Where to now ...: World War 1 and Fascism

I often wish that I had asked my dad more questions about when he was younger and about his father - my nonno, Bruno Rebuli. One question that I did ask him was what made my nonno want to leave Italy and come to Australia. Dad always gave me the same answer. My nonno was not comfortable with the political climate in Italy at the time. Having experienced the effects of World War 1 close up and then the rise of Mussolini, and Fascism, was enough for my nonno to make the decision to leave.

The area around Bigolino was hit particularly hard during World War 1. Fighting along the Piave River was close by. Many families made the decision to flee as refugees to the other side of the Piave as a result. My grandmother's family - the Rossetto family - was one of those families. After the war, they returned to a house that was badly damaged by a bomb. Even items that had been buried for "safe keeping" had been destroyed.

Not long after the war ended in 1918, Italy saw the rise of Mussolini - "Il Duce" - and Fascism in 1919. His supporters, known for using heavy-handed actions, did not hesitate to strike out at anyone that spoke out against Mussolini. For most of the population, who carried on with their lives as normal, this did not cause any problems. My grandfather was a softly spoken man who was not particularly interested in causing any political stirrings. The Rossetto family, on the other hand, were different. Being much more out-spoken, it wasn't long before they caught the attention of the local Fascists.

L to R: Elvio, Dorina and Vito in Bigolino, circa1927-28

The Rossetto's were far from revolutionaries but they were were not shy to speak their mind. These comments made them targets and on one occasion, my great-grandfather, Modesto Rossetto, was forced to drink a large amount of cod liver oil as punishment. Fearing for further actions towards the family, several of the Rossetto children decided to leave Italy for a life elsewhere. My grandfather decided to join them and arrived in Australia on the 25th of July, 1927. My grandmother, Giovanna (nee Rossetto), followed on the 30th of November, 1931, with their three young children in tow; Dorina aged 8, my dad, Vito (Albino) aged 7, and Elvio aged 6.