In many ways James Holland’s new book, Italy’s Sorrow: A Year of War, 1944-45 is a very excellent book.
The absolute horror that civilians experienced as the front line moved throughout the Italy in 1944 is described in detail. The military analysis is balanced with Italian, Allied and Axis perspectives. The combination of solid military analysis and the inclusion of a multiplicity of perspectives make this book excellent.
It comes really as no surprise that for each moment that the front line was in movement, and thru each village it passed, the citizens of those in the general are were subject to abject horrors. The surprise is that Holland transcends the normal boundaries of military history to include the perspective of the non-combatants. Refreshingly, the fears and attitudes of Italian non-combatants, partisans and soldiers alike are featured equally. Their recollections are forceful and don’t always fit neatly with the historical narrative we think we know. Italy was having a near all out civil war after the collapse of the government in Rome. Italy was under the aegis of three different governments: the mafia infested allied occupational government in the south, Axis occupational government in the north and of course, the rump puppet government of Mussolini, the Salo Republic.
But, if you were a civilian living astride the front line you had more pressing problems than who was in charge where. You would be very lucky if the war would move through your town or village in a day or maybe two days. There would be shelling, there would be death – but it would be over quick.
If you were unlucky, like those that lived in Casino or in other places up and down the Italian peninsula, the war would stall in your town or village for not one or two days but months or weeks. When this stall occurred the destruction was usually complete, 90% – 100% of structures destroyed in a given area, not to mention the loss of life and the horrendous conditions of living in a war zone. Your home would be destroyed; your livelihood gone and many, many friends and family would be killed.
Holland brilliantly follows several Italian families who experienced this passing of the front. The recollections about those killed by ordinance that has not yet exploded or the feeling of utter confusion of wandering through a battlefield in the absence of information attempting to reach safety, but knowing full well, that any second could be the last for you and your family, all make for harrowing reading.
Civilians faced danger from the air, from both allied and axis aircraft, danger from ground troops, incessant shellfire, land minds and extreme German anti-partisan laws that legalized killing anyone for any reason.
Soldiers, at least generally, have access to food, water, medical attention and information. Civilians on the battlefield, generally, have none of these things in quantity. These elements of the civilian experience of war are often under explored in history and military history books, yet they are at the forefront of Holland’s history. For this, he deserves much credit for these eye opening accounts of Italy’s Sorrow.
Tags: Italy, Italy's Sorrow, James Holland, Review, second world war, world war 2
January 22, 2009 at 10:13 pm
In the thirties Italy decided to be a a big and powerful country. We were not rich and called the rich and unpleasant countries “plutocratic”. If we had become rich, would have found an adjective suitable for us. One of our historical enemies, the German bloc, had a dictator we believed a good partner in business. Japan was in its far galaxy, our was the only country that went to war together with the nazis. Above all we thought to beat UK. Commonwealth included, we thought to beat half the planet. For the moment US were not involved, however maybe we believed to be able to give them a good trashing too. While the war was running its course, our initial poverty quickly become destitution. Then in Italy strange political military manoeuvres happened. It was no more clear who was our enemy and many soldiers came back home. Many foreign armies went to our territory and the situation was extremely confused. The war ended and we lost our dictator Mussolini as well as our king forever. Practically speaking, our nation did not exist and it was impossible to identify ourselves with it. At that point we were interested in US because they were the only ones who offered us a model. Unluckily we were not able to manage an open market. Twenty years later our politic system controlled completely that market.