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Description: | obverse design: soldier, Italian bersagliere, kneeling, facing right, upon the back of a huge double-headed eagle,
symbolising Austria-Hungary. The soldier holds a dagger in his raised right hand. One of the eagle's heads is turned round to face the
soldier, the other, lower right of design, faces a partially obscured creature having a bear's body and cossack's head, symbolising Russia.
The creature's hands and arms are held out in a grasping gesture. Beneath the eagle's talons the word "GALIZEN" in faintly indented
characters.
obverse text: "ITALIEN'S POLITIK DER FREIEN HAND 1915" (embossed around upper edge)
reverse design: soldier, Italian bersagliere, standing at right of design, holding a tablet inscribed "TRIPOLIS", his neck and right arm
grasped by a centrally positioned Austrian soldier and his back prodded by a rifle and bayonet held by German infantryman positioned to the
left of the Austrian
reverse text: "DREIBVND SCHMAROTZER-TREVBVND-VER-ROTZER"
In this bitterly satirical First World War medal Goetz condemns Italian treachery in detaching herself from the Triple
Alliance and siding with the Allied Powers. After months of secret negotiations with the Entente, Italy declared war against Austria-
Hungary on 23 May 1915. Goetz saw only greed and ambition as the cause for this defection. Italian territorial ambitions especially in
connection with Austrian ports (Trieste and Pola) on the Adriatic were certainly a factor in her eventual decision to intervene. The
obverse text is translated as 'Italy's policy of the free hand', and the reverse text as 'Parasite of the Triple Alliance - Defiler of the
Loyal Alliance'. Italy did not declare war on Germany until 28 August 1916. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Weapons satirical First World War & Declaration of War Italy on Austria-Hungary & 23/5/1915 | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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