La rappresentazione del nemico nella propaganda e nell’assistenza cattolica diretta ai militari italiani (1915-1918)

The article analyses the images of the enemy disseminated by Catholic propaganda and assistance in the Italian army during the Great War, outlining the main features and the evolution of these representations, also comparing them with those disseminated by other propaganda actors. The theme is reconstructed by examining the activity of Catholic institutional actors operating in the army (the Military Ordinariate and the Soldiers’ Homes), a selection of religious publications addressed to the troops, the reports sent by chaplains to the military bishop and the personal accounts of combatants. Firstly, the essay shows that Catholic propaganda in the army focused on moral assistance, but the campaign to demonise the enemy found space in various areas: in the chaplains’ speeches, in the religious materials intended for the soldiers and even in entertainment (puppet theatres) and recreation for the troops. The research also highlights the discrepancy between the direction of the Military Ordinariate, which presented the conflict as a ‘just war’ without inciting hatred towards the enemy, and the aggressive and patriotic rhetoric of various chaplains.