to return to Italy after WW1 in about 1920 - so Italy did not seem to treat him as a deserter

(even though he did not undertake military service in the war)...was his visit to the consulate enough for the Italian authorities?

 

Kind regards

Nick

 

[nrepole]

Part 2:

I just notice my relative was just 18 when he went to the Italian consulate in 1916. From my research, Italian military service started when you

aged 20...so he may have been given a grace period until he turned 20....which enabled him not to return to Italy and serve in army

(and enabled him to return to Italy in 1920 without punishment). ?thoughts

[Keith_history_buff]

In France, there was a similar practice of compulsory military service. You commenced national service when you reached the age of 20. 

Quote

The class of 1918 was called up in July 1917 to help meet the shortfalls, and formations were restructured to yield men.

Source:
p 155 Clayton
Paths of Glory, The French Army 1914-18

I am sure the Italian Army did something similar after Caporetto. It's an interesting question that you pose. Have you considered posting it on an Italian language forum?

This Italian forum looks encouraging
https://miles.forumcommunity.net/

Best of luck with your research
Keith
 

[nrepole]

Thanks Keith!! 

I will try my luck.

 

Best wishes

Nick

[nils d]

A heck of a lot of ltalians living in France at the start of the war joined the Foreign Legion. They were keen to be involved.

[helpjpl]

On 17/07/2021 at 02:42, nrepole said:

Part 2:

I just notice my relative was just 18 when he went to the Italian consulate in 1916. From my research, Italian military service started when you

aged 20...so he may have been given a grace period until he turned 20....which enabled him not to return to Italy and serve in army

(and enabled him to return to Italy in 1920 without punishment). ?thoughts

When Italy entered the war in 1915, the draft age was twenty, then dropped to nineteen, and by the end of the war it was lowered to eighteen. 55% of male Italians and Bulgarians aged 18 to 50 were called to military service.

Some 470,000 Italians were charged with draft evasion during the war, but at least 370,000 of these were emigrants who, though liable to conscription under Italian law, could not be forcibly pursued abroad. Eventually, the Italian government granted pardons.

Giovanni Campi left Genoa for the US in April 1914 leaving his wife Rosa at home. In the spring of 1915, he was considering a return home but Italy’s entry into the war in May 1915 ruptured these plans.  Far from urging him home, Rosa hid from him the fact that he had been called up, even though he had explicitly asked her in to keep him apprised of the mobilization orders and possible punishments were he not to return. He eventually decided to register at the Italian consulate, where he was fined as a draft evader.

When the war finally ended Giovanni began to think about when he would travel to Italy but the punishment he would face as a draft evader deterred him.

In December 1920 Rosa wrote to her husband that she had heard from the Consulate that Giovanni was finally free to return to Italy.

See: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02656914211006298 

JP

[nrepole]

Thanks again JP!!!!

 

Nick