The poet, novelist, and political activist Gabriele d'Annunzio speaking in favor of Italy's entry into the war on the side of the Entente Allies, and against 'Giolittismo' at the Costanzi Theater in Rome, May, 1915. Giovanni Giolitti was five-time Prime Minister of Italy, and opposed intervention in the Great War. Illustration by Achille Beltrame.

The great demonstrations against the 'Giolittism'; Gabriele d'Annunzio speaks to the people of Rome, in Theatro Costanzi.

Other views: Detail, Larger

A poet, novelist, and flyer, Gabriele D'Annunzio advocated strongly for Italy entering the war on the side of the Entente Allies, speaking at public rallies.

While recovering from a crash and injury to his eyes, he wrote the long poem 'Notturno,' writing each line on a single strip of paper cut by his daughter.

In May 1917 he was a developer of a foolhardy plan to cross the Timavo River on plank walkways, capture some high ground, advance two kilometres to the village of Duino, seize its castle and raise a huge Italian flag visible to citizens of Trieste, lifting their morale. This attack, one of the last actions of the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo, was a costly failure, but provided D'Annunzio with material for a funeral oration to a Major Randaccio who died of a wound suffered in the attack.

On August 9, 1918, D'Annunzio led nine Ansaldo S.V.A.s from the Venetian La Serenissima Squadron in the Flight over Vienna, dropping 50,000 cards in the colors of the Italian tricolor and bearing D'Annunzio's message to the Viennese that destiny was turning from them to Italy, that the Italian fliers had come for the joy of daring to do so, and that they could do so when they wanted, and at an hour of their choice.

The round-trip journey was one of over 1,200 km (745 miles).

Of D'Annunzio, Henry James wrote to Edith Wharton on August 19, 1914, 'I thank you immensely for D'Annunzio's frenchified ode—a wondrous and magnificent thing in its kind, even if running too much—for my 'taste'—to the vituperative and the execrational. The Latin Renascence mustn't be too much for and by that—for which its facile resources are so great. However, the thing is splendid and makes one wonder at the strangeness of the genius of Poesy—that it should be able to pour through that particular rotten little skunk!'

National Affiliation: Italy