Page 53 - NONOSTANTE IL LUNGO TEMPO TRASCORSO…Le stragi nazifasciste nella guerra di liberazione 1943–1945
P. 53
ENG
Paolo Pezzin
Paolo Pezzino
o
Historian
On September 8th 1943 the Italian Armistice -signed on Sep-
tember 3rd in Cassibile (Sicily)- was announced, and estab-
lished the unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces. The
news spread in the afternoon, broadcast by the Supreme
Commander of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean, Gen-
eral Dwight David Eisenhower, while the King and General Ba-
doglio (who had been appointed as head of the government
after Mussolini’s arrest on July 25th 1943) were still tergiver-
sating, trying to delay the announcement because they feared
the German reaction.
The outcome of this ambiguous behaviour of defend the city. No Army is capable of fighting
the Monarchy and the government resulted in without a clear and legitimate hierarchy, which
Italy being totally unprepared for the conse- sends precise orders.
quences of such an announcement: that is to Nevertheless, several battles were fought
say, the occupation of the country at the hands between Italians and Germans, sometimes be-
of the German Army. The King, General Ba- yond the limits of regular war: many Units re-
doglio and the upper echelons of the Army es- fused to surrender their weapons to the Ger-
caped - this unluckily is the word that best re- mans. Episodes of resistance, spontaneous or
flects their conduct - towards Brindisi, passing organised by Commanders, took place in Tren-
through Pescara, leaving the Italian Army de- to, Gorizia, Trieste, Cuneo, Savona, La Spezia,
prived of clear instructions. The Army was thus Pisa, Piombino, Chieti, Ascoli, Viterbo, Naples.
fragmented, as a perpetual symbol of national The Italian fleet sailed to Malta, according to
indolence. However, this is an unfair judgement: the Armistice’s conditions, but only half of it
we should underline that the State fragment- reached the island. In the battle for the defence
ed itself, after September 8th. The headquar- of Rome, from September 8th to September
ters did not receive any alarm both in Italy and 10th, soldiers and civilian volunteers fought to-
abroad, and therefore were taken by surprise. gether for the first time. 1,167 soldiers and ap-
The orders received in Rome, instead, were proximately 120 civilians died in those days.
to protect the escape of the King and not to There were frequent episodes of resistance
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