[Elizabeth]

I'm a 28-year-old Graduate Student at Roosevelt University in Schaumburg, IL. I'm pursuing a Master's in History and my area of concentration is WWII, Nazi Germany, and The Holocaut.

I'm taking a WWII course this summer and have to complete a group activity. I need to speak for 4 minutes about the Italian home front and what it was like in Italy for its citizens at the time of the war and what their citizens did, if anything, to support the Italian troops who went to war.

I can't really find the information I'm looking - online or in print. So, I'm hoping someone here can assist me and help me get the information I need.

[PipsPriller]

Here are a few reading suggestions for you. You should be abale to get your hands on them from any quality library. :)

The Brutal Friendship, by Deakin. Covers the internal politics of the regime, social influences and it's process of collaspe.

The Oxford Companion To The Second World War. In it is a short summary by Lucio Ceva titled 'Italy'.

The Italian War Ecionomy, by A. Raspin

War And Society, by A. Hillgruber. An excellent view of life in Italian society during the war.

Hope that helps.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for the reading suggestions! :)

I have to have the info I need by Monday, the 20th. I'll be presenting the information on transparancies.

The reading material is great and would be of help if I wasn't working on a hurried schedule. Unfortunately, this is a 6-week summer course so obtaining information for my research paper was hard enough. But, will try to see what I can get my hands on in this short period of time.

[Saetta]

A great book to read that talks about what Italy went through from 1943-45 (as much about citizens as it is about military). The book is called, "War in Italy: 1943-45." I havn't quite finished it yet, but its a spectacular book that goes in debt with some of the events that took place after the armistance in 1943. I highly advise you check this book out, and it will give you alot of information on your project.

[Lupo Solitario]

I'm not sure having understood correctly but you're asking us today data about a work you have to present next monday?

[Elizabeth]

Lupo Solitario said:

I'm not sure having understood correctly but you're asking us today data about a work you have to present next monday?

That would be correct.

I really apprecate all of the books suggested to me. But, none of my public libraries here have them and I'd have to interlibrary loan them and I don't have the time to do this. I don't even have the time to order them through Amazon.Com.

[Lupo Solitario]

Elizabeth this argument requires time, you can't study a serious bibliography on a so specific topic in five days in any way...

[Elizabeth]

Lupo Solitario said:

Elizabeth this argument requires time, you can't study a serious bibliography on a so specific topic in five days in any way...

What argument? :?:

All I'm asking for is a description of what the home front was like in Italy during the war and what the civilians did, if anything, to support the Italian troops at war.

It's no different than if someone were to give me a description of what the home front was like in the US during the war and what the civilians did to support the American troops at war.

For example:

Once America entered the war and the men were shipped off to fight, the women had to leave their role as housewife behind. The women entered the workforce and took the place of the men in factors and such. They even toook over baseball and created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League when the men left. Women even wanted to serve their country and did so as WACs, WAVES, SPARS, and women Marines by assuming desk jobs in the US Military.

The patriotism was high among the American people and they supported the war efforts. Families who had loved ones in the service displayed the service star in windows of their home and dog owners all across the country donated their dogs to the national movement Dogs for Defense (DFD), an all-volunteer civilian organization that procured dogs to be used as war dogs during the course of the war. And when the war was over there were parades everywhere to welcome home the war heroes.

If someone could give me this regarding Italy's home front during WWII, I'd be ever so grateful.

[Jim H]

Elizabeth said:

What argument? :?:

Hi Elizabeth. The term "argument" is more of an Italian expression, used like "topic", "debate", etc. Not a literal "argument" :)

[Elizabeth]

Jim H said:

Hi Elizabeth. The term "argument" is more of an Italian expression, used like "topic", "debate", etc. Not a literal "argument" :)

Ah, thanks for clearing that up! :)

I wish this session wasn't so condensed for me. A group project like this would've been better off during a full, regular semester during the fall or spring.

I'm not really looking for much to say since I'm only going to be talking for 4 minutes and showing one, at most two, transparencies on the overhead.

Can anyone recommend a website with the information I need as like what was presented in my example of the American home front? :?:

[SUPERMARINA]

An interesting study about the moral of the Italian Army and people based on the records of the time by the Comando Supremo was published the last year by STORIA militare: it's Filippo Cappellano L'Esercito italiano ala vigilia dell'armistizio dell' 8 settembre 1943", edited by Albertelli.
All the documents confirm that "something" broke in the common opinion and in the moral and discipline of the Army in June 1943.

Bianca Ceva (a vestal of the anti-fascism very active against the regime since the twenties with at least one attempt aagainst Mussolini) in an old book of her of the early Sixties based upon civilians letters censured by the police made the same analysis; the signs of a moral collapse about the war begun in June 1943, not before. It was a process of not/yes without a significant or appreciable grey zone in the middle.

Bye EC

[Lupo Solitario]

it seems argument has in english a bad meaning I ignored, I'm sorry, I used it as equivalent to topic :oops: :(

Told this I don't like this way to reduce a complex topic to few lines, I don't believe to people-who-react-as-a-single-man neither to anecdotes about "orticelli di guerra" but it's not your fault, you need time for your job

My opinion is that fascist regime propaganda worked a lot to make italians feel as war was not a real worry. When in spring 1943 italian people found itself sudden under allied massive bombings, the africa was completely lost and was evident which sort of dysaster had been the russian campaign it had an hard shock and morale broke down..

PS Welcome back, Enrico, we lack you... :wink:

[SUPERMARINA]

Thank you Lupo,

I had some problems with the damned passowrds then...

well, in July you will know all (and I mean really EVERYTHING) :twisted:

EC

[Elizabeth]

I appreciate what help given to me. I don't have much, but will try to do something with what I have and hope for the best.