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World War II -- Italian campsign impact on civilans refugees
World War II Italian Campaign: Civilians--Refugees (1943-45)
Figure 1.--The Italian refugee problem began with the llies invasions in the south (Sepember 1943). The first serious fighting occurreda at Salerno south of Naples where the Grman satrempted to throw back the Allied landings. Ten the people of Naples rode up against the Germans. Refugees from the fighting wold be a major problem througout the Italaian campaign as it moved up the Italian Peninsula. The Germans would destroy basic infrastructure knowing that it would create problems for the Allies who would have to divert redources to care for refuges. This photograph appears to have been taken at Spigno Saturnia. The 88th American Division (5th U.S. Army) is shown here evacuating cibilians from the destroyed village.
The first Italian refugees were anti-Fascists. Mussolini's Fascist regime was, however, not as repressive or murderos as Hitler's NAZIs. So the the numner of political refugees were relatively small. The Jews were at first untouhed. As Mussolini and Hitler forged an alliance, Hitler pressured his ally to take repressive actions against Italian Jews. Mussolini obedently complied (1939). Mussolini joined the War (1940), but redisted deporting Italian Jews to the NAZI death camps. The war did not go well for Mussolini's Fascist armies. After a sea-saw campaign in North Africa the Italy lost itsLibyan colony and Axis armies surrenders in Tunisia (May 1943). The allies began bombing Italy. Naples wth its important port was the main target. The bombing was not nearly as intense as that directed at the Germans. As a result, there were relatively few refugees. Most of the people who lost their homes were cared for by family. Two months later the Allies landed in Sicily (July 1943). . With the gighting shifted to land combat, here were civikian refugees. The first refugee/displaved persons (DP) camps were set up by the Allies. After losing Sicily, the Fascist Grand Council removed Missolini from power. Next the Allies landed on the mainland (September 1943). The Italians switched sides and the Germans seized contol of most of the country. As a result of the fighting large numbrs of refugees fled the fighting or found themselves without food and water. The Allies would evetually set up 25 DP camps in Italy to care for refugees. American food relief was provided to Italian Government welfare organizations. This enabled large numbrs of Italians to survive without becoming refugees. The Germans and Fascists alo setup camps, but these were to repress anti-NAZI Italians and not to aid refugees. They also began roundig up and deporting Jews. The ground fighting would proceed slowly up the Italian Peninsula causing immnsedestruction and creating a huge number of rfugees.
