I 50 Sbarchi in Gran Bretagna. Grande Carta Geostorica. [The 50 Landings in Great Britain. Large Historical Map.]
- Title:
- I 50 Sbarchi in Gran Bretagna. Grande Carta Geostorica. [The 50 Landings in Great Britain. Large Historical Map.]
- Alternate Title:
- [50 Landings in Great Britain]
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- Guida Toponomastica Visceglia
- Other Creators:
- Guida Toponomastica Visceglia, publisher
- Date:
- 1941
- Posted Date:
- 2024-04-25
- ID Number:
- 2431.01
- File Name:
- PJM_2431_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1940 - 1959
- Subject:
- Ethnocentrism
Pictorial
World War II - Measurement:
- 77 x 58 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- This remarkable Italian map was published in May 1941, at a time when Germany had consolidated its control of France and threatened the invasion of Britain. It served not one but two persuasive purposes. First, it reinforced Prime Minister Benito Mussolini's long-standing reliance on the glories of the ancient Roman Empire - and the promise of a New Roman Empire - to inspire and retain the support of the Italian people. And it supported Adolf Hitler's aggressive propaganda campaign to convince the world that he would soon invade and conquer Britain with ease.
The map highlights in red some 50 historical landings in Britain with dates and descriptive text. They begin in 43 AD, when "a Roman expedition, headed by Plautius Aulus, lands in Britain by the will of the emperor Claudius. Then the Romans defeated the Britons on the winding banks of the Thames." In 55 AD, "Eighty Roman ships ordered by Caesar land near Dover. . . . The battle between the adverse parties takes place with water at the waist. The waves turn red. The Romans win." Other invasions by the Roman Empire follow, including 61 AD (by "Nero's lieutenant, the daring and capable Caius Suetonius Paulino") and the completion of Emperor Handrian's wall in 127 AD ("to prevent incursions of the wild tribes"). The highlighted invasions end with a French landing in Killala Bay, Ireland, in 1797. (This may simply reflect the readily available reference material; see ID #1028 (1798) & ID #1031 (1803).)
The numerous references to the Roman empire track a central theme of fascist Italy. "A fundamental element of Mussolinian rhetoric was the exaltation of Romanita [admiration of ancient Roman culture and institutions]. Rome had been great and powerful in the time of Augustus. Now it was returning to prominence thanks to Benito Mussolini, who claimed to be the heir, if not the actual reincarnation, of Augustus. . . . From the earliest days of his government Mussolini wanted to hark back to the tradition of Rome." Melograni 1976, 229. And Mussolini himself made clear his reasoning: "I have brought life to the emblems of the ancient Roman Empire to show the people that they are the guardians of a great tradition and will be able to reach happiness and prosperity only if they have the force and capacity to take up the reconstructive work. . . . We dream of a Roman Italy, that is wise and strong, disciplined and imperial. Much of what was the immortal spirit of Rome, resurges in Fascism . . . Roman is our pride and courage." Quoted in Nelis 2007, 402-03.
The map self-folds into a brochure, and the text verso (ID #2431.02) provides an extensive explanation. The text begins by reinforcing the glories of the Roman Empire, contrasting the "blue-faced" British "savages" encountered by Caesar with the "civilized" Roman legionaries. And the text emphasizes how "in various successive expeditions and battles the dominion of Rome" was "extended" and "consolidated" until Rome had accomplished "full and [profound] . . . domination, . . . solid domination." Indeed, the Roman works remaining in Britain even to this day testify to Rome's "glorious penetration and an equally glorious domination."
The text also makes clear the map's second persuasive message. Given these 50 landings, by "leaders of the most diverse countries, in various places, in various eras, with different means, but mostly with great success . . . What does all this mean? What can we deduce from all this?" The answer, of course, is the vulnerability of Britain. "If the landings succeeded in remote times when there was nothing at all like the warfare technique employed today, there is no reason to think that a landing cannot succeed." And the "stronger reason than all" is that "the Fuhrer, who led his war plans with resounding success, has never doubted the success of a possible landing. In a speech given before the highest authorities of the Reich he solemnly reiterated this concept."
Finally, the text verso provides a mini tutorial in persuasive (here called "geo-historical") mapping: "Of course it is not very easy to build a geo-historical map. First of all because it is necessary to achieve maximum brevity but also because it is necessary to achieve maximum clarity in this brevity, in reference to the facts that we want to highlight. However, this geo-historical map . . . achieves its picturesque elegance with its signs and color. Common geographical maps are usually a little too complicated when one wants to be aware of historical events. And then you also need to have books and then you have to patiently consult the books and papers together . . . . The geo-historical map comes to the aid of our modern need to know things with a simple glance, just as we realize many things by observing a photograph, whether it is motionless on the newspaper page or in motion on the cinema screen."
Cornell University Library is pleased to present this digital collection of Persuasive Maps, the originals of which have been collected and described by the private collector PJ Mode. The descriptive information in the “Collector’s Notes” has been supplied by Mr. Mode and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cornell University. - Source:
- Supplemento del Periodico Mensile Guida Toponomastica Visceglia, Anno X - N. 2 - Maggio 1941.
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.