About this episode

This episode explores the Arditi, the Italian special forces known for their bravery and high casualty rates during WWI.

“Se non ci conoscete, guardateci i coglioni, siamo gli Arditi del Capitan Mattioni.” Arditi song The Italian Army during WWI was not exactly a well-oiled military machine. In terms of supplies, logistics and leadership, it was a disaster… that is, until someone came up with an idea that didn’t rely on supplies, or advanced technologies. Just a stupid degree of bravery. That was the formula behind the Arditi. The Arditi had a reputation for being insane. They were special forces often engaged in nearly suicidal missions. Their motto was 'O la Vittoria o tutti accoppati' ('Either victory or everyone dies.') 25%-30% casualties in every attack were about the norm. Their main weapons were daggers and hand grenades. Their job was to storm enemy trenches while their artillery was bombing them (a risky endeavor in itself) and then use their knives and the grenades to murder the living hell out of their enemies. In today’s episode, we will explore the clash between Italy and the Austro Hungarian Empire during WWI, with a special focus on the Arditi. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content. All the links…

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