The image of Italy on the pages of the newspaper «Russian invalid» in the first years of the First World War (1914–1915)

Abstract

The article examines and analyzes the image of Italy, which was created by Russian journalists on the pages of the newspaper «Russian Invalid» in the first years of the First World War (1914–1915), when the Russian Empire was in active military confrontation with the states of the Triple (later Quadruple) Alliance, and the Kingdom of Italy, being a member of the Triple Alliance, maintained military neutrality until May 1915, after which it entered the war on the side of the Entente. Correspondents of «Russian Invalid» in the first years of the First World War (1914–1915) paid quite a lot of attention to Italy on the pages of their publication. Most of the information about the Kingdom of Italy by the journalists of the periodical under study was contained in the headings «War», «Military Review», «Naval Review», «From Foreign Life», «Telegrams» and «Italian Front». Based on the results of the analysis of materials presented on the pages of the newspaper «Russian Invalid», the following distinctive features of the image of Italy formed by the correspondents of this newspaper in 1914–1915 were identified: - a young national state, which initially appears as a possible opponent of Austria-Hungary in the world war and therefore a potential ally of the Entente countries, and subsequently officially becomes an enemy of the countries of the Quadruple Alliance; - a kingdom that seeks, through participation in a global military conflict, to solve its specific economic and political problems, including expanding its territorial possessions; - a state with serious ground and naval armed forces capable of exerting a significant influence on the course of hostilities in individual theaters of war. In conclusion, it is concluded that the Kingdom of Italy in «Russian Invalid» appeared as a subject of international law, for which all major actions in the international arena were strictly determined by national interests.