The One-Eyed Man of Victory and the Hypermetropic Traitor

The One-Eyed Man of Victory and the Hypermetropic Traitor is the defining contrast in Gabriele D’Annunzio’s proclamation against the Rapallo Treaty: a figure associated with victory faces a traitor whose long sight suggests an opposing, distant perspective. The image makes the treaty a betrayal of national sacrifice and presents resistance as a final act of allegiance to Italy.

The Image of Victory and Betrayal

The proclamation announces impending bloodshed and addresses Italians in Trieste, Istria, and Venezia Giulia, tracing its appeal from the Timavo to the Carnaro. Within that geography, the One-Eyed Man of Victory is set against the Hypermetropic Traitor. The text does not identify the latter by name; instead, the label turns political opposition into a moral contrast between victory and betrayal.

Sacrifice and National Allegiance

D’Annunzio presents those facing death as offering their sacrifice to the future and bidding farewell to both nearby and distant compatriots. The speaker’s declaration that he would continue to cry out even if his throat were cut makes the image of the traitor part of an appeal for defiant resistance. The proclamation closes by affirming Italy, redirecting the threatened sacrifice toward national loyalty.