- Includes rare and revealing excerpts of speeches, letters, diaries, memoranda,
telegrams, laws, agreements, and pacts - Uncovers material previously neglected in British, French, German, Italian,
Russian, and American archives - Appendices contain full reproduction of rarely seen key historical documents
In the late 1930s, Fascist Italy’s participation in three wars—in Ethiopia, Spain, and Albania—had taxed its martial capabilities to the utmost. In June 1940, seduced by the prospect of glory on the battlefield and swift territorial acquisitions, Mussolini brought Italy into the war alongside his powerful German ally. This great folly, committed while the Italian Armed Forces were grossly unprepared for a sustained conflict against the Allied Powers, culminated in the deposition of the Duce, an Anglo–American invasion of Italy, and a brutal occupation by its former Axis partner.
Fascist Italy at War: 1939–1943 is a revelatory account of Italy’s role in the Second World War. Drawing on rarely seen archival evidence, it examines Italy’s disastrous military performance in the Balkan, North African, and Russian theatres— exacerbated by subpar training, inexpert leadership, and limited war materiel—to demonstrate the catastrophic consequences of Mussolini’s war policy. It also explores in absorbing detail the destabilising political machinations behind the scenes between the Axis leaders and among the leading Fascist personalities.
Polecamy
