Page 41 - History of War - Issue 29-16

MUSSOLINI’S DOWNFALL

A further ve soldiers would succumb to their had previously promised. Even worse though, attening Italian cities and towns with the way
wounds the following day. soldiers were known to indulge in the plunder the Germans had left Rome intact after being
Furious, the Germans responded by rounding and rape of the civilian population as they driven out by the American Fifth Army in the
up Jews, communists, criminals and others passed through. June of 1944.
that happened to be in the wrong place at the The Allied campaign had progressed
wrong time. The following day, in batches of ve The hamstrung leader remorselessly – following success in the
at a time, they were executed at the Ardeatine Mussolini despaired at the brutal nature of the fourth Battle of Cassino, in May 1944 – but
Caves, south of Rome. Brutal enough to start German occupation, but his new government there had been huge casualties on both sides
with, the executions became more cruel as the was toothless. Based, humiliatingly, at Salò as the Germans repeatedly fell back on new
day progressed and some of the victims were rather than Rome, the Repubblica Sociale defensive lines. The diversion of German units
actually beaten to death. Italiana (RSI) saw its various of ces scattered from France to help the Normandy invasion,
Inevitably, many groups turned their over a wide area in a deliberate attempt to limit launched on 6 June (just after the fall of Rome),
attentions away from the Germans and onto its ability to function ef ciently. was the stated aim of the Italian campaign,
infrastructure – such as bridges and railway Heaping further humiliation on Il Duce, he but as many historians would later note, it was
lines – or their fascist opponents, which did was granted a new army of just four divisions, debatable who was tying down whom.
not draw such a strong response. The civilian and the bulk of them would need to come
population, warned by the Germans not to get from new recruits. Only 12,000 of cers and A desperate escape
involved and encouraged by the Allies to do just NCOs were allowed to return from Germany By the end of 1944, Mussolini was little more
that, entered a terrifyingly uncertain phase, and conscription was required to ll out the than a recluse, but he still had a little ght
where retribution for an act of resistance could new army’s pitifully meagre ranks. This led to left in him. He formulated a plan to launch
be delivered at any moment. a surge in partisan numbers, as many young a counteroffensive using his precious four
Severe supply shortages, caused by the men preferred to take their chances in the divisions, that failed to make any lasting gains
campaign raging within the country, also led to mountains rather than obey their call-up orders. against the allied advance.
an explosion of black market activity. In many Mussolini was not, however, a totally spent In a last display of his old passion, Mussolini
places the situation approached anarchy as force. Falling back on his early career as a gave a speech in Milan in December, drawing
armed gangs simply robbed people and houses journalist, he became a proli c writer once rapturous applause from a packed crowd at the
in order to sell the proceeds. The Allied forces, more, churning out propaganda pieces that Teatro Lirico.
slowly inching their way up the country, also referred to the Allies as ‘Anglo-American It was little more than a last hurrah. His
failed to deliver the level of provisions they invaders’ and contrasted their habit of German doctor declared, in February 1945,
“MUSSOLINI DESPAIRED AT THE BRUTAL NATURE OF THE GERMAN

OCCUPATION, BUT HIS NEW GOVERNMENT WAS TOOTHLESS”

ITALY’S PARTISANS GIUSTIZIA E LIBERTÀ (JUSTICE

AND LIBERTY) BRIGADES

ORGANISED RESISTANCE TO THE GERMANS AND ITALIAN FASCISTS CAME IN MANY FORMS Backed by the Action Party, GL brigades had the
lofty ambition of forming a sort of uni ed army
rather than merely engaging in guerrilla warfare.
GARIBALDI BRIGADES STELLA ROSSA They made up around 21 per cent of all partisan
forces in Italy and received preferential treatment
With communist backgrounds, the (RED STAR BRIGADE) from the Allies, who mistrusted the communists.
Garibaldi brigades were the largest One of their leaders, Ferruccio Parri (pictured),
faction in the partisan landscape. Usually One of the few partisan would go on to become a Prime Minister of Italy.
commanded by veterans of the Spanish organisations to be free from
Civil War, a brigade was nominally 100- political ideology, the Stella
300 strong, but numbers could be far Rossa resisted outside in uences
higher and uctuated wildly. Brigades and existed thanks to support and arms drops by
actually lost effectiveness when numbers the American-run Of ce of Strategic Services – the
swelled, making them a bigger, slower forerunner of the CIA. The Stella Rossa rst became
target for anti-partisan forces. active, with just 20 members, in November 1943.

Parri was a militant anti-
fascist and had been ghting
Partisans photographed Mussolini since the 1920s
on the road to Belgrade

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