“Boot, you must die!”

Italy’s “betrayal” deeply outraged the inhabitants of the Monarchy. The former ally has switched to the enemy. This was already the main crime in the history of the boys from Pál Street a popular Hungarian youth novel. Accordingly, the Monarchy’s propaganda machine continuously used Italian treachery to maintain the war enthusiasm. I have already dealt with several forms of this, for example here. Now another sarcastic-sounding badge is the topic.

“Boot, you must die!” says the inscription on the badge, referring to the shape of Italy. Propaganda materials called the Italian opponent sometimes a cat, sometimes an assassin, and sometimes simply a boot. In each case, the belittling and contempt of the Italian opponent radiates through. This condescending tone was not justified, since at the end of the war it was “the Boot” that became one of the laughing third, Romania the other. The Monarchy and the Russian Empire mutually destroyed each other.