Item number: M538-5

Reference number: Borna Barac III#444

Year: AD 1900-1927

Material: Bronze

Provenance: Bertolami Fine Art s.r.l. 2025

This is a miniature version of the African Campaigns Medal. Originally instituted in AD 1894, it was awarded to military and civilian personnel who participated in various African campaigns. Eligibility for the award expanded alongside Italy’s prolonged aggression in Africa until it was superseded by the East African Military Operations Medal in AD 1937.

The obverse features the right-facing bust portrait of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, wearing the Crown of Savoy. The raised edge rim consists of three stepped tiers.

The centre of the reverse displays the horizontal Latin inscription “CAMPAGNE D’AFRICA”, surrounded by a laurel wreath. The ribbon is red with blue edges. The original medal was fitted with corresponding clasps depending on the specific campaign.

Following Italian Unification, in order to compete for Mediterranean hegemony, secure vital sea lanes, and forge a connection between North Africa and East Africa, Italy designated East Africa and North Africa as the core focus of its colonial expansion. France’s preemptive occupation of Tunisia in AD 1881 and Britain’s control of Egypt in AD 1884 thwarted Italy’s ambitions in North Africa, compelling it to accelerate its expansion towards the Red Sea coast of East Africa and the remaining territories of North Africa. Concurrently, unified Italy faced severe dilemmas, including a stark north-south wealth disparity, economic depression, and political instability; the government sought to divert domestic class contradictions through overseas colonisation. Extreme nationalists and the subsequent fascist regime also vigorously advocated for “reviving the glory of the ancient Roman Empire”. Compounded by a domestic shortage of industrial energy resources such as coal and an overabundant agrarian population, the government hoped to alleviate domestic economic and demographic pressures by acquiring resources such as gold, mica, coffee, and cotton from Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) and other areas in East Africa.

Italy’s military operations in Africa first commenced during the AD 1880s in the Red Sea region of East Africa. In AD 1887, Italian forces launched an expedition (Spedizione), which was subsequently followed by the Battle of Saati, the Battle of Dogali, and a series of African campaigns. In AD 1888, Italian forces launched the Battle of Saganeiti, steadily advancing inland, and captured Cheren and Asmara in AD 1889, laying the foundations of Italian Eritrea. During the consolidation of its strongholds in East Africa, Italian forces also engaged in numerous border conflicts with the Mahdist (Dervish / Dervisci) forces of Sudan, including the First Battle of Agordat (Agordat I) in AD 1890, the Battle of Halat in AD 1891, the Battle of Serobeti in AD 1892, the Second Battle of Agordat (Agordat II) in AD 1893, the Battle of Cassala / Kassala in AD 1894, another Battle of Halat in AD 1894, and operations against the Dervishes in AD 1897.

In AD 1889, Italy signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Abyssinia, but serious disagreements arose between the two parties regarding the protectorate clause. The Crispi cabinet subsequently launched an invasion in AD 1895, triggering the Battle of Coatit and a series of African campaigns. At the Battle of Adwa (Adua) in AD 1896, Italian forces suffered a crushing defeat by the Abyssinian army, leading to the collapse of the cabinet and temporarily thwarting ambitions to annex Abyssinia. Simultaneously, Italy extended its reach towards Somalia in southern East Africa, successively invading Lafole, Gelib, Danane, Bagallei, Dongab, Mellet, Arare, and Bullalo, as well as engaging in the Battle of Buloburti during the First World War, gradually establishing substantive colonial rule from the Somali coast to the inland river basins.

In AD 1911, under the pretext of protecting its own nationals, the Giolitti government initiated the Italo-Turkish War against the Ottoman Empire in Libya, successfully acquiring Libya following the signing of the Treaty of Ouchy (Lausanne) after the war, whilst also occupying the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea. Upon taking power, Mussolini and the Fascist Party vigorously pursued extreme expansionist policies. Between AD 1925 and AD 1927, Italian forces launched the Jubaland (Oltre Giuba) operation and the Northern Somalia (Somalia Settentrionale) campaign, thoroughly conquering and subjugating the Sultanates of Northern Somalia. In AD 1935, Mussolini launched the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, utilizing modern weaponry and poison gas to conquer Abyssinia, subsequently merging Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland into “Italian East Africa”, reaching the pinnacle of Italy’s African expansion. However, prolonged and frequent colonial wars in Africa severely overstretched the Italian treasury and finances, exacerbating domestic inflation and social antagonism. The atrocities committed in Ethiopia during the AD 1930s also led to Italy’s diplomatic isolation and its withdrawal from the League of Nations, further fostering its alliance with Nazi Germany, which ultimately dragged Italy into the Second World War and brought about the downfall of the fascist regime.

Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III) reigned from AD 1900 to AD 1946. During his tenure, he witnessed the Italo-Turkish War, the First World War, and the post-war social crisis, earning the title “King of Victory” after the triumph in AD 1918. Nevertheless, his decision in AD 1922 not to employ military force against Mussolini’s Blackshirts, allowing the Fascist Party to take over the government, is regarded as a pivotal catalyst enabling the establishment of the fascist dictatorship. During the AD 1930s, he remained the nominal head of state, though actual power was entirely monopolised by Mussolini. Following Italy’s defeat in the Second World War and the rise of the republican movement, he abdicated in AD 1946, went into exile in Egypt, and passed away in Alexandria in AD 1947.

物件編號: M538-5

參考書目編號: Borna Barac III#444

年代: 公元 1900-1927 年

材質: 青銅

來源: Bertolami Fine Art s.r.l. 2025

這是一枚非洲戰役紀念章的迷你版。最初於公元1894年設立，頒予參與各非洲戰役的軍職、文職人員，隨著義大利對非洲的長期侵攻而擴增了獲頒的資格，於公元1937年被東非軍事行動獎章所取代。

正面為義大利國王伊曼紐三世右側半身像，頭戴薩伏依王冠。章緣的邊環呈階梯狀的三層。

背面中央橫列拉丁銘文「CAMPAGNE D’AFRICA」，周圍環繞月桂葉冠。綬帶為紅底鑲藍邊。原章並依具體戰役而有相應的銘牌（clasps）。

義大利統一後，為了爭取地中海霸權、確保重要航道並打通北非與東非之間的連繫，義大利將東非與北非列為殖民擴張的重心。公元1881年法國搶先占領突尼西亞，公元1884年英國掌控埃及，使義大利在北非布局受挫，迫使其加快向東非紅海沿岸及北非剩餘地區擴張的腳步。同時，統一後的義大利面臨南北貧富懸殊、經濟蕭條及政局動盪等困境，政府試圖透過海外殖民轉移國內階級矛盾。極端國家主義分子與後來的法西斯政權亦極力鼓吹「重振古羅馬帝國光榮」，加上本土缺乏煤炭等工業能源且農業人口過剩，政府期望透過取得東非阿比西尼亞（Abyssinia，今衣索比亞）等地的黃金、雲母、咖啡與棉花等資源，緩解國內的經濟與人口壓力。

義大利在非洲的軍事行動最早於公元1880年代在紅海沿岸的東非地區展開。公元1887年義軍發動遠征（Spedizione），隨後爆發薩阿蒂（Saati）之戰、多加利（Dogali）之戰與一系列非洲戰役。公元1888年義軍繼續發動薩加內蒂（Saganeiti）之戰，逐步向內陸推進，公元1889年先後攻佔克倫（Cheren）與阿斯馬拉（Asmara），奠定了意屬厄利垂亞的基石。在鞏固東非據點期間，義軍亦與蘇丹馬赫迪（德維希，Dervisci）教派武裝發生多次邊境衝突，包含公元1890年第一次阿戈爾達特之戰（Agordat I）、公元1891年哈拉特（Halat）之戰、公元1892年塞羅貝蒂（Serobeti）之戰、公元1893年第二次阿戈爾達特之戰（Agordat II）、公元1894年卡薩拉（Cassala / Kassala）之戰、公元1894年哈拉特之戰，以及公元1897年打擊德維希人等行動。

公元1889年義大利與阿比西尼亞簽訂《烏查里條約》，但雙方對保護國條文產生嚴重分歧，克里斯皮內閣隨後於公元1895年發動侵略，爆發庫蒂特（Coatit）之戰與一系列非洲戰役。在公元1896年阿多華（Adua）戰役中，義軍遭到阿比西尼亞軍隊重創擊敗，導致內閣垮臺，吞併阿比西尼亞的野心暫時挫敗。與此同時，義大利亦將觸角伸向東非南部的索馬利亞，接連侵略拉福萊（Lafole）、哲利布（Gelib）、達納內（Danane）、巴加萊（Bagallei）、東加布（Dongab）、梅萊特（Mellet）、阿拉雷（Arare）、布拉洛（Bullalo），一次大戰期間還有布洛布蒂（Buloburti）之戰，逐步對索馬利亞沿海至內陸河流域建立實質殖民統治。

公元1911年焦利蒂政府假借保護本國僑民為由發動義土戰爭，出兵攻打鄂圖曼土耳其帝國轄下的利比亞，戰後簽訂《洛桑條約》成功奪取利比亞，並在愛琴海占領了多得卡列斯群島。墨索里尼與法西斯黨上臺後，極力推動極端擴張政策。公元1925年至公元1927年間，義軍發動外朱巴（Oltre Giuba）行動與北索馬利亞（Somalia Settentrionale）戰役，徹底征服並肅清北索馬利亞蘇丹國。公元1935年墨索里尼更發動第二次義阿戰爭，動用現代化武器與毒氣征服阿比西尼亞，將衣索比亞、厄利垂亞及義屬索馬利亞合併為「義屬東非」，達到其非洲擴張的頂峰。然而，長期且頻繁的非洲殖民戰爭嚴重透支了義大利國庫與財政，加劇了國內通膨與社會對立。公元1930年代對衣索比亞的暴行亦導致義大利陷入外交孤立並退出國際聯盟，進一步促成其與納粹德國結盟，最終捲入第二次世界大戰並走向法西斯政權的覆滅。

維克多·伊曼紐三世(Vittorio Emanuele III)，公元1900至1946年在位。任內歷經義土戰爭、第一次世界大戰與戰後社會危機，並在公元1918年勝利後獲稱「勝利之王」。然而，他在公元1922年選擇不對墨索里尼的黑衫軍採取武力抵制，允許法西斯黨接管政府，被視為法西斯獨裁得以建立的關鍵推手。公元1930年代，他名義上仍是國家元首，但實權被墨索里尼完全壟斷。二戰後隨著義大利戰敗與共和派興起，他於公元1946年退位並流亡埃及，於公元1947年在亞歷山卓逝世。