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National Unity and Armed Forces Day

National Unity and Armed Forces Day(Italian:Giorno dell'Unità nazionale) is anItalian national daysince 1919 which commemorates the victory inWorld War I,a war event considered the completion of the process ofunification of Italy.It is celebrated every 4 November, which is the anniversary of thearmistice of Villa Giustibecoming effective in 1918 declaringAustria-Hungary's surrender.[1]

National Unity and Armed Forces Day
President of ItalySergio Mattarellapaying homage to theItalian Unknown SoldieratAltare della PatriainRomeon 4 November 2022
Official nameItalian:Giornata dell'Unità Nazionale e delle Forze Armate
Observed byItaly
TypeNational
SignificanceVictory of Italy in theFirst World Warandcompletion of national unity
Date4 November
Next time4 November 2025(2025-11-04)
FrequencyAnnual
First time4 November 1919;105 years ago(1919-11-04)
Related to

History

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Celebrations held for 4 November atAltare della PatriainRome(1920)
Celebrations for National Unity and Armed Forces Day in Rome on 4 November 1922

Italy entered theFirst World Warin 1915 with the aim of completing national unity: for this reason, the Italian intervention in the First World War is also considered theFourth Italian War of Independence,[2]in a historiographical perspective that identifies in the latter the conclusion of theunification of Italy,whose military actions began during therevolutions of 1848with theFirst Italian War of Independence.[3][4]

TheTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye(1919) and theTreaty of Rapallo(1920) allowed the annexation ofTrentino Alto-Adige,Julian March,Istria,Kvarneras well as theDalmatiancity ofZara;the subsequentTreaty of Rome(1924) led to the annexation of the city ofFiumeto Italy.[5]

Established in 1919, 4 November is the only Italian national holiday which has gone through decades ofItalian history:from theliberal periodtofascistandrepublican Italy.[6]In 1921, during the National Unity and Armed Forces Day, theItalian Unknown Soldier(Milite Ignoto) was solemnly buried at theAltare della PatriainRome.[7]

4 November commemoration inIglesias(1932)

In 1922, shortly after themarch on Rome,the holiday changed its name toAnniversario della Vittoria(Victory Anniversary) to emphasize Italian military power, while after the end ofWorld War II,in 1949, the original meaning was restored, becoming the celebration of Italian armed forces and the achievement of Italian Unity.[6][8]

With thebirth of the Italian Republicin 1946, thenational anthemwas changed: theMarcia Realewas replaced byIl Canto degli Italiani,which was officially played for the first time as the Italian national anthem on the occasion of the National Unity and Armed Forces Day on 4 November 1946.[9][10]

4 November was aholidayuntil 1976.[1]From 1977, during theausteritycaused by the1973 oil crisis,it became amoveable feastaccording to the calendar reform of national holidays introduced by law n. 54 of 5 March 1977, and celebrations occurred every first Sunday of November.[1]

During the 1980s and 1990s, its importance declined but in the 2000s, thanks to the impulse given by former president of the republicCarlo Azeglio Ciampi,who has been a main protagonist of a general valorization ofItalian national symbols,the holiday gained more widespread celebrations.[11]

Celebration

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Celebrations for National Unity and Armed Forces Day on 4 November 2018 atAltare della PatriainRomeon the occasion of the centenary of the end of World War I

On 4 November, and the days shortly before, thePresident of Italyand otherimportant officers of the Statepay homage to theItalian Unknown Soldier(Milite Ignoto),[1]buried in theAltare della PatriainRome,visit theRedipuglia War Memorial,where there are the bodies of 100,000 Italian soldiers who died in the First World War, as well asVittorio Veneto,where there occurred thelast and decisive battlebetween theRoyal Italian Armyand theAustro-Hungarian Army.[12]

The Italian President and Minister of Defence send to theItalian Armed Forcesa greeting and gratitude message in the name of the whole country.[1]4 November is celebrated also in other institutional offices likeRegions,Provinces andComuni.

During the national holiday, there is the change of guards, at theQuirinal Palace,withCorazzieriand the fanfare of4th Carabinieri Cavalry Regimentin high uniform. This rite occurs only in other two occasions, during celebrations ofTricolour Day(7 January) andRepublic Day(2 June).

The Italian Army Forces usually open thebarracksto the public[13]and allow visits to the naval military units. Arms showings and exhibitions about WWI are often held inside barracks.[13]There are often sport demonstrations and exercise carried by soldiers.[13]

In squares of the main Italian cities, concerts are held by military bands, as well as other celebrations in front of the Monument to the fallen situated in each Commune.[14]

Controversies

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During theprotests of 1968,Armed Forces Day became an object of protest and dissent by different political groups.

Especially in the second half of the 1960s and the first of the 1970s, on 4 November theradical movement,far-leftgroups and "dissidentcatholics"began protests to ask for recognition of a right toconscientious objection.They also criticised the overall military institutions.[15]

Sometimes protests were carried on by the distribution of leaflets and posting of posters against armed forces. Protesters were often pursued for offences to the Army's honour and prestige and for inciting soldiers to insubordination.[15]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^abcde"Perché il 4 novembre è festa".Il Post(in Italian). 4 November 2014.
  2. ^"Il 1861 e le quattro Guerre per l'Indipendenza (1848–1918)"(in Italian).Retrieved12 March2021.
  3. ^"La Grande Guerra nei manifesti italiani dell'epoca"(in Italian).Retrieved12 March2021.
  4. ^Genovesi, Piergiovanni (11 June 2009).Il Manuale di Storia in Italia, di Piergiovanni Genovesi(in Italian). FrancoAngeli.ISBN9788856818680.Retrieved12 March2021.
  5. ^Following the defeat of Italy in theSecond World Warand theParis Treaties of 1947,Istria,Kvarnerand most ofJulian March,with the cities ofFiumeandZara,passed toYugoslavia
  6. ^abCasprini, Sergio (1 November 2012)."4 Novembre 1918. Una data da ricordare".www.risorgimentofirenze.it(in Italian).
  7. ^MILITE IGNOTOentry(in Italian)in theEnciclopedia Treccani
  8. ^"4 Novembre – Festa dell'Unità Nazionale e Giornata delle Forze Armate".Prefettura di Parma(in Italian). 10 February 2015.
  9. ^Bassi 2011,p. 47.
  10. ^Calabrese 2011,p. 110.
  11. ^Cialini, Mattia (3 November 2015)."Il significato della festa del 4 novembre".ArezzoNotizie(in Italian).
  12. ^"Il perché della festività nazionale".Ministero della Difesa(in Italian). 26 October 2012.
  13. ^abc"4 novembre, dieci giorni di celebrazioni".Varese News(in Italian). 29 October 2008.
  14. ^"Al Monumento ai Caduti la Festa dell'Unità nazionale e la Giornata delle forze armate".4 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2016.
  15. ^ab"Oggi si celebra..."Teleuropa.it(in Italian). 4 November 2015.

References

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