2-WWII+Italy+OT

(Hannah McElroy)
 * Italian Social Republic: Occupied Territory **
 * **What were the circumstances in the Occupied Territory that compelled the policies implemented by the occupying power there? How was policy shaped to address these circumstances?**
 * o Mussolini’s position in the global order had been greatly disrupted by a series of military defeats since the entrance of Italy into the war in 1940. Many had very little respect for Mussolini, as they viewed his previous government as a failed fascist regime. Additionally, Many Germans saw him as only being useful to maintain power. This view would play a heavy role in the German foreign policies enacted in Italy. When Hitler established the new socialist state in Italy, Mussolini was made the head of state and prime minister. However, it was well known by many that Mussolini had no real power over Italy. The social republic was essentially a puppet state of Germany, as many viewed Mussolini incompetent of controlling a state in light of his failures. Because so many viewed Mussolini as being incompetent in running a government, Germany effectively took full control. The fascist state had no constitution or organized economy, and its financing was almost entirely dependent on financing from Berlin.
 * o Rastenburg Protocol: The Rastenburg Protocol was signed with Nazi Germany in 1943 for the purpose of allowing the RSI to raise division-sized military Formations. This protocol as implemented by the occupying country for the purpose of increasing participation in the Italian Armed forces. This allowed Italy to raise RSI divisions by just over 52,000 men, all of which were sent to the front.
 * ** What were the effects of the occupation of your territory on the occupying power's war effort? This should include basic data such as numbers of troops diverted to the occupation and so forth, but should also take into account less logistical factors such as the psychological effect of occupation on the occupying power, issues of morale, attitudes of occupation forces toward the local population (and vice versa) and the degree to which that sharpened or dulled the occupiers' resolve, etc. **
 * o Because of the long amount of time it took for the new Italian government to negotiate an armistice, the German government had time to reinforce their presence in Italy and prepare for their defection. Within just the first week of August, they were able to increase the number of divisions in Italy from two to seven. As the number of German occupants in Italy grew, resentment in Italy of German occupation grew as well.
 * o Additionally, much of the Italian army had been intertwined by German forces in 1943; this made it difficult for the RSI to recruit military forces as many of the Italian armed forces had been conscripted to Germany. The RSI soon became so desperate that the government began to grant convicts freedom in the event that they would join the military. Those who chose not to join were sentenced to death. The desperation of the RSI Administration eventually led to the creation of the Rastenburg Protocol, which was discussed above. This protocol was responsible for forcing over 52,000 men into military service, and because it was an eventual result of German occupation, resentment of German policies grew substantially within Italy.
 * o Fascists and communists often fought in the streets during this time period as the two political movements fought to sustain power in Italy. The already tense political environment eventually escalated into major civil unrest when fascists began attacking their rivals. This began with the fascists attacking the offices attacking the Italian Socialist Party’s newspaper //Avanti!//
 * o Violence grew in the 1920s with Italian army officers beginning to assist fascists with their violence against communists and socialists. With the fascist movement growing, anti-fascists of various political allegiances combined into the people’s militia in 1921. With the threat of a strike being initiated by the anarchists, communists, and socialists, the fascists launched a coup against the Italian government with the March on Rome in 1922. This march pressured Prime Minister Luigi Facta to resign and allow Mussolini to be appointed Prime minister.
 * ** What were the motivations/methods/outcomes of resistance and collaboration? How did this affect the Occupied Territory after the war? Use case studies to illustrate. **
 * o The main instance of collaboration was the Rastenburg Protocol as mentioned above. There was a need for both countries to collaborate over thing such as the military, as it had waned in superiority since the beginning of the war. While Fascist Italy was a puppet state of Nazi Germany, it allowed for Italy to create a totalitarian regime. In the previous years following up to German occupation, many of the fascist’s actions had been restricted by the monarchy, thus preventing them from creating a completely totalitarian state. The formation of fascist Italy allowed Mussolini to at least be the official head of the Italian state, and it allowed for the fascist to return to their earlier republican stances.
 * o In the years following Mussolini taking power as prime minister, fascists attacked and killed members of the local labor movement in Turin which soon became known as the 1922 Turin Massacre. This was followed by a fascist takeover of the Italian government and several assassination attempts were made against Mussolini by resistance groups. In 1926, the fascist government initiated emergency powers which resulted in the arrest of multiple anti-fascist groups. Serious opposition to the fascist regime decreased significantly in the years following these events.
 * o The most prominent figures of post-war Italian far right politics were a result of the formation of the RSI. Among them were Pino Romualdi, Rodolfo Graziani, Junio Valerio Borghese, Licio Gelli and Giorgio Almirante
 * ** What were the effects of occupation on women & youth in the Occupied Territory? Use case **
 * Studies to illustrate.**
 * o The SAF was a instituted by a piece of legislation that was passed in 1944. It was the government’s response to the demand of many young women militants following the establishment of fascism in Italy. Its official name was the Voluntary Women’s Corps for Auxiliary Service in the Republican Armed forces, the Republican National Guard and every other sector that was relevant to defense. Women wishing to serve as auxiliaries had to be of Italian Nationality and Aryans. Despite women’s rigorous involvement in the fascist movement, it was not until the early 1980s that any historians turned their attention to the organization of the SAF and the event surrounding it. Therefore, no general reference work concerning women’s involvement in the movement exists, as for a very long time, no one felt as though it was worth writing about.
 * o Additionally, some scholars of the fascist period have interpreted the issue of women under the fascist regime as being the stereotypical mothers and wives. The female model during this time period was often based on a Roman Catholic concept of women that was taken over by fascism when fascists first came to power. This traditional concept of women was adopted by the fascist regime when they came into power for the purpose of creating a more stable state. It was only though preserving the family unit and the hierarchy of roles that existed within it that the regime believed that it would be capable of keeping order.
 * o Many parts of the Italian fascist movement dealing with youth had very much to do with the elevation of the youth to an exalted position over the rest of society. For these movements, fascism served as a form of expression for the youth of the nation. And in the early 1920s, fascist youth groups were formed such as the Fascist Youth Vanguards and Fascist University Groups. Following the March on Rome, which had originally brought Mussolini to power, the government began to focus heavily on the education system of the country. This was because fascist regimes held the younger generations to a very high standard, as they would be the ones to carry on fascist ideals.
 * **Works Cited:**
 * o Fraddosio, Maria. "The Fallen Hero: The Myth of Mussolini and Fascist Women in the Italian Social Republic (1943-5)." Journal of Contemporary History 31.1 (1996): 99-124. JSTOR. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
 * o Ledeen, Michael A. . "Italian Fascism and Youth." Journal of Contemporary History 4.3 (1969): 137-154. JSTOR. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
 * o Rees, Philip. Biographical dictionary of the extreme right since 1890. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Print . []
 * o Smith, Denis. Mussolini. New York: Knopf, 1982. Print.
 * o Smith, Denis. Modern Italy: a political history. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1997. Print.