Collapse of Fascist Italy 1940-45 Flashcards
what were the 4 key antifascist groups?
- actionists
- communists
- socialists
- catholics
how many Italian workers were in wartime production?
6 million
why were working conditions bad?
- longer shifts
- bombing raids
- rationing
- food shortages
- growing black marker
when was the a wave of industrial strikes?
March 1943 in Turin
100,000 workers
who ran the strikes of March 1943?
the PCI
however small fraction were actually involved
what were the demands of the strikers?
- more food
- better conditions
- an end to the war
what did the protests show about Mussolini’s position in power?
they showed that Italians hated the war and that many had lost faith in Fascism and with M
examples of Italian anti-war slogans
AGAINST THE 12-HOUR DAY ANS AGAINST THIS DAMNED WAR
how many Italians were lost at Stalingrad?
200,000
what sprouted anti-German feeling amongst the Italians?
- 200,000 lost at Stalingrad fighting for the Germans
- the loss of skilled workers to the Germans
when were Italy close to defeat and why?
July 1943
Allies had landed in Sicily
the Germans had pulled out of North Africa
who did M blame for Italy’s military losses?
- his Generals
- Hitler
what was a ‘coup from above’?
M was removed by the King (who is above him)
when did M call a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council?
24 July 1943
why did M call a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council?
he believed he could reinforce his authority by bullying the fascist leaders to support him
who plotted against M?
Grandi
Bottai
Ciano
what did Grandi’s resolution state?
immediate restoration of all state functions
return to constitutional law with the King retrieving his powers and the government returning
what was the result of Grandi’s resolution?
19 votes to 7
when did M go to visit the King?
25 July 1943
what decision did the King make?
he decided to dismiss M immediately and replace him with Badoglio
what happened to M?
was arrested, put into an ambulance and taken to prison
what did Grandi thought would happen after M’s dismissal?
he thought that Fascism would carry on however the Italian people went completely against Fascism
what decision did Hitler make once he heard of M’s arrest?
he planned for a German occupation of Italy and the arrest of both the King and Badoglio
when did the Germans take Rome?
8 September 1943
what did the King call M?
‘the most hated man in Italy’
how many troops did Badoglio promise the allies?
60,000
which German commander took control over Northern Italy?
Field Marshal Albert Kesselring
when was the armistice signed with allies?
3 September 1943
when did the King leave Rome?
9 September 1943
how long did it take Kesselring to take Rome?
48 hours
when did M escape prison?
12 September 1943
where was M’s prison?
at a ski resort in the Gran Sasso mountains
what was the operation to rescue M called and who carried it out?
Operation Oak
carried out by German commandos led by Otto Skorzeny
what did M say to Hitler after being rescued?
‘i am ready to receive my orders’
what ultimatum did Hitler give M?
he threatened to destroy Genoa, Milan and Turin if he did accept to run a republic in the north
what happened at Kefalonia in September 1943?
the island of Kefalonia had 12,000 Italian troops alongside German troops
once the armistice was announced the Italian troops decided to resist the Germans on the island
the Germans replied with force and forced the Italians to surrender on 22 September 1943
how many Italian soldiers were shot for treason by the Germans?
5,000
what was the nation in the south of Italy called?
Kingdom of the South
what criminal organisation had now returned to Italy after M was deposed?
the Mafia
M had done a good job at suppressing them but now that he was gone they returned
when was Naples liberated?
October 1943
when was Rome liberated?
June 1944
what was M’s nation in the north called?
The Salo Republic
the RSI
where were most of the RSI’s govt offices based?
Lake Garda
where did M live in the RSI?
in Gardone
where did M want the RSI to be based and why did Hitler not allow this?
he wanted Milan to be the base but Hitler insisted that Milan would be susceptible to bombings
the real reason was that they didn’t want M to gain a large power base
how long did the Salo Republic last for?
600 days
key figures in the RSI?
- Graziani
- Guidi
- Pavolina
who was the head of the Republican Fascist Party?
Allesandro Pavolina
what was the Republican Fascist Party?
the replacement for the PNF
did the RSI have armed forces?
yes they had an army, a navy and an air force
they fought alongside the Germans against the allies and anti-fascists
by July 1944 how many divisions and men were in the army of the RSI?
4 divisions
50,000 men
what was the fascist police force called?
the GNR
what was the Black Brigades?
one of many paramilitary groups used to fight against partisans
what was a partisan?
Italians who aided the allies in their offence against the Germans
what were M’s political ideology for the RSI?
he wanted to return to his old socialist roots
- stressed the importance of breaking away from big business
- adopting radical anti-bourgeois policies
how did the RSI contribute to the Final Solution?
7500 Jews were collected by Italians and sent to the Germans
why was the RSI a puppet state?
- the RSI only controlled part of Italy which made economic life difficult
- M was a puppet ruler under the control of Hitler
His villa was under SS guard and he made little public appearances - M was no longer an exciting leader
- the RSI did not stand with the popular opinion of ending the war thus making it an unpopular movement
what problem did M suffer from?
chronic stomach problems
when was the ‘razzia of Rome’?
16 November 1943
how many Jews were rounded up during the razzia?
8,000 Jews
what was the role of the Pope in the razzia?
some say he helped hide Jews while others say he allowed for the persecution to happen
who was the Inspector of Race from March 1944?
Preziosi who was a fanatical ant-Semite who orgainsed round ups of Jews in the RSI
what was the greatest atrocity committed by the Germans in Italy?
the Ardeatine Caves massacre
24 March 1944
ordered by Hitler and carried out by Herbert Kappler
how many were killed in the massacre?
335 Italians
of which 77 were Jews
how many partisans were killed by German forces between 1943-45?
9500
what was the Verona Manifesto?
constitutional plan for the RSI:
- abolition of the Monarchy
- Roman Catholicism as state religion
- continuation of the war
when and where did Ciano’s trial happen?
Verona
11 January 1944
which fascist members were sentenced to death?
Gottarai De Bono Marinelli Poreschi Ciano
all charged with treason
who escaped the death penalty and why?
Tullio Cianetti
because he apologised to M after voting to kick him out
what did Ciano shout before being shot?
LONG LIVE ITALY
what was the CLNAI
committee of national liberation for northern Italy
an umbrella organisation for all of the partisan groups in the RSI
what did the CLNAI do?
they were a small force compared to the RSI militia and the German army so they resorted to sabotage and assassinations
who were the actionists?
middle class Italian opposition led by Bonomi
how many partisans were actionists?
25,000
who were the socialist partisans?
members of the old socialist part who were involved in minor resistance to the RSI
who were the Catholic partisans?
members of the Christian Democrats who were willing to work with leftist ideals
how many Catholic partisans were there?
20,000
who were the Communist partisans?
most organised out of the 4
backed by Stalin in Russia who sent Togliatti from exile in Moscow to collaborate with the partisans in Naples
how many Communist partisans were there?
30,000
what was GAP?
a communist group
Patriotic Action Group
where did GAP operate and how strong were they?
in the countryside where they utilised guerrilla warfare
30-50,000 members
how many Germans were killed by partisans?
5,000
25,000 wounded
when did M try to escape Italy?
25 April 1945
who was M’s mistress who stuck with him to the end?
Clara Petacci
how was M captured?
his convoy was stopped by partisans and he was identified (he was in disguise as a drunk German soldier)
he was then arrested
where was M executed?
the village of Dongo
he was immediately executed as well as Clara
where was M’s body hanged?
in Milan at a petrol station
