Me ne frego
"I don't care", old motto of the first fascist action squads. Russian front. DVX
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/italian-forces/52495/me-ne-frego
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/italian-forces/52495/me-ne-frego
That is a bit of an odd motto. I guess there is some history behind it?
Regards!
Yes there’s a story behind. But it’s not so clear. It’s a motto in roman dialect, used by the Legionari Fiumani of Gabriele D’Annunzio and then passed to the fascists. It seems that the motto is born during the WW1 during the battle of the Piave, when the leader of an Arditi unit responded to his commander who was reluctant to impose an higher order practically suicidal: “Me ne frego!..” I don’t care! Let’s do what is to do for the King and the Fatherland!
Many Arditi and WW1 veterans formed the D’Annunzio volounteers (part of which could be considered protofascist), and the first fascist squads, like in Germany many first nazis come from freikorps, but in Italy this process was more direct and less political.