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https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ Theses Digitisation: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/digitisation/ This is a digitised version of the original print thesis. Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] L’IMPEGNO DEL DOPO AS SEEN IN THE WORKS AND METHODOLOGY OF NUTO REVELLI by Fiona Mairi Stewart A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of die requirements for the degree of PhD University of Glasgow (Italian Section) School of Modem Languages and Cultures April 2007 ©Fiona M Stewart 2007 : ProQuest Number: 10390527 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10390527 Published by ProQuest LLO (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLO. ProQuest LLO. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.Q. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 GLASGOW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: ^ I ‘jJl UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW ABSTRACT L ’IMPEGNO DEL DOPO’ AS SEEN IN THE WORKS AND METHODOLOGY OF NUTO REVELLI Fiona M Stewart This diesis examines the extent to which die dearly identifiable individual sense of an ‘impegno del dopo’ seen in M ai tardi (1946), Revelli’s first publication, evolves to encompass a sense of "impegno’ on behalf of otiiers. Revelli’s 'impegno del dopo’ arose from his experiences as an officer with die alpini on die Russian front during 1941-1943. During his time as an officer, he built up a relationship witii the contadmi-soldati whom he commanded. This relationship witii die rural communities of Piedmont deepened during die Resistance of 1943-1945. After die Liberation, Revelli spent die rest o f his life testifying to his own experiences during 1941-1945 and facilitating die testimony of marginalized groups: the dispersi iJJultimo fronte, 1971), die contadini-soldati {La strada deldavai, 1966, Lagmrm deipoveri, 1962), and the contadini (llmondo del vlnti, 1977, L ’anelloforte, 1985). I argue tiiat die same developing Hmpegno del dopo’ which arose out of Revelli’s Russian experiences is responsible for his later research and publications. Revelli developed his own metiiodology in response to his ‘impegno del dopo’. This diesis traces die development of Revelli’s approach and analyzes its tiieoretical implications. Revelli’s tiieory and practice is analyzed with reference to die two disciplines his work most closely borders: literature and history. However, Revelli saw himself as an amateur and outside established disciplines; it is argued that in later decades there is a rapprochement between die two. The implications of Revelli’s metiiodology for his : dmpegno del dopo’— particularly in respect of his collections of oral testimonies - are analyzed witii reference to common tiieory and practice. This incorporates an examination of Revelli’s role as witness, issues in memory and forgetting, and die question of historical trutii versus testimonial trutii. Contents Introduction Parti: The Man and his Methodology 1. A Biography of Nuto Revelli Defining ReveUi’s impegno del dopo 11 What created Revelli’s 'impegno del dopo’? 11 Impegno ’ and ‘impegno del dopo ’ 12 How can the scope ofLevelli^s ‘impegno del dopo^ include Lsmia and rural .i Piedmofit? 14 How did Revelli respond to his 'impegno del dopo’? 18 Hutobiographj and Testimony 19 facilitating the Testimony of Others 22 Other Opportunities to Testify 25 Bearing Witness, Memory and History: Issues and Debates 26 Revelli as Witness 26 Memory: Remembering and forgetting 32 The Interaction of Memoiy and History 34 3. Revelli’s Approach to Research and Publication 37 Revelli’s Metiiodology and Accepted Theory and Practice 37 The Development of Oral Histoy as a Discipline 38 Revelli’s Practice in the Recording of Oral Testimonies 42 The Editing Process 49 The Implications of Revelli’s Metiiodology on his Aims 53 1 Part II: Reveilles Response to his ^impegno del dopo^ 4. Writing Personal Experience of the Russian Front 59 Revelli’s Autobiographical Publications on Russia 59 Facilitating the Testimony of tlie contadini-soldati 62 Revelli’s Aims in his Writing of the Russian Front 63 The ‘impegno’ behind representing rural soldier’s experience of war 71 Writing die Experience of the Russian Front 75 Elements Constantin Writing of the Rirssian front 77 Aspects omitted in Revelli^s Eater Writing o f the Russian fro n t 95 Elements which gradually emerged or became more developed 99 Writing tlie Experience of die contadini-soldati 106 Issues for die integrity of Revelli’s ‘impegno del dopo’ 113 5. Revelli’s Representation of War in Italy, 1943-1945 117 War in Italy 1943-1945 118 Revelli'sAutobiogrcphical Representation o f 1943-1945 123 Rural Memories of 1943-1945 126 Revelli’s Representation of 1943-1945 128 E ’8 settemhre 128 Î ■j Tiatia libera' and Dante Livio Bianco 129 Revelli as partisan commander 131 R^velR's assessment o f partisan and civilian interaction 138 Revelli's representation o f the enemy 143 1 Revelli's evaluation o f the partisans' allies 148 The Disillusionment of Liberation 150 1943-1945 — Memories Particular to die contadini 152 Reconciliation? 158 Reconciliation o f past and present during 1943-1945 158 Post-war reconciliation of past andpresent 160 1 A reconciliation o f memory and history 162 Ï The possibility o f reconciliation with the German people 168 6. ‘La guerra che non finisce mai’ - The Experience of Rural Piedmont 173 Revelli’s contadini and the Existing Picture 174 RevelB’s portrqyal of the cont?Am\ 180 Structure o f the collections and testimonies 182 Rural Experience According to die contadini 186 Relation o f the contadini to Italian society 187 factory versusfields 202 The relationship between sexes 206 How did die contadini relate to Revelli? 210 Conclusions 213 Bibliography 217 f A _____ ____________________ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Tlie author wishes to acknowledge the role of several people who have played a significant role in bringing fliis research to its conclusion. Dr Penny Morris (University of Glasgow) supervised this research and is to be thanked for her guidance, input and constructive criticism throughout die process. Professor Eileen Anne Millar and Dr Eanna O’Ceallachain (bodi of University of Glasgow) also . made helpful contributions at various stages. Michele Calandri, Director of die Istituto Storico della Resistenza in Cuneo e Provincia, was unfailingly generous in answering questions and suggesting material to consider on each visit to die Istituto. Above all, he is to be dianked for providing an introduction to Nuto Revelli and arranging two separate occasions on which to meet. Last but by no means least, I would like to diank my husband Philip for his support as funder and confidante diroughout, and as critic and proof-reader in the final stages. ........ VC :./'- 'y LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Panfilo Nuto Revelli, M ai tardi (Cuneo: Panfilo, 1946) H Î GP _________ 1m guerra ddpoveri (Turin: Einaudi, 1962) "Ï SD _________ 1m strada del davai (Turin: Einaudi, 1966) MT _________ M ai tardi (Turin: Einaudi, 1967) UF _________________ _________ Uultimofronte (Turin: Einaudi, 1971) MIA _________ Ilmondo dei vinti (Turin: Einaudi, 1977) a LF (Turin: Einaudi, 1985) DM _________ 11 disperso di Marburg (Turin: Einaudi, 1994) PG _________ Ilpretegiusto (Turin: Einaudi, 1998) DG _________ L e due guerre: Guerra fascista eguerrapartigiana (Turin: Einaudi, 2003) v4Rl Audior’s first meeting witii Revelli, 19 September 2001 AlR2 Autiior’s second meeting with Revelli, 2 May 2002 AlC Autiior discussion witii Michele Calandri, Istituto Storico della Resistenza in Cuneo e Provincia, 22 July 2005. : : Introduction Twentieth century testimony writing owes much of its development to records of tlie Holocaust. On one particular occasion, Italy’s most renowned Holocaust survivor, Primo Levi, spoke of testimony writing as an ‘impegno del dopo’ (an obligation of afterwards). The fascinating aspect of this term is tliat he used it to unite his own work with tliat of two of his friends and contemporaries, Nuto Revelli and Mario Rigoni Stern, neither of whom were Jews or survivors of the Holocaust. Nuto Revelli quotes Levi and explains in more detail what he intended by the term: Avevamo una ‘matrice comune’ Primo Levi, Mario Rigoni Stern, ed io, cosi affermava sempre Primo, anche se avevamo vissuto delle esperienze diverse [...] La ‘matrice comune’ a cui si riferiva Primo? Le nostre esperienze di guerra convergenti, ma soprattutto I’impegno del dopo [sic], quel non voler dimenticare, quel voler testimoniare ad ogni costo.i The chapters which follow trace the origins of Nuto Revelli’s ‘impegno del dopo’ and his response to it in his works and metiiodology. Nuto Revelli’s publications range from his personal diaries of die Fascist war in Russia (1941-1943) and war in Italy (1943-1945), to collections of oral testimonies gathered from the rural communities of Piedmont during die 1960s to 1980s. This thesis argues that Nuto Revelli’s publications - from Russia to rural Piedmont - can be ascribed to his sense of an ‘impegno del dopo’.