40,000 Somali recruits gained only a nominal label change from fascist rule

Evidence

The non-Italian population was subjected to a complex body of discriminatory laws designed to uphold the racial status of the colonists; and, although mixed liaisons were common, officially they were frowned upon, and inter-racial marriage was totally forbidden. Fortunately, however, the Italian legal machine, though capable of issuing severe and arbitrary punishments for trivial offences, was at the best of times extremely cumbersome, and moreover tended often to be mitigated in its effects by the inducements in kind or in money to which Somali found many Italian officials open. And after the conquest of Ethiopia in which more than 40,000 Somali recruits had participated, the Somali population at large was rewarded by the rather empty privilege of being officially designated as ‘Somalis’ or ‘Natives’ in place of the derogatory terms ‘subject’ and ‘indigeno’ which had previously been the official usage. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 308

Categorization

• XREF: The empty semantic concession mirrors other nominal gestures to colonized Somalis across the wider colonial record. — connects to: Most Somalis under fascist Italy were not actively hostile to their rulers. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 309; Italian colonial education policy segregated Somali students from Italian ones — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 274

Related

• Most Somalis under fascist Italy were not actively hostile to their rulers. (similarity 0.86)
• Italian colonial law forced Somalis to salute Italians or face flogging (similarity 0.85)
• Italian colonial education policy segregated Somali students from Italian ones (similarity 0.81)
• Italian colonial rule segregated Somali schoolchildren by race in 1929 (similarity 0.80)
• The Italians recruited northern Somali nomads as their favored ‘warrior’ soldiers (similarity 0.80)
• Italian colonial education caps produced servile Somalis and compelled ritual salutes. (similarity 0.79)
• Italian fascist settlers in 1920s Somalia dispossessed and enslaved Somalis (similarity 0.79)
• Fascist monopolies excluded Somalis from competing economically with Italians (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Most Somalis under fascist Italy were not actively hostile to their rulers. #corroborates (0.70) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 309
• Italian colonial education policy segregated Somali students from Italian ones #expands (0.50) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 274