Perché la guerra in Africa [Why the War in Africa?]. New York: Casa ed. "Unità"/ Società ed. "L'Unità", [1935?]

Perché la guerra in Africa [Why the War in Africa?]. New York: Casa ed. "Unità"/ Società ed. "L'Unità", [1935?]

We can estimate the date of this work because the introduction begins from the vantage point of "21 years after the beginning of the last world war," which was 1914; thus, it is 1935.

Among the advertisements on the recto of the last leaf is that of the Libreria Gastone Sozzi, which has the same address as the offices of L'Unità, the newspaper of the Italian Communist Party in the U.S. I have not run across the name of that bookstore elsewhere.

L'Unità (or L'Unità Operaia)- later (in 1942, see two other imprints) L'Unità del Popolo - was an "Italian American weekly for unity and victory over fascism." Its editor was the author of this work, Tito Nunzio.

At the time of this publication, 1935, the Communist Party tried to mobilize both Italian Americans and African-Americans by holding demonstrations against Italy's Ethiopian adventure, according to historian Marcella Bencivenna. About 20,000 participants in the march went through Italian Harlem shouting "Italian and Negro people unite in a common front against the war," and "death fo fascism!"

Nunzio attempts to demolish the argument that the invasion of Ethiopia was a justifiable revenge after Italian embarrassment in Abyssinia, claiming that this was just a pretext for Mussolini, who had all along intended to invade Ethiopia.

He next claims that rather than civilizing Italy, fascism is the opposite, i.e., the enemy of civilization. 

Near the end, Nunzio urges readers to join with the Communist Party in demonstrating for the withdrawal of all Italian troops from wherever they are in Africa. His plea appears to have been successful.

Tito Nunzio

Casa ed. "Unità"/ Società ed. "L'Unità"

[1935?]

17.5 x 12.5cm; 28 p.

Italian