The Situation of Italian Prisoners of War from the Austro-Hungarian Army Held in Russia in 1917

This article examines the repatriation of Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war of Italian nationality who were held in the camp of the town of Kirsanov, Tambov Governorate, in 1917. The study focuses on how the POW’ situation changed under the impact of the political events that accompanied the collapse of the monarchy and the subsequent revolutionary upheavals in Russia, which is still an underexplored aspect of the history of World War I. Particular attention is paid to the agitation and patriotic activities of Major Cosma Manera, who was appointed head of the Kirsanov camp. The author considers in detail his contribution to the transformation of the camp’s space camp from a place of isolation into a center of patriotic education, where military exercises were held, national holidays were celebrated, and a propaganda newspaper was published. The article emphasizes the fact that Manera’s agitation work was a key factor in increasing the number of recruits and maintaining their loyalty amid the escalating chaos. The author argues that despite a temporary improvement in the prisoners’ situation during the February Revolution, the deepening political crisis and the October Revolution fundamentally worsened their conditions due to food shortages, hostility from the local population, and the impossibility of repatriation through Arkhangelsk. The author concludes that these negative circumstances forced the leadership of the Special Military Mission to make a decision to transport the prisoners to the Far East for further evacuation to Italy (December 1917 – February 1918). This aspect of the history of World War I at the regional level (Tambov governorate) has been little studied and requires further research. The author’s work allows for a detailed reconstruction of the events connected with the activities of the Italian mission in Kirsanov in 1917, a critical year for Russia, and makes a significant contribution to understanding the history of diplomatic and humanitarian interactions during the First World War.

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