War as a game: the pleasurable and playful aspects of the Italian Arditi’s military experiences in the First World War

Abstract

This article proposes that several First World War Italian shock troops known as Arditi were strongly influenced in their wartime combat activities by fun and play. Even before becoming stormtroopers, various soldiers were guided by a tendency to see the Great War as ludic or athletic event. Such proclivity stemmed from these servicemen’s distinctive political cultures and ideologies. As a result of their viewpoints, these servicemen had already fought intensely in the initial stages of their military service. Additionally, the Italian army vastly increased the combat effectiveness and violent tendencies of recruits to the Arditi corps by making recourse to fun and play while training these prospective stormtroopers. An intense sports-based drilling regimen improved soldiers’ physical agility, while also nurturing their instinctive hostile behaviour. This article shows how Italian soldiers’ cultural and ideological milieus and military drilling increased their fighting power, including their propensity to enact violence against enemies.