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Sicily as part of Italy was Axis home territory. Yet the Sicilians greeted the Americans and British as liberators
rather than conquerors. The Scilians were as enthusastic as countries that had been occupied and brutally treated by the Germans. This might seem strange as many Itlians and Sicilians lost fathers, brothers, and sons because of the Americans. This was the beginning of the Italian campaign which us surely one of the strangest of the World War II campaigns. Italy was the first Fascit countries and one of the the two founding members of the Axis. Yet most Italians could not understand why they were involved in World War II, especially as an German ally. Nor could most understand why they wre fighting the Americans. Most Italians and Italians had family and friends in America. Many held America in high regard which was not the case of the Germans. Andthese feelings were even stronger in Sardinia than Italy. With the advent of the Kingdom of Italy, there had been a secessionist/resistance movement on the island. Sicily was not new to conquest. Some historians see it as the most conquered place in history. But since Italian unificaton, such military action ceased. But many Siclians saw the Italians as an occupying force. And Sicily had not always been mired in poverty. With independence, poverty increased and emigration to America increased. Much of the land was in the hands of big landowners, and neither the Italian Republic before Mussolini or Mussolin's Fascits did much to change this. The growth of the Mafia was in part a kind of resistnce to the Fascists. Since the War, food had been rationed, further reducing already limited diets. Many were in desperate circumstances by the time the Allies arrived. Children and women scrambled for the food in army garbage. Some offered what little they had, from hazel nuts to grapes, to the advancing soldiers. Most Sicilians were jubilant over the arrival of the Allies. There were jubilant celebrations after the Allies reached village after village en route to Palermo and Messina. The arrival of Americans, especially Americans of Italian ancestry was a special treat. Many Sicilians had relatives in America, and usually successful relatives. Many Sicilians broke down in tears. A reader writes, "That feeling of 'liberation' was also seen through most of southern Italy not just in Sicily." The feeling of alienation from the Fascist regime mat have been strongest on Sicily, but it was absolutely the case on the mainland as well, especially in southern Italy. This was one reason that the Italian Army was so inefective during the War. And on Italy as the Allies gained a foothold, the Italian units began to melt away and most of the hard fighting was donne by the Germans. One less savory aspect of the defeat of Fascism is that the Mafia began to reestablish itself on the island.
Sicily as part of Italy was Axis home territory. Yet the Sicilians greeted the Americans and British as liberators
rather than conquerors. Thus what was a conuested quuickly morphaned into liberation. This did not occur in the other Axis countries (Germany nd Japan). The Scilians were as enthusastic as countries that had been occupied and brutally treated by the Germans. This might seem strange as many Italians and Sicilians lost fathers, brothers, and sons because of the Americans. This was the beginning of the Italian campaign which us surely one of the strangest of the World War II campaigns.
Italy was the first Fascist countries and one of the the two founding members of the Axis. Yet most Italians and even more so Siclians could not understand why they were involved in World War II, especially as an Axis ally. Sicilians were not inspired by Mussolini's dreams of empire. The Axis was very different than the Anglo-American Alliance. Tey were bound only bt common enemies. Each member pursued his on goals and objecr=tives. There was little or no joint planning. Hitler did not discuss his moves in advance in advance with his allies. And Mussolini and the Japanese took their cue from him.
Nor could most understand why they were fighting of all people the Americans. Many if not most Italianns and Italians had family or friends in America. Many held America in high regard which was not the case of the Germans. And these feelings were even stronger in Sardinia than in Italy itself. Italians were one of the largest immigrant groups in the late-19th and early-20th century (1890s-1900s). And despite America being a largely Protestant country, Italians found opportunity and success. There was one destinguishing feature about Italian immigration. The vast majority of immigrants stayed and greatly improved their circumstances. This was also true of Italians, but with awist. A larger than average number of Italians returned. This in mot cases because they save a nestegg which allowed them to set up a shop when they returned and ear a decent income in their home town. This was less common with other countries. Sicilians becase of the poverty on the island made up asubstantial portion of those immigrants. In the less populated and wealthier northern regions of Italy (Lombardy and Piedmont), there was less emigration. This meant that many Sicilians, having close relatives in the America or even experiences there had adifferent outlook than northern Italians who were more imluenced by Communism and Fascism. Many Italians in Sicily sent money to their families in Sicily. Sicilians were thus inclined to accept either Communist or Fascist propaganda which depicted America in negative terms as a country which oppressed working people. Notice that Italians did not emigrate to the Soviet Union.
With the advent of the Kingdom of Italy, there had been a secessionist/resistance movement on the island. Sicily was not new to conquest. Some historians see it as the most conquered place in history. Before Italian unification, Sicily had been aeoarate kingdom the Kingdom of the Two Siclies, a combinarion of Naples, southern Italy, and Sicily. But since Italian unification, such military action ceased. But many Sicilians saw the Italians as an occupying force. And Sicily had not always been mired in poverty. With independence, poverty increased and emigration to America increased. Much of the land was in the hands of big landowners, and neither the Itanian Republic before Mussolini or Mussolin's Fascists did much to change this. A reader writes, "That feeling of 'liberation' was also seen through most of southern Italy not just in Sicily."
The feeling of alienation from the Fascist regime may have been strongest on Sicily, but it was absolutely the case on the mainland as well, especially in southern Italy. This was one reason that the Italian Army was so inefective during the War. Tere was a question as to the degree the Italian Army would fight once on Italian soil. The answer soon became apparant. They would not. And on Italy as the Allies gained a foothold, the Italian units began to melt away and most of the hard fighting was done by the Germans. This was especially the case when the Italian unitsere not near German units. The Italian soldiers were not deeply invested in the war even with the Axis was winning. Now that the tide had turned. Few Italian soldiers were interested in dieing in a lost war. The broadfront coordinated attack that had been planned before the invasion never materialized. This was in part because od disruted communications, both the paratroopers and the bombardment playing a role. A U.S. Army assessment explains what did happen, "... a series of un-co-ordinated independent thrusts by small Axis units at varying times nd at various places along the center of the amercan front. [Garlnd, et. al, p. 148.] And that was on the firtdy when the Italian resistance was strongest. After the first day, Italian resistance declined and the battle became increasingly one of a fight with the Germans nd was virually nonexistent in the areas outside German operations.
The growth of the Mafia was in part a kind of resistnce to the Fascists. One less savory aspect of the defeat of Fascism is that the Mafia began to reestablish itself on the island.
World War II is a close as you can get to a situation of good and evil in history. Italy was somewhat different. Italy did not commit the unfathomavle attrocities committed but Germany and Japan. The Church is an example of the moral ambigities involved in Italy. Many of the American troops in the Italian campaign were Catholic as were quite a number of the Germans. The Church was never attacked as was the case in Germany where plansere eing made to launch a new NAZI church after the War was won. There was a kind of mutual toleration between the Fascists and the Church. A papal encyclical criticising Fascist policies, but not Mussolini and Fascism itself. The Vatican avoided any kind of strong osition against Mussolini's Fascist government. To have dome so would have meant a Fascist occupation of the Vtican. The Church and Faxists signed the Lateran Treaties (1929) and unlike the NAZIs, the Fascists generally respected the terms of the treaty. This was the case both in Sicily and Itly itself. Even ranking clergy sometimes took positions that were difficult to defend after the War. There were sermons demonizing the americans, but not many. Archbishop Lavitrano of Palermo managed to develp ties ith both the Fascists and the House of Savoy and managed to develop ties with Patton as well when the Americans entered Palermo, not only unopposed, but to city-wide aclaim. . The moral ambiguities associated with the church require a major study. Unlike northern Italy there was no importtant partisn movement nor a major Communist or anti-clerical movement. The issues involved have never been thoroughly researched.
The Sicilian campaign was fought under different circumstances than the subsequent Italian campaign giving rise to furthur ambiguities. Italy was still at war with the Allies, although the Italian troops on the island did nt offer serious resistance. almost all the fighting was done by the Germans. So while still allies the Italians and with the Italians still in nominal command, the alliance splintered in the field. This all changed after Sicily. The Fasvist Grand Council dismissed Mussolini and arrested him. Thea after the Allies labded in souther Italy (September 1943). King Victor Emanuel who was head of state in the Axis alliance, switched sides and was unlike Mussolini accepted by the Allies. Unlike in Sicily where the Germans came to defend the island, in Italy itself, the Germans invaded the country, seized control, and interned the Italiam Army. Italian forces which resisted were shot even after surrendering. Their former German allies who once saw the Italians as hopless now saw them as traitors. Among ordinary Italians there must have been a degree of confusion.
Among the moral ambiguities concerning the Sicilian campaign also discussed is the character of the Siclinan people. One argument is that the Siclians did not resist the Allies. Now this might be aegitimate argument if the English Poles or Ruddians would had real sakes and values at risk. But the Silians did not. They did not buy into Fascism or the alliance with the Germans. Their lack of resistance has to be seen in this light. One of the many ambiguities of the Siclian/Italian campaign. It has een alledged that the Sicillians lacked caracter and would have welcomed whatever conqueror that landed on the island. The many invading armies that landed on the island cis presented as evidence of this. We think that this is unfair. The way the Americans were greeted was nothing like the way the two German divisions were treated when they arrived. And at the time, the Germans were Allies, not conquerors. There was a definite element of friendship with the Americans, even kinship as welcoming, long separated cousins. Authors also question the moral character of the Siclian people. One author writes, "A further irony was that many of the people welcoming the Americans as liberators had close male kin who had fought against them in Africa, many never to return. This was not the only affront to Sicilian dignity (such as it was). The wholesale prostitution of Palermitan women to American soldiers was shocking, particularly considering that most of the young women in question had never formally prostituted themselves before, if indeed many had ever been intimately involved with any man. Even where actual prostitution was not an issue, Sicilian men rushed to betroth their daughters to Italo-Americans."
Food problems on Sicily did not begin with World War I, but were aggevated by the War. One author writes, "Wars had continued, with Italy's endless problems regarding territory. First the World War I; then Nussolini;'s regime, which paid more attention to the colonization of Africa thn to Sicily; and the terrible Second world warpostwar chaos and starvation ran rampant throughout the island. World War II further impoverished the Sicilians. Disease, such as malaria, was widespread; and when the allies arrived with soap and drugs , they were blessed and cheered as heoes." [Guanera, p. 392.] Since Italy entered World War II, food was rationed throughout the country including Sicily. The War adverseky affected the availability of food. Military conscription reduced available farm labor. It also prevented food imports. Italy was not self sufficient in food production. This reducing already limited diets which hit the poor regions like Sicily harder than more prosperous regions. Many Sicilians did not have the money to but on the black market. And as the war went against Italy, ration allocations steadily fell. It was often difficult to obtain even the ration allocations. The Sicilian economy was mostly agricultural and still is. This would suggest that Sicilians were better off than urbn Italians. Farming methods on Sicily, however, were very inefficient and thus poductivity extremely low. Much of the land was owned by large estates. Fishing was also imprtant on Sicily, but dversely affected by fuel shortages and the war time dangers in operating at sea. With the landings, the food system totally broke down. Many Sicilians were thus in desperate circumstances by the time the Allies arrived. Solders shared their rations, especially with the children. Children and women were reduced to scrambling for the food in U.S. Army garbage. Some offered what little they had, from hazel nuts to grapes, to the advancing soldiers. As the Allied advanced they were left with the responsibility of feeding a hungry population.
Most Sicilians were jubilant over the arrival of the Allies. There were jubilant celebrations after the Allies reached village after village en route to Palermo and Messina. The arrival of Americans, especially Americans of Italian ancestry was a special treat. Many if not most Sicilians had relatives in America, and usually successful relatives, especially by siclian terms. Many Sicilians broke down in tears.
Garland, Lt. Col. Albert N and Howard McGaw Smyth asisted by Martin Blumenson. Sicily and the surrender of Italy (Center of Military History, United Stes Army: Washigton, D.C., 1993).
Guarnera, Rosemary Valenti. Me and the General (Xlibris Corporation: 2014), 520p.
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