To what extent did the Italian nation change between 1943-45 Flashcards
1
Q
The Allied Invasion
A
- No concrete plan after Sicily - knew a southern invasion would be difficult but it would divert forces from the main focus on North France.
- British PM Churchill = attack gives benefits by acquiring more airfields to attack Germany and opening another front. Convinced America to approve the invasion after Britain guaranteed the main focus was Northern France.
- Hoped to capture Rome relatively quickly by Christmas - little evidence Italy would be defended by German troops who appeared to be in north of Rome (forced into a slow war of attribution).
2
Q
Italian invasion
Why was the key issue of invasion the events in Italy following Mussolini’s removal?
A
- The king placed the control of Italy and the armed forces under Marshall Badoglio.
- Began negotiating surrender to the Allies on Sept 3rd 1943 - promised to secure all of the airfields and ports, the navy and airforce, and 60,000 Rome-based troops.
- However, when publicised on Sept 8th - no clear action made to troops (e.g ust one that they should attack if retailated).
3
Q
Italian invasion
The impact of failing to put his surrender promise into place on Sept 8th
A
- Italian soldiers were confused (one million surrendered or wished to continue fighting with the Germans) and the month taken to negotiate surrender allowed Hitler to plan Germany’s invasion of Italy (Sept 9th, 1943).
- As King, Badogolio and top military leaders fled south towards the Allies and failed to issue orders for the army to fight against the Germans, this the lack of direction meant Rome was not well defended and easily captured by Germany.
- Declared war on Germany on Sept 13th (king reached Allies).
4
Q
Italian invasion
The Battle with Germany to capture Rome
A
- Took 9 months rather than four - Germans fiercely defended whilst the Allied advance was hampered by poor weather and geography (a brutal war of attribution).
- Allied army depleted by 9 months - troops were transferred for the invasion of North France but it helped as it drew in one million German soldiers.
- Rome captured by the Allies on June 4th, 1944.
5
Q
What event did the battle of the north ran in parallel to?
A
- Battle for the North ended on May 2nd, 1945.
- Ran in parallel to a brutal civil war between anti-fascism and fascist Italians, accentuated by Mussolini’s return and his Italian Social Republic.
6
Q
Republic of Salo
Mussolini’s escape from prison
A
- Sept 12 = German commandos rescued Mussolini from the isolated prison on Gran Sasso.
- Sept 13 = Met Hitler in E. Prussia and demanded Mussolini head the new Fascist mini-state in German occupied Italy.
- Sept 25 = returned to Italy and established the capital in Gargano - the RSI became known as the Salo Republic.
7
Q
Republic of Salo
How was the new fascist government a puppet state of Nazi Germany?
A
- Ensured the bodies would be spread 100 miles across northern Italy to prevent it functioning effectively.
- Appointing officials in various parts of the RSI w/o Mussolini’s permission.
- Forced to sign a deal to pay the Germans 7B lire a month.
- Controlled telephones, censored letters and gave orders to the army and police.
- BUT NOT ENTIRELY USELESS - controlled the richest, most populated areas of Italy and Mussolini established a cabinet of radical fascists (unpurged, violence-seeking blackshirts from the 1920s).
8
Q
Republic of Salo
November 14th = first congress of the new party
A
- Drew up the Verano Manifesto - took a more leftward turn like 1919, calling for a republic, nationalised industry and more worker-orientated ideology.
- From Feb 12th 1944, all private companies with 100+ employees or one million lire in capital would be managed equally by workers and employees, like all state-owned industries.
- HOWEVER despite his grand gestures - had no time, support or willingness from the Germans to put his policies into place.
9
Q
Republic of Salo
How was it violent?
A
- Executed some of the leading fascists (inc. Ciano) for their involvement in removing Mussolini from power on Jan 11th, 1944.
- Classified Judaism as a nationality - actively assisted German plans to send Italian Jews to Nazi Death camps (7.5k transferred from Italian camps - nearly 7k executed).
- Drew on support of radical fascists = formed a new milita (National Republican Guard); RSI 200k army (early 1944) grew to nearly 573k (greater than the antifascist partisan forces).
10
Q
Salo Republic
Civil War
A
- Raged in the north between antifascists and German/RSI forces.
- Terrorised Northern Italians as a means to ensure they wouldn’t shelter partisan soldiers and would report their presence if seen.
- German policy set out that for every German soldier that died, ten Italians would be executed (e.g March 1944 - 33 killed Germans also killed 355 Italians).
- 200,000 partisans took place in the resistance, and German forces killed 70k.
11
Q
Salo Republic
Comparison with the Kingdom of the South
A
- Effectively a client state - little say in its affairs, being controlled by the Allied occupation.
- However, King didn’t purge the govt and police who worked with the fascists, making little change in local leadership (loyal con elites helped control the rising social unrest).
- Following the declaration of war on Germany in Sept 1943 - made little attempt to organise an Italian contribution.
- Encouraged to broaden the govt to include antifascist parties after the Allied occupation of Rome - replaced Badoglio with the former liberal PM Bonomi.
- Increased resistance because of the state of the war and conscription (100k). 50k fought with the Allies BUT formed a North-South separation (fighing confined to the North).
12
Q
German Surrender
A
- Organised a large military force but its low popularity, esp. as the war progressed with Germany clearly loosing (many didn’t join either/waited for the Allies in the North).
- By April 1945, the Allies began capturing major areas of N. Italy - Musso moved to Milan and tried to negotiate surrender. Discovered trying to escape towards Switzerland + executed on April 28th with other fascists.
- Fighting continued - Germans signed the surrender on April 29th and agreed to a ceasefire on May 1st, 1945 - war ended on May 2nd after H’s suicide.
13
Q
Referendums and elections
How was Italy in a worser condition than 1918 after WWII?
A
- Wrecked economy, infrastructure and with little food and clean water.
- Nearly 500k died (inc. 17k antifascist and 13k RSI soldiers and revenge killing of 30k ‘fascist supporters’).
- Division was a major problem for the new state = the antifascist Communists, Socialists and Christian Democrats established it on the values of the ‘resistance’ and the it ignored the south (fought mostly in the north).
- King abdicated, leaving his son in charge.
- Division demonstrated on June 2nd, 1946 where Italians voted for a Constituent Assembly and Republicsm (12.7 million for/10.7 no) - divided on geographical terms with North in favour, South against.
14
Q
The New Govt
A
- Included females in the electorate.
- Christian Democrats won 207 seats, PSI 114, PCI 104 .
- Constitution established a liberal democracy, civil and political freedom, replaced the king with a President as a head of state, and an independent judiciary system.
- Some aspects of Musso’s rule remained (included the Lateran Pacts).
