National Republican Army
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(March 2023) |
| National Republican Army | |
|---|---|
| Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano | |
 Flag of the Armed Forces of the Italian Social Republic | |
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country |  Italian Social Republic |
| Allegiance | Benito Mussolini |
| Type | Army |
| Size | 300,000 soldiers[citation needed] |
| Garrison/HQ | Rome(before November 1943) Brescia (after November 1943) |
| Colors | Green, White and Red |
| Anniversaries | 28 October |
| Engagements | Italian Campaign Yugoslav campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Head of State | Benito Mussolini |
| Minister of National Defence | Rodolfo Graziani |
TheNational Republican Army(Italian:Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano;abbreviated ENR) was the army of theItalian Social Republic(Italian:Repubblica Sociale Italiana,or RSI) from 1943 to 1945 that fought on the side ofNazi GermanyduringWorld War II.
The ENR was officially formed 28 October 1943, by merging formerRoyal Army(Regio Esercito) units still loyal tofascistdictatorBenito Mussoliniand Italianpro-Fascistunits raised by the Germans after the occupation of southernItaly.
History
[edit]
As a consequence of theAllied invasion of Sicilyin July 1943, political forces allied to kingVictor Emmanuel IIItook power in Italy, imprisoned dictator Benito Mussolini and negotiated anarmistice between Italy and the Allied armed forcesthat took effect on 8 September 1943.
On 12 September 1943, the Germans launched "Operation Oak"(Unternehmen Eiche) and rescued Mussolini. The Fascist Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana,or RSI) was formed as apuppet statein northern Italy with Mussolini as its leader.MarshalRodolfo Grazianiwas named as the RSI'sMinister of Defense.
On 16 October, the Rastenburg Protocol was signed with Nazi Germany. In accordance with this protocol, the RSI was allowed to raisedivision-sized military formations. This allowed Graziani to raise four RSI divisions totaling 52,000 men. In July 1944, the first of these divisions completed training and was sent to the front.
Recruiting military forces was difficult for the RSI, as most of the Italian army had been interned by German forces in 1943, many Italians had beenconscripted into forced labour in Germanyand few wanted to fight on Nazi Germany's side after 8 September 1943. The RSI became so desperate for soldiers that it granted convicts freedom if they would join the army and the sentence of death was imposed on anyone who opposed being conscripted.[1]Autonomous military forces in the RSI also fought against the Allies, including theDecima Flottiglia MASunder command of PrinceJunio Valerio Borghese(National Republican Navy). Borghese held no allegiance to Mussolini and even suggested that he would take him prisoner if he could.[1]
During the winter of 1944–1945, armed Italians were on both sides of theGothic Line.On the Allied side were four Italian groups of volunteers from the old Italian army. These troops (of theItalian Co-Belligerent Army) were equipped and trained by the British. On the Axis side were four RSI divisions. Three of the RSI divisions, the 2nd Italian "Littorio" Infantry Division, the 3rd Italian "San Marco"MarineDivision, and the 4th Italian "Monterosa"AlpineDivision, were allocated to theArmy Liguriaunder Graziani and were placed to guard the western flank of the Gothic Line facing France. The fourth RSI division, the 1st Italian "Italia"BersaglieriDivision, was attached to the German 14th Army in a sector of the Apennine Mountains thought least likely to be attacked.[2]
On 26 December 1944, several sizable RSI military units, including elements of the 4th Italian "Monterosa" Alpine Division and the 3rd Italian "San Marco" Marine Division, participated inOperation Winter Storm.This was a combined German and Italian offensive against the American92nd Infantry Division.The battle was fought in theApennines.While limited in scale, this was a successful offensive and the RSI units did their part.
In February 1945, the 92nd Infantry Division again came up against RSI units. This time it was Bersaglieri of the 1st Italian "Italia" Infantry Division. The Italians successfully halted the US division's advance. RSI Minister of Defense Graziani was even able to say that he commanded an entire Army. This was the Italo-German Liguria Army. However, the situation subsequently deteriorated for the Axis forces on the Gothic Line.
In late April,at Collecchio,the last remaining RSI troops were bottled up along with twoWehrmachtDivisions by the1st Brazilian Division,being forced to surrender after some days of fighting.[3][4]
On 29 April, Graziani surrendered, and was present atCasertawhen a representative of German GeneralHeinrich von Vietinghoff-Scheelsigned the unconditional instrument of surrender for all Axis forces in Italy. But, possibly as a sign of the low esteem in which the Allies held the RSI, Graziani's signature was not required at Caserta.[5]The surrender was to take effect on 2 May. Graziani ordered the RSI forces under his command to lay down their arms on 1 May.
The military of the RSI suffered some 34,770 dead during the war and, given conventional killed-to-wounded and killed-to-missing ratios, probably in excess of 100,000 casualties total. The majority of deaths (≈21,600) were incurred by anti-partisan formations, such as National Guards, Black Brigades, and Territorial Militia. The rest (≈13,170) were incurred by regular military forces mostly facing the Allies. The dead break down as: 13,500 members of theGuardia Nazionale Repubblicanaand Milizia Difesa Territoriale, 6,200 members of theBlack Brigades,2,800Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicanapersonnel, 1,000Marina Nazionale Repubblicanapersonnel, 1,900X MASpersonnel, 800 soldiers of the "Monterosa" Division, 470 soldiers of the "Italia" Division, 1,500 soldiers of the "San Marco" Division, 300 soldiers of the "Littorio" Division, 350 soldiers of the "Tagliamento" Alpini Regiment, 730 soldiers of the 3rd and 8th Bersaglieri regiments, 4,000 troops of miscellaneous units of theEsercito Nazionale Repubblicano(excluding the above-mentioned Divisions and Alpini and Bersaglieri Regiments), 300 members of theLegione Autonoma Mobile "Ettore Muti",200 members of theRaggruppamento Anti Partigiani,550 members of theItalian SS,and 170 members of theCacciatori degli Appennini Regiment.[6]
Organization
[edit]
The ENR consisted of four infantry divisions which were raised, trained, and equipped in Germany:
- 1st Bersaglieri Division "Italia"
- 2nd Grenadier Division "Littorio"
- 3rd Marine Infantry Division "San Marco"
- 4th Alpine Division "Monterosa"
There were also a large number of smaller autonomous units.
Ranks
[edit]See also
[edit]- Battle of Garfagnana
- Italian Campaign (World War II)
- Italian Co-belligerent Army
- Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II
- Military history of Italy during World War II
- Royal Italian Army
References
[edit]- ^abMack Smith 1983,p. 308.
- ^Blaxland 1979,p. 243.
- ^Popa 1996,p. 23.
- ^Giannasi 2004,pp. 146–148.
- ^Dollinger 1968,p. 211.
- ^In 2010, theUfficio dell'Albo d'Ororecorded 13,021 RSI soldiers killed; however, theUfficio dell'Albo d'Oroexcludes from its lists of the fallen the individuals who committed war crimes. In the context of the RSI, where numerous war crimes were committed inanti-partisan warfare,and many individuals were therefore involved in such crimes (especially GNR and Black Brigades personnel), this reduces the casualty count, from a statistical point of view. The "RSI Historical Foundation" (Fondazione RSI Istituto Storico) has drafteda list that lists the names of some 35,000 RSI military personnel killed in action or executedduring and immediately after World War II (including the "revenge killings" that occurred at the end of the hostilities and in their immediate aftermath).
Sources
[edit]- Blaxland, Gregory (1979).Alexander's generals: The Italian campaign 1944-45.W. Kimber.ISBN0-7183-0386-5.
- Dollinger, Hans (1968) [1965].The decline and fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan: a pictorial history of the final days of World War II.Translated byPomerans, Arnold.New York: Crown Publishers.LCCN67-27047.Retrieved6 March2023.
- Giannasi, Andrea (2004).Il Brasile in guerra: la partecipazione della Força Expedicionaria Brasileira alla campagna d'Italia (1944-1945)[Brazil at War: the Brazilian Expeditionary Force's participation in the Italian campaign (1944-1945)] (in Italian). Prospettiva Editrice.ISBN8874182848.
- Jowett, Philip S. (2001).The Italian Army, 1940-1945 (3): Italy, 1943-45.Osprey Publishing.ISBN1855328666.Retrieved5 March2023.
- Mack Smith, Denis(1983).Mussolini: A Biography.New York: Vintage Books.ISBN978-0394716589.
- Popa, Thomas A. (1996).Po Valley.United States Army Center of Military History.ISBN0-16-048134-1.Retrieved5 March2023.
