The 8 September 1870 the General of the Kingdom of Italy Raffaele Cadorna, in command of an Army Corps, He testified on the outskirts of Rome; the Commander-in-Chief gave the Vatican representative a letter addressed to the Roman already Pontifex Pius IX. In the message the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, the Pope announced the imminent entry of the Royal Army in the Roman city. It was the final act of the Italian unification process: Rome, the Holy City, Italian would become the 20 September 1870. The Kingdom of Italy would have made this his capital. The 8 September 1943 at hours 19:42 the Italian army General Pietro Badoglio announced, with a radio message, the unconditional surrender to the American ally. Was, even this, the last act of a war waged at the side of the former German ally; It was the beginning of the end of the Kingdom of Italy. In 73 years of history the unification of Italy went from his territory achieved thanks to the ardour of his leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi, the humiliation and destruction of World War II.
The 8 September 1943 the Italy not only subdued its sovereignty to the new American ally, but he delivered part of their territories to the new German enemy which, before beating a slow retreat, plundered, killed and destroyed everything he encountered on his journey. Americans in the South, the Germans in the North, Rome, open city: the Italy as a nation no longer existed. It showed its weakness of young State: a House Director on the run, a dictator overthrown, an army in disarray, a population abandoned to itself.
“The Italian Government, recognized the impossibility of continuing the unequal struggle against overwhelming opposing power, in an effort to save more and more serious woes to the nation, asked for an armistice to General Eisenhower, Commander in Chief of the anglo-American allied forces. The request was granted. Consequently all acts of hostility against the anglo-American forces should cease on the part of the Italian forces in every place. However, they will react to attacks by any other sources”. Pietro Badoglio, 8 September 1943
One more time, as almost always happens throughout history, the repercussions of war and the burden of rebuilding passed through the sacrifice of Italian citizens. W the Italy.
Roberto
