History
D'Annunzio Twisted Sermon on the Mount Into Warmongering Speech Before Italy Entered War
The Rest Is History
672. The First World War: Italy’s Doomed Campaign (Part 2)
What was said
"Blessed are the 20-year-olds, pure of mind, well-tempered in body, with courageous mothers. Blessed are the young who hunger and thirst for glory, for they should be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall wipe away a splendid flow of blood and bind up their shining wounds."
Poet Gabriele D'Annunzio delivered a speech in May 1915 that parodied the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount to promote war and bloodshed. This shocking perversion of Christian scripture was part of his campaign to whip up nationalist fervor and push Italy into World War I. The speech exemplified the extreme rhetoric used to manipulate public opinion despite widespread opposition to the war among ordinary Italians.
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
Source and context
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
- Programme
- The Rest Is History
- Episode
- 672. The First World War: Italy’s Doomed Campaign (Part 2)
- Clip time
- 27:00
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
From this episode
The Rest Is History