[Viva Grazian]

Badoglio was never a fascist, he was always "neutral" and showed little entusiasm with fascism... then again, he showed little enthusiasm in everything but himself.

He was right, eventually that led him to where he was... but, that didnt help anyone buy himself... and in the long run not even himself... for the average italian to be a "badoglio" is to betray.

[gbotto]

For the average of RSI soldier it must have been very tough to fight on, especially late in the war when it was obvious the Axis would be defeated

"Per l'Onore d'Italia"

many were probably terrified at the thought of a Soviet army entering from yugoslavia and rampaging its way across northern Italy, that would sure have motivated me personally to fight

[JeffreyF]

In an ideal world I would have fought with the Allies. Not for love of the king or Badoglio. Just because I believe it's best for the future of Italy.

[pg]

Dominick said:

And the sad thing is the History books hold him as an Italian hero. One book calls him a great Anti_fascist. HE sure seemed to be fascist when he was governer of East Africa. He chose political beliefs of what was best for him. Switching from Fascist to non fascist when necessary. The real Italian heroes are the ones who didnt disgrace their country and uniforms by surrendering, and instead chose to fight on.

Fought on both for and against the Germans....Acqui division R.I.P. :cry:

[kittyhawk]

If I was an italian in 43 I think it would have been pretty clear to me the Axis was finished and that M and fascism had brought Italy to the brink of disaster. I think this is borne out by the total lack of protest raised by the armed forces and, indeed the party and militia, to M's removal from power and the dismemberment of the fascist state.

Like the majority of the Gerachs I would have supported moves to end the war with a separate peace with the allies. However I would have made sure that the armed forces were ready to forestall any german attempts to intervene. The gerarchs didnt have a chance to do this as the king effectively staged a coup but they should have expected that to come from any moves to curtail Ms power. As for the king and Badoglio, they not only behaved without honour (probably to try and save their own skins) they also acted without understanding the obvious threat from the Germans. If the germans could have been forestalled then many Italians would not have had to choose between the RSI and the allies.

As to the RSI itself, it is hard to see it as any more than Hitlers puppet state. Even M thought it was! The majority of its forces did not fight well or at all against the allies but were merely engaged in "police work" (including such courageous activities as rounding up Jews for deportation and extermination and murdering opponents of the regime) They were largely conscripts and dessertion, especialy in late 1944 / 1945 to the partisans was widespread. I must say that I agree with the Forza Italia foreign minister (?) who recently said that the RSI was a stain on the honour of Italy.

[JulioMoc]

I don't care. I would fight with the RSI, better yet, with ANR. Airplanes are my passion and I would most proudly fight in the cockpit of a MC.205, G.55 or ME 109 in ANR colors. They could count with me.

See ya

[gbotto]

Yes many of RSI was conscripts but lets remeber the 29th SS, Decima Mas, paratrooper units etc..

[Dominick]

I think I wouldve wanted to fly as well. Protecting the Italian cities from Allied bombers wouldve been very important to me

[Bearcat]

I would have liked to be a pilot as well , for the same reasons as Dom-The Bearcat

[Dominick]

Since we would be pilots, would we be flying anyother planes other then the ones you already mentioned. Did the RSI fly the Regannie Re. 2005 or any other planes?

[JulioMoc]

Yes Dominick, they flew other planes. I believe RSI had just one (or aproximately) Re.2005, which was used in training. The majority of Sagittarios were captured by the Luftwaffe, and used in Ploesti. Well, ANR had a lot of italian aircraft in it's inventory; aircraft like MC.200, MC.202, CR.42, SM.79, G.50, even Ba.88!! I'll see if I can get a complete list.

Till next time

[Dominick]

Wow, I didnt know they were still flying the Fiat Cr42. I thought that by that time, biplanes wouldve been abandoned

[JulioMoc]

Maybe not for fighting purposes, but for training or liaison duties. CR.42 was still being produced when the armistice was signed!!

[Steffsap]

when in the German camps after September, 1943. Only a bunch of them joined, for any reason, the RSI. And the choice was between going back to Italy (and may be escape to your family) or stay in the German camps in terrible conditions. I find this choice something more than honourable.

The harder you fight, the harder it is to surrender.

[Viva il RE]

I would have remained loyal to the King and the Savoy dynasty for three main reasons:
Italy owed much more to the legitimate dynasty which created her and represented a proud historical link with the best of Italian honor and national tradition.
The R.S.I. was too weak vis-a-vis the Germans to have any credibility; Mussolini himself bitterly grumbled about the shabby treatment given him, his virtual imprisonment at Salò, the gutting of the Aviazione Nazionale Repubblicana and the struggles to get proper arms and munitions build up the R.S.I. army back up to an effective level. To me it seems that Hitler did not WANT the R.S.I. to really have an true military. Hitler betrayed the R.S.I. (and thus Italy). Given the chance, I think the Repubblica Sociale WOULD have raised a good a army and would have fought valiantly. It wasn't allowed to. However, in fairness it must be said that the C.V.L. wasn't much better off under Allied control.
Personally, in my convictions, I am a Monarchist.

[pg]

Youre living in the wrong country to be a monarchist!!! :lol: :lol:

[Dominick]

I too support the King. But the idea of supporting Badaglio makes my stomach turn.

[Constantine]

I'd join the RSI.

I like the the revised Fascist ideology that was implemented for the RSI. Those that fought for the RSI had guts, they knew the Allies were stronger and the Axis was losing, yet they chose to fight to the end instead of surrender like the South.

[mvsnconsolegenerale]

You're forgetting the hundred's of thousands in concentration camps and forced labour farms in germany.

- MVSN

[Dominick]

I know about the labor camps. I suppoort the RSI, not the Germans. I dont particularly like the germans, they were far from the best allies. But I would not have switched sides and stabbed our "ally" in the back even though they had already done that to us.