British and French memories of the First World War as catastrophe were not universal. Italian senior officers could describe the defeat of Austria-Hungary and the country's postwar rise as a glorious victory, even when the public was less impressed by the human cost. That story cast modern Italy as an heir to Rome and reinforced demands for armed forces suited to a great power. Japan likewise gained victories and naval experience, from Tsingtao to mine-warfare support for the Royal Navy, without suffering Western Front losses on the same scale. Interwar naval policy could grow from triumphal strategic culture as well as trauma and retrenchment.
Notable Point · 11:38-13:24
Why victory meant something different in Italy and Japan
The British and French memory of the First World War as catastrophe was not universal: Italian officers and Japan could read the conflict as proof of national ascent.