Italian Expertise and the League of Nations

Abstract

This chapter examines Italian experts working for the League of Nations. It investigates the cases of Manfredi Gravina, High Commissioner for Danzig (1929–1932) and Alberto Theodoli, President of the Permanent Mandates Commission (1921–1937), who were appointed with the support of Rome. The chapter considers the level of independence from Rome in their work for the League, searching for initiatives in favour and against the institution, as well as for unexpected commitment to this international organization. Their experiences show how, until the outbreak of the Ethiopian crisis, Italian expertise was highly appreciated in Geneva. The chapter also demonstrates that Italians at the League cannot be unilaterally defined as ‘Fascists,’ but possessed multiple identities. Both cases reveal the complexity of interaction between nationalism and internationalism at the personal level.

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