Italian Partisans Association ANPI onThursday called for the 2024 Army Calendar to be withdrawn fromcirculation on grounds it puts the Fascist regime in power inItaly before the 1943 Armistice on the same level as thepost-war antifascist and democratic Republic.
"We take note that there is a pro-fascist minority that wants torewrite the history of Italy," ANPI President GianfrancoPagliarulo told ANSA of the calendar titled "For Italy always...
before and after September 8, 1943".
On this day US General Dwight Eisenhower announced the surrenderof Italy to the Allies and General Pietro Badoglio and theItalian royal family fled to southern Italy to set up ananti-Fascist government as Germany reacted with Operation Axisand the Allies with Operation Avalanche.
Mussolini had fallen from power and his fascist governmentcollapsed the previous July.
"It is unacceptable," continued Pagliarulo, adding that thecalendar "conceals a double political operation".
"On the one hand, it wants to show an institutional continuitywhen in fact there was a radical break between the fascistregime and the anti-Fascist Republic," he explained.
"Of course no one is forgetting the soldiers, on the contrary.
No one is forgetting that they were also sent into disarray onSeptember 8 when the King went to Brindisi. However, soldiersare one thing and the institution of the Army is another," saidthe ANPI chief.
"We must not forget the war criminal generals who were nevertried, or, if tried, were never convicted, or, if convicted,never went to jail.
"On the other hand, an equation is being draw between the newItalian army and the army of Salò," added Pagliarulo, referringto the army of the Italian Social Republic led by Mussolini innorthern Italy from 1943 to 1945 that fought on the side of NaziGermany in the final years of the war.
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