M4- Democracy restored 1943-46 Flashcards
why did the allies want to invade Italy?
would give them access to Italian airfields from which bombing of Germany could be done easily
would allow the allies to set up a second front in the Balkans against the Germans which would divert German troops from the Western front
when did Badoglio sign the Italian surrender?
3 September 1943
what was PROMISED as a part of the surrender?
that all Italian airfields and ports would be handed over to the Allies
60,000 Italian troops would assist the allies
how did the Italian soldiers react to the surrender?
many were confused as they had just been fighting ALONGSIDE the Germans
many decided to surrender
many continued to fight alongside the Germans
when did Germany invade Italy?
9 September 1943
why was there little defence against the Germans in Rome?
there was no order given to Italian troops to resist the Germans
was done to prevent German retribution attacks on Italian civillians
when did the allies manage to take Rome?
4 June 1944
why did it take so long for the allies to push the Germans out of Rome?
the terrain was mountainous which made fighting difficult
the October weather initially made conditions wet
German troops would destroy bridges and mountain passes to prevent the Allies from progressing
when was Mussolini freed from prison?
12 September 1943
who had free Mussolini?
a group of German paratroopers on the order of Hitler
Otto Skorzeny
what ultimatum did Hitler give Mussolini?
the Nazis would set up a new fascist government in Northern Italy which Mussolini had to lead
if he refused, German troops would destroy Milan, Turin and Genoa
when was the RSI set up?
23 September 1943
how was the RSI heavily controlled by Germany?
control of government office
appointment of officials
forcing payments
control of government office
the Germans ensured that government offices were spread over 100 miles to prevent the running of an effective government
appointment of officials
the Germans appointed RSI officials without consulting Mussolini
forcing payments
the Germans forced the RSI to pay 7 billion lire a month to Germany
what was significant about the RSI territory?
it was the richest land in Italy
it also controlled the industrial heartland of the North with Milan, Genoa and Turin
who made up Mussolini’s RSI cabinet?
radical fascists who had been important during the fascist violence and blackshirt action in the 1920s
when was the Verona Manifesto proclaimed by the RSI?
14 November 1943
what did the Verona Manifesto outline?
it attempted to take fascism back to its violent origins
anticlerical
nationalisation of industry
a true corporate state
what changes did Mussolini make to the running of private companies?
all private companies with more than 100 employees would be managed equally by workers and employees
why was Mussolini never able to fully carry out his policies for the RSI?
the Germans never gave any support for his policies
he also had very little time as the Germans were too busy fighting against the Allies and they were now being pushed back
in what ways was the RSI a brutal regime?
dealing with disloyal fascists
anti-Semitism
which prominent fascists were executed by the RSI?
De Bono
Ciano
for their involvement in Mussolini’s deposition
when were De Bono and Ciano executed?
11 January 1944
how many fascists were sentenced to death in absentia?
13 including Dino Grandi
how did the Verona Manifesto outline the status of Jews in the RSI?
Judaism was declared as a nationality
and declared that all Jews were to be classed as enemies
how did RSI fascists help the Nazis carry out the Final Solution?
prominent members such as Farinacci helped the Germans to round up Italian Jews to be sent to concentration camps?
how many Italian Jews were taken from Italian camps and sent to Nazi death camps in easter Europe?
7000
which Nazi was in control of Nazi-occupied Italy?
Albert Kesselring
which Nazi official was responsible for the deportation of 1000 Italian Jews?
Karl Hass
what was the militia in the RSI called?
the GNR
how many men were recruited into the GNR?
140,000
at the start of 1944 how many men were in the RSI army?
200,000
how large was the RSI navy?
20,000 men
how large was the RSI airforce?
28,000 men
how large was the RSI anti-air division?
50,000 men
how many men in the RSI armed forces?
573,000
who was the Minister of Defence in the RSI?
Rodolfo Graziani
who did the RSI armed forces fight against?
Italian partisans (anti-fascists)
the allied forces
how were Italians in the RSI discouraged from helping partisans?
they were terrorised into reporting any partisan presence in their local area
the Germans declared that they would execute 10 Italians for every German soldier killed
when was the bomb attack on Via Rasella?
23 March 1944
how many German troops died in the bombing?
33
what was the Nazi response to the bombing?
335 Italians were rounded up and executed in the Ardeatine caves
who was the commander of the Security Police in Rome?
Herbert Kappler
which fascist was important in providing extra prisoners for the massacre?
Pietro Caruso
fascist of the RSI in Rome
what % of civilian executions were carried out by the RSI?
10%
by June 1944 how many partisan fighters were there?
82,000
what role did the partisan fighters have?
sabotage
political assassinations
destruction of bridges and railways
what % of partisan forces were part of the PCI?
60%
the communists made a large majority of the force
what was formed to coordinate partisan actions?
CLNAI
in January 1944
how many German troops did partisans kill?
5000
were the partisans successful in defeating the Germans and the RSI?
were important in sabotaging and disrupting supplies and troop movement
but needed allied support to defeat the Germans
what had the King formed in the South?
the Kingdom of the South
what power did the Kingdom of the South have?
not much
they were a client state of the Allied forces
what changes did the King make to local governance?
he left the conservative elites who were prefects and podestas in their roles
why were the conservative elite important for the King?
they were strong supporters of the monarchy
they also wanted to stop a potential communist/social revolution
who replaced Badoglio as PM in June 1944?
Ivanoe Bonomi
why did the King dismiss Badoglio?
he was encouraged by the allies to restore anti-fascist parties in parliament
how many Italian men fought alongside the allies as a part of the Kingdom of the South?
50,000
many men resisted conscription as 100,000 men were intended to fight
why did many south Italians resist conscription?
they were angry at the King and Badoglio
they did not associate with the war
they believed the entire war was the work of Northern Italians
despite the RSI and the Partisan movement, what did most Italians want to do?
get on with their normal lives without war
evidence of Mussolini’s popularity as RSI leader
he had toured bombed out areas of Milan to great acclaim and received cheers during his speeches
when did Mussolini attempt to negotiate a surrender with the partisans?
25 April 1945
why did Mussolini pull out of negotiations with the partisans?
he received news of the Nazis negotiating their surrender with the Allies
the Nazis had not informed Mussolini of this
where was Mussolini executed?
Dongo
when was Mussolini executed?
27 April 1945
what happened to Mussolini’s body after he was executed?
was driven to Milan and displayed at Piazzale Loretto
huge crowds attacked his dead body
it was then hung at a petrol station
when did the German forces surrender?
1 May 1945
when did war in Italy end?
2 May 1945
how many Italians had died in WW2?
500,000
how many fascists were killed by partisans after the war ended?
30,000 revenge killings
what happened on 2 June 1946?
Italians voted for a Constituent Assembly to draw up a new constitution
Italians also voted to have a referendum to decide if Italy should become a republic
why were the Italian people angry at the King?
he had helped Mussolini get into power in 1922
he had failed to take strong action after Mussolini was deposed
many just wanted to get rid of the monarchy
who followed after Victor Emmanuel III’s abdication?
his son Umberto II
what was the result on the referendum for Italy to become a republic?
12.7 million to 10.7 million
in favour of abolishing the monarchy and the establishment of a republic
what was significant about this vote?
the majority of the North voted to get rid of the monarchy
the majority of the South voted to keep the monarchy
showed the different experiences felt by Italians
what was significant about the Constituent Assembly vote?
included female voters for the first time
who won the Constituent Assembly vote in 1946?
the Christian Democrats
207 seats
what changes were made to the Italian constitution?
Italy became a liberal democracy
guaranteed civil and political freedom
monarchy replaced by President
an independent judiciary system
what aspect of Fascist rule remained in the constitution?
the Lateran Pacts
(perhaps shows the only positive of Mussolini’s regime)
