The main purpose of this essay is to present the results of a recent research about the experience of thousands of foreign right-wing militants willing to serve as volunteers under the Italian flags in the Ethiopian war of 1935-1936. After some discussion, the project was rejected by the Italian government, but the idea of such a legion, though discarded, gives us the opportunity to shed new light on the connections, ties of solidarity and contradictions among the Fascist and right-wing movements during that fateful period. Special attention is given to the nationality of the would-be volunteers, their ideological and political outlooks and their connections with Italy and with their respective countries of residence.
Keywords: Fascism, foreign volunteers, Ethiopian war, Fascist internationalism, Italian Armed Forces, mercenaries