In Across the River and into the Trees, Colonel Richard Cantwell embodies a transatlantic military history that reflects both American involvement in European conflicts and Italy’s shifting political and military alliances. Italy entered World War I in 1915 on the side of the Allied Powers, joining Britain, France, and Russia. The Italian front, particularly along the Isonzo River and in the northeastern regions near Venice, became one of the war’s most brutal theaters. The Royal Italian Army endured heavy casualties, harsh terrain, and repeated offensives that produced limited territorial gains. Although Italy emerged among the victors, the war left deep social and political scars, contributing to economic instability and national disillusionment.

For foreign volunteers and medical personnel, including Americans who served in auxiliary roles before the United States formally joined the Allies in 1917, Italy became an early site of modern mechanized warfare and mass suffering. Simultaneously, American soldiers encountered European landscapes and traditions that contrasted sharply with their own, fostering a sense of both engagement and estrangement. These experiences influenced interwar American literature, particularly among writers who viewed war as a formative but morally ambiguous event.

World War II intensified these transatlantic connections while radically altering their political framework. Italy initially fought as part of the Axis Powers under Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, aligning itself with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Military failures and internal dissent led to Mussolini’s overthrow in 1943, after which Italy signed an armistice with the Allies. The country then became a divided battlefield, with Allied forces advancing northward while German troops occupied much of the territory. For American forces, the Italian campaign was marked by slow progress and high casualties. Fighting in mountainous regions entailed technical difficulties, while combat in historic cities frequently meant cultural loss. Meanwhile, American soldiers encountered both resistance and hospitality from Italian civilians, creating complex interpersonal dynamics that extended beyond the battlefield.

Venice’s experience during World War II differed from that of many Italian cities but was nonetheless shaped by occupation and uncertainty. The city was spared the extensive bombing suffered by industrial and transportation centers, in part because of its limited strategic value and its cultural significance. However, Venice endured shortages of food and fuel, restrictions on movement, and the presence of occupying German forces after 1943. The surrounding Veneto region experienced active conflict, including partisan resistance and reprisals, which brought the realities of war close to the lagoon. The end of the war left Venice physically intact but psychologically altered. The city faced economic hardship and demographic change as residents adapted to postwar scarcity and the gradual return of tourism. At the same time, Venice became a site of reflection for veterans and visitors seeking distance from the devastation visible elsewhere in Europe.

Within this context, Across the River and into the Trees reflects the long shadow cast by 20th-century warfare. Cantwell’s service in both world wars connects him to Italy’s military past and America’s expanding global role, and accumulated, repetitive loss heavily structures his reflections. The novel’s wartime context thus extends beyond specific battles or campaigns to encompass the burden of memory carried by nations and individuals who endured successive conflicts. By situating its narrative within the aftermath of World War II and against the background of earlier fighting in Italy, the novel presents war as an enduring condition that reshapes identity long after hostilities have formally ended.