#25 April Is the liberation's day (italian holiday)

[frc-ambaradan]

Happy April 25th y'all (italians and not)!

Let's always remember on this day that every people and every nation has not only the right, but the DUTY to stand up against oppression and subjugation and to fight for their identity, their culture, their freedom. Always and everywhere.

W il 25 Aprile!

W l'Italia!

"Contestare a un movimento che voglia liberare il proprio Paese da un’occupazione straniera la legittimità del ricorso alle armi significa andare contro le leggi della storia." Bettino Craxi

("To  challenge the legitimacy of armed fight to a movement who wants to free its Country from foreign occupation is to challenge the laws of History".)

[calabria-mediterranea]

25 April - Anniversary of Italy's Liberation

25 April also known as the Anniversary of Italy's Liberation is a national holiday in Italy that commemorates the victory of the Italian resistance movement against Nazi Germany and the Italian Social Republic, puppet state of the Nazis and rump state of the fascists, culmination of the liberation of Italy from German occupation and of the Italian civil war in the latter phase of World War II. That is distinct from Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica), which takes place on 2 June and commemorates the 1946 Italian institutional referendum.

Every year on 25 April Italy celebrates Liberation Day, known in Italian as Festa della Liberazione, with a national public holiday.

In addition to the closure of schools, public offices and most shops, the day is marked with parades across the country, organised by ANPI, Italy's partisan association which preserves the memory of the Resistance movement against Fascism.

The occasion is held in commemoration of the end of the Fascist regime and of the Nazi occupation during world war two, as well as the victory of Italy's Resistance movement of partisans who opposed the regime.

Formed in 1943, the partigiani comprised a network of anti-Fascist activists, from diverse backgrounds including workers, farmers, students and intellectuals, across Italy.

Resistance

Together they united in armed resistance against the Nazi occupation and the Fascist regime, making their struggle both a war of liberation and a civil war.

The annual event marks the day in 1945 when a nationwide radio broadcast calling for a popular uprising and general strike against the Nazi occupation and Fascist regime was announced by the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI), a political umbrella organisation representing the Italian Resistance movement.

This announcement - made by partisan and future president of Italy Sandro Pertini - resulted in the capture and death of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, who was shot three days later.

The Festa della Liberazione represents a significant turning point in Italy's history, paving the way for the referendum of 2 June 1946 when Italians voted in favour of a republic and against the monarchy which had been discredited during the war and whose members went into exile.

Scurati controversy

This year's event takes place against the backdrop of a political controversy after the state broadcaster RAI stopped a well-known Italian writer from delivering an anti-fascist monologue on television a few days before the Festa della Liberazione.

Antonio Scurati accused RAI of censorship after his monologue was dropped abruptly from the Saturday night talkshow Chesarà for "editorial reasons".

The writer claimed that the move highlighted the alleged attempts by premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government to exert its influence over the state broadcaster which has seen several veteran presenters leave over the last year including Fabio Fazio, Bianca Berlinguer and Amadeus.

 In his speech Scurati criticised the "ruling post-Fascist party" for wanting to "re-write history" rather than "repudiate its neo-fascist past".

RAI director Paolo Corsini rejected any talk of censorship, as did Meloni who responded to the controversy by posting Scurati's text on her Facebook page, stating that the broadcaster had "simply refused to pay 1800 euro (the monthly salary of many employees) for a minute of monologue".

Meloni added that the Italian people "can freely judge" the contents of the text which was later read live on air by Chesarà presenter Serena Bortone in an act of solidarity with Scurati.

[sy666th]

The anniversary of the liberation of Italy, also known as Liberation Day (or simply 25 April), is a national holiday of the Italian Republic, which is celebrated every 25 April to commemorate the liberation of Italy from Nazi occupation and fascist regime, crowning Italian resistance to Nazi-fascism.

"Bella ciao" (Goodbye beautiful) is an Italian song dedicated to the partisans of Italy who fought against the invading forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social Republic between 1943 and 1945 during the Italian resistance and the liberation of Italy.

In the song, a reference is made to the "partisan flower" which would forever remember the fighters who died in the Italian mountains and valleys for the liberation. This flower is popularly identified as the very common field poppy, with a bright red color that recalls the blood shed by the partisans. Years later, Fabrizio de Andrè, one of the most important Italian singer-songwriters, in the song "La Guerra di Piero" (one of the most popular Italian anti-militarist songs) recalls the "thousand red poppies that watch over you from the shadow of the ditches", speaking of a soldier who died in one of the many Italian wars. The thousand blood red poppies are ready every year to remind us how much our fragile freedom has cost…

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Saturday, 6th April

Welcome, добродошли (dobrodošli), welcome, velkommen 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 6th April through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

6th April 2022 🗓️ : Death - Vladimir Zhirinovsky Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian and Soviet politician (b. 1946) "Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky (Russian: Владимир Вольфович Жириновский, IPA: [vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr ˈvolʲfəvʲɪtɕ ʐɨrʲɪˈnofskʲɪj]; 25 April 1946 – 6 April 2022) was a Russian right-wing populist politician and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) from its creation in 1992 until his..."

Image licensed under CC BY 4.0? by State Duma

6th April 2019 🗓️ : Death - Michael O'Donnell (physician) Michael O'Donnell, British physician, journalist, author and broadcaster (b. 1928) "Michael O'Donnell (20 October 1928 – 6 April 2019) was a British physician, journalist, author and broadcaster. He became a full-time writer after working for 12 years as a doctor. On BBC Radio Four he was the last chairman and word-setter of My Word! and wrote and presented Relative Values. On BBC..."

6th April 2014 🗓️ : Death - Massimo Tamburini Massimo Tamburini, Italian motorcycle designer, co-founded Bimota (b. 1943) "Massimo Tamburini (November 28, 1943 – April 6, 2014) was an Italian motorcycle designer for Cagiva, Ducati, and MV Agusta, and one of the founders of Bimota. Tamburini's designs are iconic in their field, with one critic calling him the "Michelangelo of motorbike design". His Ducati 916 and MV..."

6th April 1974 🗓️ : Event - ABBA ABBA (pictured) won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden with the song "Waterloo". "ABBA ( AB-ə, Swedish: [ˈâbːa]; formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) were a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 nl? by AVRO

6th April 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Herb Thomas Herb Thomas, American race car driver (d. 2000) "Herbert Watson Thomas (April 6, 1923 – August 9, 2000) was a stock car racer who was one of NASCAR's most successful drivers in the 1950s. Thomas was NASCAR's first multi-time Cup Champion. ..."

6th April 1824 🗓️ : Birth - George Waterhouse (politician) George Waterhouse, English-New Zealand politician, 7th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1906) "George Marsden Waterhouse (6 April 1824 – 6 August 1906) was a Premier of South Australia from 8 October 1861 until 3 July 1863 and the seventh premier of New Zealand from 11 October 1872 to 3 March 1873...."

Image licensed under PD-Aus?

6th April 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Marcellinus of Carthage "Marcellinus of Carthage was a Christian martyr and saint who died in 413. He was secretary of state of the Western Roman Empire under Roman emperor Honorius and a close friend of Augustine of Hippo, as well as a correspondent of Saint Jerome. Saint Augustine dedicated the first books of his landmark..."

[cavenewstimes]

Good News in History, April 25

Good News Network     Today, millions of Italians will take to the streets and their backyard grills to celebrate Liberation Day, which marked the victory of the Partisans over the Italian Fascists and their Nazi puppets during the Italian Civil War. The second most important national holiday (as opposed to a religious holiday) in the country, Liberation Day is […] The post Good News in History,…

[noisynutcrusade]

Italy marks Liberation Day with holiday on 25 April

Rome celebrates 78th Liberation Day in 2023. Italy on 25 April celebrates the Festa della Liberazione which marks the country’s liberation from German occupation and fascist rule at the end of world war two. TO public holiday across Italy, all state schools and offices are closed on Tuesday 25 April, with many Italians planning a “bridge” long weekend by taking Monday 24 April off work. The day…

[severusnpe]

Italy's Liberation Day (Italian: Festa della liberazione), also known as the Anniversary of Italy's Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d'Italia), Anniversary of the Resistance (Anniversario della Resistenza), or simply 25 April (25 aprile) is a national Italian holiday commemorating the end of Nazi occupation during World War II and the victory of the Resistance in Italy. This is distinct from the Republic Day (Festa della Repubblica), which takes place on 2 June. History The date was chosen by convention, as it was the day of the year 1945 when the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI) officially proclaimed the insurgency in a radio announcement, propounding the seizure of power by the CLNAI and proclaiming the death sentence for all fascist leaders (including Benito Mussolini, who was shot three days later)[1]. By 1 May, all of northern Italy was liberated, including Bologna (21 April), Genoa (23 April), Milan (25 April), Turin and Venice (28 April). The liberation put an end to twenty-three years of fascist dictatorship and five years of war. It symbolically represents the beginning of the historical journey which led to the referendum of 2 June 1946, when Italians opted for the end of the monarchy and the creation of the Italian Republic, which was followed by the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic in 1948.

[spadotto-ottodespade]

What's happening in Italy? P2

left-wing parties are taking their time from work to remember us how unperfect Fedez is, Fedez replies on IG and Twitter with good facts and admitting he's done wrong in the past...but he's a a rapper (maybe not even that, as he said) and he's doing the best he can to get better.

Rai3 executive director, Franco Di Mare, spoke yesterday in the Supervisory Commission saying that "Rai did not ask for the text" of the rapper, "what he says is false. Rai was in the dark ".

The singer's reply came through IG's stories: "Di Mare claims that Rai has nothing to do with May Day because they only acquire the rights, accuses me of falsifications and alludes to the fact that I would have plotted with reporters. Lega proposes to file charges against me. First lie in front of everyone: after the statement in which Rai says that there was no censorship, I published a phone call in which the object of the communication is to try to modify my intervention. If Rai is not involved as Di Mare says, what is the role of the deputy director of Rai3 who tells me to be cautious with the names and considers my intervention inappropriate? I take on all the responsibilities and I knew very well what I was going to face”.

- stories

“I would do everything again. I know very well that I am privileged and if Rai sues me I have the means to defend myself, if Rai bans me from its networks it doesn't change my life. The problem is: another less privileged artist in my place would probably have given in. The same goes for Rai employees, who have to choose between freedom of speech and let the family eat. Is this behavior right for a state TV?"

- Huffpost

- X 6:36

"It looks like the fair of clichés, my car. Okay, I'll give you something new, I'm selling the Lamborghini, I don't use it much, I don't have the Lamborghini anymore... so? Does this strengthen and give more credibility to the words I say? I mean, if I buy myself a Panda can I- say what I think?"

I was actually waiting for Pio and Amedeo apologies....this is what they shared: 1 - 2 - 3

Short dramatic story.

Giorgia Meloni went to a press conference to speak about everything, and so, how it usually goes, about nothing.

Then they talked about DDL Zan.

First question:

"What do you think about the alternative text about DDL Zan by Lega and Forza Italia?"

Reply:

"I haven't read it yet, but I think it's smart."

Second question:

"Do you know what gender means?"

Reply:

"Oh, look, I've never quite understood it."

So, in two lines, she has confessed to appreciate suggestions she has never read and dispute things she didn't get. In 10 lines, the sovereign right party has been left undressed and frankly it's not a pretty sight."

Another gem:

April 25: Anniversary of the liberation of Italy, also known as the Liberation Day or simply 25 April, is a national holiday of the Italian Republic which occurs on 25 April each year and which celebrates the liberation of Italy from the Nazi occupation and the fascist regime.

April 29 Milan 2021:

About 800 far-right militants met from 6 pm onwards in via Paladini in Milan, Città Studi, for a static garrison, much more than a gathering, with many without masks, in front of the plaque and the words "Ciao Sergio". The event, like every year, is to commemorate the death of Sergio Ramelli, the student and activist of the Fronte della Gioventù (neofascist group) killed in an ambush while returning home by a group of Avanguardia Operaia. The demonstrators did not give up the Roman salute and the "present" rite to celebrate the memory of comrade Ramelli: one of them chanted the phrase "Camerata Sergio Ramelli" three times and those present repeated "Present" three times. X - Video

This made the news on May 3rd only.

Italy and fascism: "Apologia of Fascism" Contrary to the name, in fact, the law is mainly concerned with punishing those who try to rebuild the old fascist party, rather than those who defend it or express opinions in favor of fascism.

Also anyone who "glorify exponents, principles, facts or methods of fascism, or its anti-democratic purposes", establishes Article 4, risks from six months to two years of imprisonment. X

[plurilinguismo]

Italian History: 25 Aprile, Festa della Liberazione

Italy's Liberation Day (Festa della liberazione), also known as the Anniversary of the Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d'Italia), Anniversary of the Resistance (anniversario della Resistenza), or simply 25 April is a national Italian holiday commemorating the end of the Italian Civil War and the end of Nazi occupation of the country during World War II.

The date was chosen by convention, as it was the day of the year 1945 when the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI) officially proclaimed the insurgency in a radio announcement, propounding the seizure of power by the CLNAI and proclaiming the death sentence for all fascist leaders. (It was also the day in which Milan and Turin were liberated) (x)

[frc-ambaradan]

Today, 25th April, Italy celebrates Liberation Day when we commemorate the victory of the Italian Resistance movement against Nazi-fascists.

25th April 1945: the Resistance fighters' triumphant entry in newly freed Milan.

Let this be a reminder to everyone that every man and every nation has the right and the duty to stand up for their ideals, their freedom and their identity.

Resistance movements were born all around Europe: in France, Germany, Poland, Greece... they planted the seeds for a unified Europe in the name of peace, freedom and democracy. Ideals who are shared among all the people. And let me spend a word to remember all the Czechoslovakian and Russian soldiers who joined their arms with italian partisans and fought side by side with them in the name of these common ideals.

The values of the Resistance, today, must translate into cooperativeness and respect for the other's identity and political ideas. Those who come from a partisan family and those who come from a fascist family can and must work together for the greater good of the Country. Nations with diametrically opposite governments can and must work together for Europe's greater good. I know we can do it. We're doing it. We need to keep it going.

This comes from someone whose great uncle's name is engraved in stone along so many others who gave their life for our freedom. Never give up!

W il 25 Aprile!

W l'Italia!

W la libertà!

[bigyack-com]

How to Avoid Crowds in the Cinque Terre

by Rick Steves, December 26, 2019 When I first came to the Cinque Terre, then an isolated stretch of the Italian Riviera south of Genoa, it was a classic "back door": a string of five pastel-hued hamlets clinging to craggy seaside slopes and surrounded by steep, rocky vineyards. It was authentic, romantic, and without a tourist in sight. Fast forward several decades…and the once-sleepy villages are now on Instagram bucket lists and mobbed in high season by organized tours and cruise-ship excursions. The resident population of the five towns (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and Riomaggiore) is just four thousand — but it's estimated that some 2.5 million travelers visit annually. And it's not just foreign tourists who flock here: Italians love the Cinque Terre too. The result, especially when day-trippers hit, is that trains and station platforms are often mob scenes, the iconic coastal hiking trail becomes almost impassable, and the towns' tiny lanes are clogged to bursting. Even so, I still recommend this seductive corner of Italy. You can (and should) have a wonderful time here. Avoid the worst of the logjams by following these tips: Consider your timing. April can be ideal, with fewer crowds and cooler temperatures. The busiest months are May, June, September, and October; July and August can be less congested (but hotter). Avoid holiday weekends — especially Easter and Italian Liberation Day (April 25). I thought reports of catastrophic crowds were exaggerated…until I was there over a three-day weekend. On one recent Easter, 95,000 visitors to little Vernazza caused shoulder-to-shoulder gridlock. Sleep in the Cinque Terre — not nearby. The towns of Levanto and La Spezia are near the Cinque Terre and well connected by train, making them popular home bases. But it's easier to take advantage of the cool, relaxed, and quiet morning and evening hours if you're sleeping in one of the five towns. Skip town at midday. Cruisers and day-trippers start pouring into the Cinque Terre around 10 a.m. and typically head out by 5 p.m. Those midday hours are your time to hit the beach or find a hike away from the main trails. Be a reverse commuter: Leave town during the day and come back in the late afternoon, just as the crowds are thinning out. Hire your own boat. If the regularly scheduled boats between towns are overwhelmed, consider hiring your own boat to zip you to the next village. Captains hang out at each town's harbor, offering one-way transfers to other towns, sightseeing cruises, and more. It's cheaper than you might think (about $35–60) and very affordable if you split it among three or four travelers. Figure out alternative, crowd-free activities. When the towns and trails are jammed, find something fun to do that's off the beaten path. For example, pick a scenic spot for a wine tasting (the Cinque Terre is known for its white wine made from bosco grapes) or sign up for a pesto-making class (the tasty basil-and-nut sauce originated here). Hike smartly. Most travelers aim for the well-known main coastal trail, which can be a human traffic jam and very hot at midday. Making things even worse, recent landslides have closed two key segments of the trail, pushing more hikers onto the remaining pathway. If you're determined to hike it, go early (by 8 a.m.) or late (around 4 or 5 p.m.). Before setting out on an evening hike, find out when the sun will set — there's no lighting on the trails. Escape to alternative trails and towns. If you hear that it'll be a busy cruise day, plan your activities elsewhere. If you'd like to hit the beach but Monterosso's is a parking lot of bodies, hop the train a few minutes to nearby Levanto, rent a bike, and pedal on a level path to the delightful (and far less-crowded) beaches at Bonassola or Framura. You don't have to join the tourist conga line on the coastal trail either. The entire Cinque Terre is crisscrossed with hiking trails where you'll scarcely encounter another person. The offices of the Cinque Terre national park (there's one in each town) are a great resource for learning about your options. Don't let the vertical terrain intimidate you. On a recent trip, I smartly took advantage of the shuttle buses that connect the towns to higher trailheads: I rode up, soaking up the scenery, then hiked down. Those upper trailheads are often where you'll find remnants of much older Cinque Terre settlements, including evocative cemeteries and age-old churches. High above the tourist crowds, I could hear the birds and feel the maritime air pushed up with the breeze — and I was alone. The tranquility was heaven.   I've come back to the Cinque Terre nearly every year for decades. And even though the region is now well discovered, I love that the magic still survives — if you know where to find it. Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at  and follow his blog on Facebook.

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Pristine Sardinia Beach to Charge Entry Fee to Curb Overcrowding Italy’s Riviera: Beyond the Cinque Terre Venice Hotels Counting the Cost of November's Floods Florence for Foodies Read the full article

[ddiluca]

Today is a really important day in my Country!!! Italy's Liberation Day (Festa della liberazione), also known as the Anniversary of the Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d'Italia), Anniversary of the Resistance (anniversario della Resistenza), or simply 25 April is a national Italian holiday commemorating the end of Nazi occupation of the Country during World War II and the victory of the Resistance. I to commemorate this day with one of my piece!!! The piece is called breath!!!!! http://bit.ly/2UVMjHU

[yoongichild]

#Accaddeoggi: 25 aprile 1945; FESTA DI LIBERAZIONE.

Il 25 aprile 1945 è il giorno in cui il Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale Alta Italia (CLNAI) – il cui comando aveva sede a Milano ed era presieduto da Luigi Longo, Emilio Sereni, Sandro Pertini e Leo Valiani (presenti tra gli altri il presidente designato Rodolfo Morandi, Giustino Arpesani e Achille Marazza) - proclamò l'insurrezione in tutti i territori ancora occupati dai nazifascisti, indicando a tutte le forze partigiane attive nel Nord Italia facenti parte del Corpo Volontari della Libertà di attaccare i presidi fascisti e tedeschi imponendo la resa, giorni prima dell'arrivo delle truppe alleate; parallelamente il CLNAI emanò in prima persona dei decreti legislativi, assumendo il potere «in nome del popolo italiano e quale delegato del Governo Italiano», stabilendo tra le altre cose la condanna a morte per tutti i gerarchi fascisti, incluso Benito Mussolini, che sarebbe stato raggiunto e fucilato tre giorni dopo.

«Arrendersi o perire!» fu la parola d'ordine intimata dai partigiani quel giorno e in quelli immediatamente successivi.

Entro il 1º maggio tutta l'Italia settentrionale fu liberata: Bologna (il 21 aprile), Genova (il 23 aprile) e Venezia (il 28 aprile). La Liberazione mise così fine a venti anni di dittatura fascista e a cinque anni di guerra; la data del 25 aprile simbolicamente rappresenta il culmine della fase militare della Resistenza e l'avvio effettivo di una fase di governo da parte dei suoi rappresentanti che porterà prima al referendum del 2 giugno 1946 per la scelta fra monarchia e repubblica – consultazione per la quale per la prima volta furono chiamate alle urne per un voto politico le donne – e poi alla nascita della Repubblica Italiana, fino alla stesura definitiva della Costituzione.

Il termine effettivo della guerra sul territorio italiano, con la resa definitiva delle forze nazifasciste all'esercito alleato, si ebbe solo il 3 maggio, come stabilito formalmente dai rappresentanti delle forze in campo durante la cosiddetta resa di Caserta firmata il 29 aprile 1945: tali date segnano anche la fine del ventennio fascista.

————————————————————

The Giorno della Liberazione (Liberation Day), also called Festa della Resistenza (Celebration of the Resistance), is held on April 25th each year and has been a public holiday in Italy since 1946. It celebrates the end of the Italian Civil War and the end of the Nazi Occupation of Italy during World War II.

Why today?

This is a good question, since not all of Italy was liberated on April 25th, 1945. So here's the short version of what happened.

Italy's partisan resistance movement had been going since the start of the war. It was made up of many different groups, including a wide range of political parties (the Italian Communist Party, the Italian Socialist Party, the Christian Democrats, the Labour Democratic Party and the Italian Liberal Party), which together made up the National Liberation Committee of Upper Italy (CLNAI).

A large number of women were involved, around 35,000, and the CLNAI had the backing of Italy's Royal government and the Allied forces.

The CLNAI first called for an uprising on April 19th and Bologna - considered a communist stronghold - was liberated on April 21st, followed by Genoa on the 23rd.

April 25th was such a significant date because it was the date Milan and Turin were liberated. Milan was the home of the CLNAI, while Turin was significant as a large city of industry.

On the morning of the 25th, a general strike was announced by partisan Sandro Pertini, who went on to become President of the Republic. Factories were occupied, including the one where Corriere della Sera, which had been connected to the fascist regime, was printed. Partisans used that factory to print news of the victory.

What happened after the Liberation?

After April 25th, all fascist leaders were sentenced to death, and Benito Mussolini was shot three days later, after he had tried to escape north to Switzerland. The Americans arrived in the city on May 1st and German forces eventually officially surrendered on May 2nd.

The Liberation was a key turning point in Italy's history as it led to a referendum on June 2nd, which resulted in the end of the monarchy and the creation of the Italian Republic. The Constitution of Italy was drawn up in 1947.

April 25th was designated a national holiday in 1949 by Alcide De Gasperi, the last Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy.

[italian-landscapes]

25 aprile 1945, festa della liberazione (April 25, 1945, Liberation Day in Italy)

The date of April 25 is an Italian national holiday: it’s the anniversary of the liberation, commemorating the end of the World War Two in Italy, and the end of the Nazi occupation of the Country. This day was chosen by convention: the war in Italy actually lasted until the beginning of May, and many others were killed on both sides, but on that day the CLN (Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale, National Liberation Committee, the headquarters of the Italian partisan units) proclaimed the insurgency against the Nazi and Fascist troops, that still occupied Northern Italy.

Background

Benito Mussolini, Italian prime minister and chief of the Fascist party, entered war in 1940, one year after his allied, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi German, and only when war events seem to be definitely in favor of Germany: in fact, it had defeated and almost occupied France and forced the British expeditionary force to retreat across the Channel.

Mussolini didn’t clearly lose the opportunity to be on the winners’ side and he suddenly declared war to France and UK on June 10 1940, when France was going to surrender to the German army and he attacked it towards the Alps. Anyway, the Italian army wasn’t prepared to a long and modern war; Mussolini’s bet on a war fast end turned out to be wrong.

Every Italian campaign quickly became a defeat: Greece, losses of the Italian colonies in Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, the latter in despite of the help of the German Afrika Korps), disastrous retreat from USSR, revealed the lack of means and plans of action of Italians and, above all, headquarters’ incapability.

The end began with the Allied invasion of Sicily on 10th July 1943: Italy hadn’t real reasons to entered war, if not take advantage to a Germany’s victory and even less reasons to hate the enemy.

Anyway, the Grand Council of Fascism passed a vote of no confidence against Mussolini on 25th July 1943. And here began the tragedy and farce of Italy: Mussolini went to the King to resign, but he was suddenly arrested (he was later released by Germans: a legend say that his liberation was traded with the secret permission to the Italian King to escape from Rome).

The new Prime Minister, appointed by the King, declared that the war went on, but he actually began to negotiate a separate armistice with the Allies: that is where the things turn in a typical Italian way, that is keeping two things going at the same time.

While the new Italian government was negotiating with Allies, it maintained an absolute secret with Germany and, this is unbelievable, with its own headquarters in occupied territories.

So, when the armistice was signed in Sicily, already occupied by Allies, and the declaration was read at the Italian radio, no clear orders were issued to Italian forces, if not a generic “…but they (the Italian Forces) may react to eventual attacks from any other source”, and no action was planned with the Allies, losing any opportunity to avoid the Nazis occupation of Italy.

But, and this was criminal and cowardly, the Italian King, the Prime Minister and the government abandoned Rome, the Italian capital, escaping and taking shelter in Southern Italy.

Everywhere, the Italian headquarters melted away like snow in the sun, leaving the troops without commands and orders. Most of Italian soldiers were captured by the Nazi Army, that considered them as traitors, and some sporadic resistance had soon bloodily repressed.

Italy undoubtedly couldn’t go on with the war, but the way the armistice was agreed and the behavior of the Monarchy, the government and the high officers gave Italy the above-mentioned notoriety and, above all, other years of Nazi occupation of Northern Italy, a civil war and many casualties of Italians and Allies, that could be avoided.

The Italian Campaign (July 10, 1943 / May 2, 1945)

Soon later, the former Italian Prime Minister and chief of the Fascist party, Benito Mussolini, was liberated by Germans, after his imprisonment by new Italian government. Hitler put him in charge of a puppet fascist state (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, Italian Social Republic), to guarantee the supply of products and workers to Germany, and the safety of the sidelines, basically Central and Northern Italy.

Of course, the new state tried to recruit as many men as it could, but the enlistment wasn’t a great success: about 250,000 men and some women became members of the Fascist army. Most of them were deployed only in the rear front, and only sporadically in some fighting against Allies.

Many others, but actually no more than some tens of thousands of men, organised themselves in partisan units, both for hatred for German Nazis and to escape the forced recruitment. Besides them, a special mention has to go to those Italian soldiers, captured and interned in German concentration camps, and treated without respecting the Geneva convention, because not consiered prisoners of war, but only traitors because of, despite of repeated calls, only a tiny percentage of them accepted to join the Italian Fascist Republican Army. As a personal memory, I can report an uncle of mine experience; he straight answered to a straight question: “Why don’t you and your comrades accepted to join the new Italian Fascist state and come back to Italy? You could have decided at a later stage if going on with the Fascist military service or escape and join the partisans units” (a very Italian way to face the problems, circumvent them) “You talk well, with today’s views, but we couldn’t: we had sworn loyalty to the King, and you can’t betray an oath”. So he and his fellow comrades faced about 20 months of famine, slave labor, and everyday life threatening.

Anyway, after the pretty easy invasion of Sicily, Allied forces arrived in Naples at the beginning of October 1943; the Italian Southern city has been already liberated by a popular uprising, and soon after they arrived not far from Rome. Meanwhile, German troops set up a defensive line at a few dozen kilometres south of Rome, the so-called Gustav Line.

The German stubborn defense of their positions and the loss of interest in the campaign by the Allies (many units were relocated in Great Britain, with a view to preparing the invasion of Normandy, that would be taking place on the next June 6th, 1944), urged them to set up a landing north of the German lines (the Landing at Anzio on January 22, 1944). Indecision and hesitation delayed Allies’ heading North until the spring of 1945.

The German lines collapsed between March and April 1945, and soon the Allies swept into the Po river valley, just North of the Apennines. By the end of April the war was over in Italy. Mussolini and some senior officials of his regime tried to escape from Milan to neighboring Switzerland, but they were captured by partisans and shot on the spot; their bodies were later taken back to Milan, where they were suspeded upside down, for everybody to see, in the same square where some partisans were executed the year before.

Meanwhile, the Italian partisans units rose up everywhere, sometimes freeing the Northern Italian cities before the Allies arrival, just as it was happened in the months preceding (Naples, Florence, etc.). Attacks, sabotages, liberations of some areas, with the establishment of actual, even if short-lived partisan republics, had undoubtedly forced many German and Fascist republican units not to fight against Allied troops, and garrison the sidelines, but they never had any chance of real success, if not helped by the Allies.

The German reprisals were countless and terrible, involving many innocent civilians (women, children, old people were slaughtered to tens or even thousands in many Italian villages and towns).

It’s also true that, in the last few days of the war, Communist partisans sought revenge against many Fascist units that are surrendering or trying to withdraw towards the high north of Italy, executing them, or even killing some of them in the following days and months after the end of the war. They were trying to pave the way for a possible future Communist revolution, actually never happened, by removing “obstacles”, that is politic enemies.

British Infantrymen in Sicily, July 1943

Landing at Anzio, January 1944

Liberation of Rome, June 4, 1944

Italian Partisans

Italian Partisans

Hanging of Italian Partisans, Bassano del Grappa, Sept. 1944

Shooting of Partisans

Benito Mussolini and some Fascist Army units

Shooting of Fascist leaders at Dongo, Lake Como, April 28, 1945

Benito Mussolini and other Fascist chiefs suspended upside down after their shooting, Milan, April 29, 1945

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Italy to open museums for free on three new dates

Italy adds three “symbolic” dates to Free Museum Sundays. Italy is to open state museums and archaeological parks for free on two public holidays and one national day, culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said on Italian television on Thursday evening. The three dates are 25 April for Liberation Day and 2 June for Republic Day – both of which are public holidays – and 4 November for National…

[twistofitalian]

Liberation Day, a national holiday in Italy

Liberation Day, a national holiday in Italy

Every 25 April, Italy celebrates the Festa della Liberazione which marks the country’s liberation from German occupation and Fascist rule at the end of WWII. 2017 marks the 72nd anniversary. A public holiday across Italy, all state schools and offices are closed on Tuesday 25 April, as well as many shops. This year many businesses are also closed on Monday 24 April with Italians taking a ponte,…