Donne di fronte alla guerra provides an analytical narrative on the major components that gave life to Italian feminist and pacifist social movements. Bartoloni approaches this through a detailed chronological documentation of events and individual experiences that she believes played a vital role in the process of female emancipation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The author claims that women, in contrast to the predominantly belligerent male attitude of the time, did not believe that international friction could be resolved through war.
The book starts with the birth of groups of heroic feminists who denounced the current patriarchal system of power, a system which not only lacked female figures but also resulted in a lack of female rights. The process of redefinition of female identity began with two movements: ‘Femminismo egualitario’ and ‘Femminismo pratico’ (p. 3). While certainly different, the two movements were very much complementary in nature. They both criticised the patriarchal organisation of family and political structures and pushed for a more just legislation that could offer equality and opportunity for women, in areas such as voting rights and access to political positions.
Bartoloni continues by describing the bond between feminist movements and the international movements for peace. She identifies them as deriving from similar sources – a fight for the common good and a fierce critique of the squandering of resources on war. She shows how this link provided feminist movements with greater legitimacy (p. 29). Following the protests of 1898, feminist movements were dissolved, militarists and socialists were given hefty sentences, and the social stability of Italian politics began to fade. On the other hand, this period gave birth to the Unione Femminile (Feminist Union) and the diffusion of anti-militarism campaigns. Following the publication of Ernesto Moneta's pacifist ‘almanacco’ in 1890, a group of people emerged who defined themselves as peacekeepers and denounced war. In order for this ‘almanacco’ to attract a female audience, ‘fece leva sul sentimento materno, sulla missione salvifica e sul ruolo educativo attribuito alle donne’ (‘it appealed to the maternal sentiment, healing mission and educative role traditionally attributed to women’, p. 34). This idea of peace originated in the ‘Femminismo pratico’ movement, and it is here that it began asserting itself.
The year 1906 was crucial for feminist movements. Carmela Baricelli's weekly magazine Settimanale was the point of reference for feminist movements, seen in the fact that it was published five years in a row (more than any other feminist journal). Baricelli believed her goals could be realised through the ‘educazione alla pace e sulla revisione di programmi scolastici e libri di testo per la gioventù’ (‘education about peace and a review of educational syllabuses and textbooks for young people’, p. 75). This period saw the objectives of peace movements momentarily set aside in favour of full feminist mobilisation towards the right to vote, which would give women a long-desired increase in power. This goal, however, was only achieved in 1918, following the 1908 annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the 1911 war against Turkey.
This period also saw women from around the world unite, demanding an end to the hostilities against them: in 1914 the allwomen march was held in New York City, sending a message to the government that women should be granted a say in matters of both peace and war. In Italy, Rosalia Gwis-Adami believed feminist movements in the United Kingdom used excessively violent measures to seek an increase in women's rights, and concluded that in order to reach their objectives, Italian feminist movements should use moderation and patience (p. 104). The year 1914 saw the start of the First World War and pressure on pacifists, liberal-socialists, feminists and Catholics to be at the service of their motherland. An entire world of patriotic solidarity called ‘Fronte Interno’ began during this period, with the aim of providing support for the military and to organise the multitude of social, economic and cultural activities still present on the home front. Feminist societies were an integral part of this movement. Their motivations were to mitigate the potential social harm that a period of war could wreak on women and children. This unprecedented activity and interest by women – intended as a step in the direction of a more peaceful and respectful future – caught the eye of politicians and, more importantly, of public opinion. The battle of Caporetto on 24 October 1917 saw the nation come together against a common enemy. The only goal for Italians at the time, regardless of gender, was to use all forces at their disposal to keep the enemy at bay and to redeem the honour of a wounded population. The country began to understand and embrace the importance women held in society, and women began to assume more important roles not only socially, but culturally and politically.
Bartoloni narrates the process which eventually brought mass female emancipation and later education in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Italy, attempting to connect as many pieces of a large puzzle as possible. She accomplishes her goal through the consistent harmony between her empirical observations and historical accuracy. The book is characterised by a straightforward and approachable structure, with coherently supported arguments, which makes it interesting to read as well as an informative piece of historical literature. Donne di fronte alla guerra is certainly a useful source for scholars and graduate students interested in the historical processes which led to the increase in female rights during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Europe.
