WWI Italian Cavalry--10 figures in 5 poses & 10 horses on 2 horse poses
$16.50
Item Number: AP042
WWI Italian Cavalry
Date Released: 2020
Contents: 10 figures in 5 poses & 10 horses on 2 horse poses
Material: plastic (fairly hard)
Color: light tan
Average Height: 25 mm (= 1.8 m)
When Italy entered the war in May 1915, it was a considerable surprise to many Italians. While the Triple Alliance with Austria and Germany was widely unpopular, many felt Italy was better off neutral than becoming involved in the war, yet others saw in it an opportunity for territorial gain at the expense of Austria and her empire, and welcomed the new conflict whole-heartedly. In 1915, Italy’s cavalry had a fine reputation, but the trench warfare on the western front in France had already shown how irrelevant cavalry had become, and Italy’s main effort would be on the mountainous north-eastern frontier, hardly promising territory for horsemen. Initial optimism about a quick victory inevitably soon evaporated as the fighting turned into largely static siege warfare from trenches, and her 30 regiments of cavalry saw little mounted action. Before long, many cavalrymen were dismounted to bolster the infantry, as in the armies of other belligerents, although on a handful of occasions, especially in the Balkans and at the end of the war, the mounted arm still played a role.
