Beau Geste Digest

Funny, isn't it, how these things happen, but here I am again writing about Italians! Not Romans this time, but Italians fighting in the Great War in the shape of some more gloriously glossy figures from this Argentine manufacturer

The latest newsletter came through only the other day, so here are a few snippets

Although a member of the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Germany, Italy did not declare war in August 1914, arguing that the Alliance was defensive in nature and therefore that Austria-Hungary's aggression did not obligate Italy to take part. By 1915 Italy had left the TA and entered the fighting as part of the Triple Entente

One of the photographs that inspired the new Italian figures

The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol (today's provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol), the Austrian Littoral, and northern Dalmatia. Although Italy had hoped to begin the war with a surprise offensive intended to move quickly and capture several Austrian cities, the war soon bogged down into trench warfare similar to the Western Front fought in France

Italian infantry in summer uniform followed by.....

.....their regimental band

The Italian Royal Army's first real taste of modern warfare was during World War I. Most of the actions were fought in northern Italy and the Royal Army suffered many casualties. This included over 700,000 dead. The frequency of offensives between May 1915 and August 1917, one every three months, was higher than experienced by the armies on the Western Front

Late to enter the war against the Central Powers, she faced a massively defended Austro-Hungarian front in the north, including strong mountain features, as well as distractions in the Balkans and a simultaneous rebellion in her Libyan colony. Costly and repeated battles on the Isonzo front culminated in the disaster of Caporetto in October 1917

Italian infantry in winter uniform, together with the band!

 
Beau Geste figures can be ordered direct from the manufacturer, or through their UK agent and distributor, Martin Ainscough

Happy hunting!