The Nobel Prize is an international award, which is given annually since 1901 for outstanding achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and for Peace. In 1968 the Bank of Sweden instituted a Prize in Economic Sciences in Honour of Alfred Nobel. In 1907 the Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to Ernesto Teodoro Moneta during a formal ceremony held on December 10, Alfred Nobel’s death anniversary at Oslo, Norway. So far he is the only Italian who has received the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Birth

On September 20, 1833 Moneta was born in Milan. His parents were Milanese aristocrats. Although his parents were impoverished he spent his childhood in two country houses. They lived on a patriarchal scale although without luxury.

Military career

In 1848 he participated in the Milanese insurrection against Austrian rule. He was only fifteen years old when he fought next to his father to defend his home against the Austrian soldiers in the war of liberation. He saw three Austrian soldiers die near him and this had a profound effect on him. This experience led to a dual advocacy of peace and fighting for his own brand of nationalism. From 1848 to 1866 he fought for Italian independence and unification. In 1861 he joined the regular Italian Army. He fought with Guiseppe Garibaldi in 1859 and 1860. He became aide-de- camp to General Sirtori. He cut short his military career, as he was disillusioned with military life after the campaign of 1866. He fought in the Battle of Custoza in 1866 after which he and returned to civilian life. All his life he remained personally loyal to General Sirtori.

At Il Secolo

In 1866 he contributed play reviews and other articles to the daily newspaper Il Secolo. In 1867 two of his friends took over the newspaper and offered him editorship. This was a turning point in his life. Il Secolo is one of the most important newspapers in Italy. He remained editor of Il Secolo from 1867 to 1895. Journalism proved to be the ideal outlet for this pacifist. He forged a strong relation with the readers by his innovations and integrity. He turned Il Secolo into a powerful tool, which shaped public opinion without compromising its editorial stand. It also adapted an anticlerical stance when certain clergy were responsible for blocking Italian unification and progress of society. Although he was a devout Catholic his permission to the newspaper to adopt an anti-clerical stance upset his wife. This was the main reason, which led to an estrangement with her and his two sons during her lifetimes.

As editor of Il Secolo he also played a role in highlighting the problems rampant in the Italian Army. Through his columns he campaigned vigorously for reforms. He made various practical suggestions to streamline the procedures that were in place in order to increase the effective strength of the army.

Personal attributes

Moneta was a warm, cheerful and handsome man. He liked riding horses. He also acted in a few amateur theatricals. He was physically fit and liked to exercise. He was a man of strong personal convictions and courage. He was sometimes described as a nationalistic internationalist. He was paradoxical by nature. He began his early career in the military and could almost be called chauvinistically nationalist and yet he was a pacifist too. The contradictions in his character did not end with the different personality traits. It also spilled over to his professional life. He was a devout and practicing catholic. Yet he advocated anti clerical articles in the newspaper Il Secolo. He believed that specific abuses among the clergy were hampering the unification and progress of his beloved country and hence he had the conviction to speak out against their activities. This professional integrity put in jeopardy the personal life of this courageous man. Yet he did not alter his stance even going against his personal religion of Catholicism to maintain his editorial balance. This was the strength of his character.

His opus

Moneta gathered a lot of material during the last thirty years of the nineteenth century and wrote his opus Le guerre, le insurrezioni e la pace nel secolo XIX (Wars, Insurrections and Peace in the Nineteenth Century). He published this great piece of literary work in four volumes in 1903, 1904, 1906 and 1910. In the first volume he speaks of the development of the international peace movement during the course of the century. This is of great interest and he adopts a journalistic style, which is in first person and also in an anecdotal style. This adds to the charm of this work. He concentrates on military issues rather than social or economic ones throughout the works. The recurrent theme in his work is the lack of any results of substance achieved by wars and militarism. This is in great contrast to his sense of intense patriotism and his devotion to the cause of national defense. Although many of the readers were against Austria and exhibited “Gallo phobia” he fought for years against the contempt exhibited for Austria. He also played an important role in reducing the tensions between France and Italy. After he retired from the newspaper Il Secolo he became a full time pacifist.

Moneta and World Peace

Moneta was always a pacifist despite his military career. He engaged in several activities to promote world peace. In 1890 he issued an almanac called L’amico della pace. He promoted the cause of peace even after he retired as the editor of Il Secolo contributing columns from time to time on peace. He also republished his articles in the form of pamphlets and in periodicals. He also distributed his work in single page tracts to rural schoolmasters all in the cause of promoting peace.

In 1898 he published a fortnightly review called La Vita internazionale (International Life). This was a prestigious publication, which survived the vagaries of lack of interest, and financial support, which were the trends in Italy for a long time.

His work for peace was not confined to literary publications. In 1895 he became the Italian representative on the Commission of the International Peace Bureau. He was a respected member of the various peace congresses he attended throughout his life. He used his prominent position and influence in the Italian press circles to always champion the cause of peace. He worked in both private and public meetings always with the goal of attaining international peace specifically between France and Italy. He also organized various peace meetings in Italy. He also lectured at the Italian Popular University.

When the Lombardy Union for International Peace and Arbitration was founded he was an ardent and active supporter of this organization. One of the main reasons for the formation of this union was to remove the Gallo phobia, which was widespread in Italy in that period of time. He also founded the Societa per la pace e la guistizia internazionale (Society for International Peace and Justice) in 1887. He became the President of this organization after retiring from Il Secolo.

In 1906 he planned and had constructed a pavilion for peace at the Milan International Exposition. He presided over the fifteenth annual International Peace Congress in Milan.

In 1909 he attended a peace congress in Stockholm.

The Nobel Prize

In 1907 Ernesto Teodoro Moneta was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. He was given the prize in recognition of his efforts to promote international peace. He shared this award with Louis Renault. He was presented with a gold medal a citation and a cash award. He was felicitated by many of his countrymen including King Victor Emmanuel. Theodore Roosevelt also sent him a congratulatory telegram. Moneta was not only a popular and loved figure at home but was respected by many great personalities all over the world. He delivered the Nobel lecture on August 25, 1909 in French. He was unable to deliver it 1907 due to health reasons.

As a nationalist

Despite all his efforts to promote world peace in 1911 he supported Italy’s war against Turkey. He also advocated Italy’s entry into World War I in 1915 to combat the imperialist designs of the Central Powers.

Ill health

Moneta suffered from glaucoma from 1900 till his death. Despite the numerous operations he continued to fulfill his mission for establishing world peace. He never let any physical ailment diminish his exuberance.

Other honours

In 1925 his friends erected a monument for him. On the base of this monument there is an inscription, which reiterates the essential paradox of his life. It honours him both as a partisan of Garibaldi and as an apostle of peace. Since it was placed in a warehouse during the fascist regime it escaped destruction when a bomb fell on the site during World War II.

Death

On February 10, 1918 at the age of eighty- five Moneta succumbed to a bout of pneumonia and died. This Italian peacemaker was paradoxically called “militant pacifist” He will be remembered for the immense efforts he has taken to establish international peace and for a man who maintained both professional and personal integrity against all odds.