Everyone knows that there were many brave and good armies in World War II, but they don't know that there is another army that is proud of surrender. They did not fight for victory, but for surrender. The behavior of this army is a headache for the allies and confuses the enemy. Sometimes they raise the white flag before the war has even begun, and sometimes they fight back when the enemy refuses to accept surrender. Who are they? Why is there such a peculiar combat strategy? What is the story behind the actions of this army?
1. The Italian Army: The "Surrender Expert" in World War II
Everyone knows that Italy was a member of the Axis powers in World War II, but they don't know that the performance of this army on the battlefield is ridiculous. What the Italian army did in World War II can be called a wonderful flower in military history.
When it comes to the military spending of the Italian army, it is quite considerable. On the eve of World War II, Italy's annual military spending amounted to 90% of Britain's, and 23% more than France's. You know, Italy's national strength is far inferior to these two old powers. Such a high military investment should have created a strong force that would be feared by the enemy. But who would have thought that this army would become a "surrender expert" on the battlefield.
Listen to the old Prime Minister Benito Mussolini's bold words: "Give me 5 million bayonets, and I will conquer the world!" However, it turned out that these 5 million bayonets not only failed to conquer the world, but became trophies in the hands of the enemy. The performance of the Italian army on the battlefield can be described as a great disappointment for its ally Germany.
At one time, the Italian army met the British army on the battlefield in North Africa. It stands to reason that this should be a fierce encounter. But who knew that Mario Barrotta, the division commander of the Italian army, was about to surrender immediately without saying a word when he saw the British army. This stunned the British army. You said that you shot a few shots and put on a show, why did you surrender as soon as you came up? What is even more laughable is that the British army refused the Italian army's request for surrender because there was no place to place the prisoners.
This is good, the Italian army is not happy. Since you don't accept our surrender, then we'll fight until you accept! And so a strange battle began. In order to surrender, the Italian army fought back and won in the end. At this time, the British army had to accept their surrender, which can be described as "winning the battle and losing the war".
German Field Marshal Rommel hit the nail on the head when he said of the Italian army: "If Italy is the enemy, it can be destroyed with 10 divisions; If Italy were teammates, they would have to send 50 divisions to support them. This was an exaggeration, but it also reflected Germany's helplessness towards the Italian army.
Interestingly, this "surrender tactic" of the Italian army was not an isolated case. On the Greek battlefield, the Italian army also staged a "surrender drama". At that time, the Greek army was preparing for a fierce exchange of fire with the Italian army. But the Italian army took the lead and sent emissaries to demand surrender. The Greek general was at a loss and thought it was a trick of the enemy. It wasn't until the Italian army really laid down its arms that the Greeks realized that it wasn't a joke.
What is even more interesting is that in a naval battle, the Italian Navy actually took the initiative to send a surrender signal to the British Navy. At first, the British Navy thought that there was a problem with its own signaling system, but it was only after repeated confirmation that it was believed to be true. This kind of behavior of "voluntary surrender" can be said to be unprecedented and unprecedented.
However, we cannot simply attribute the behavior of the Italian army to cowardice. In fact, in some battles, Italian soldiers also showed extraordinary courage. For example, in the Battle of Tobruk in North Africa, Italian soldiers resisted for 240 days. This contradictory manifestation may reflect the complex internal situation of the Italian army.
2. The bizarre surrender of the armored forces of the "Rams".
On the North African battlefield of World War II, an incredible event occurred that became a major miracle in military history. This is the bizarre surrender of the Italian armored forces "Rams".
In February 1941, the Italian 10th Army was attacked by the British in Libya. In this campaign, the "Rams" armored forces were supposed to become the backbone of the Italian army. The unit was well-equipped with two tank regiments and two artillery battalions with a total strength of about 5,000 people. It stands to reason that such a formidable armored force should show its skills on the battlefield and win honor for Italy.
However, things turned out unexpectedly. When the "Aries" armoured forces encountered the British, their commander, Major General Mario Barrotta, made a shocking decision: to surrender to the British before there was an exchange of fire.
This decision not only took the British by surprise, but also stunned Italy's allies, the Germans. You know, the "Rams" armored unit was the elite of the Italian army, and their equipment was first-class at the time. They had M13/40 medium tanks, which were not as good as the German Tigers, but they were also good at North Africa. In addition, they are equipped with advanced artillery and communications equipment. It is unbelievable that such a well-equipped unit should surrender without a fight.
What is even more interesting is that when the "Rams" armored forces sent emissaries to the British to express their willingness to surrender, the British commander actually refused. The reason for the British army was: there was not enough place to house so many prisoners, and there was not enough food to feed them. This may be the first and only peculiar event in military history in which surrender was rejected.
After being rejected, the "Aries" armored forces found themselves in an awkward situation. They neither want to fight nor surrender. In this case, Major General Mario Barotta made an even more bizarre decision: since you do not accept our surrender, then we will fight until you accept!
And so, a strange battle begins. The "Aries" armored forces began to attack the British, but their aim was not to achieve victory, but to get the British to accept their surrender. This kind of behavior of "fighting for surrender" can be said to be unprecedented and unprecedented.
What is even more surprising is that in this strange battle, the "Rams" armored forces actually emerged victorious. They managed to repel the British attack and even captured some British equipment. This result not only came as a surprise to the British, but also to the Germans, Italy's allies.
After the battle, the "Rams" armored forces again offered to surrender to the British. This time, the British finally accepted their surrender. In this way, the "Aries" armored forces fulfilled their "surrender mission" in a very unique way.
This incident caused an uproar at the time. The Germans were very unhappy with this, believing that such behavior of the Italian army seriously affected the military operations of the Axis powers. Mussolini was also embarrassed by this, and he tried to salvage the reputation of the Italian army by various means, but with little success.
The bizarre surrender of the "Aries" armored forces became a microcosm of the Italian army in World War II. It reflects the complex situation of the Italian army in World War II: on the one hand, they were well equipped and trained; On the other hand, they lack the will and determination to fight. This paradoxical situation ultimately led to Italy's defeat in World War II.
3. Why the Italian army was so keen to surrender
The performance of the Italian army in World War II, especially their zeal to surrender, raised questions from many. To understand this phenomenon, we need to analyze it from multiple perspectives.
First of all, Italy's motives for entering the war are worth investigating. Unlike Germany and Japan, Italy did not have a strong desire for expansion or revenge. Mussolini entered the war more to fight for interests at the negotiating table after the war. This lack of conviction in the motive of participating in the war has a direct impact on the morale of the army.
On June 10, 1940, Italy officially declared war on Britain and France. However, this decision did not enjoy widespread support among the Italian population. Many Italians believe that their country is not ready for war. This view was also widespread in the military, leading to a lack of enthusiasm for war on the part of many soldiers.
Secondly, there were also problems with the equipment and training of the Italian army. Although Italy invested a lot of money in military construction before the war, these funds were not used effectively. A lot of armament, although it may seem advanced, actually has various problems. For example, the Italian M13/40 tank, although it performed well in the North African theater, was weakly armored, lacked firepower, and often broke down in battle.
The problem with training is even more acute. The training of the Italian army was often a mere formality, lacking actual combat drills. Many soldiers are not even trained to shoot live ammunition before they go into battle. This leads to a lack of confidence and experience in the face of the enemy.
Moreover, there were serious problems with the chain of command of the Italian army. Mussolini deliberately weakened the power of the army in order to prevent a coup d'état by the army. He appointed many people loyal to the fascist party but lacking military talent as senior officers. The performance of these people on the battlefield is often disappointing.
A typical example is Marshal Graziani. He commanded the Italian army against the British in the North African theater, but his decisions were often bizarre. During the Battle of Bardia in December 1940, Graziani insisted on building a 100-kilometer defensive line in the desert, despite the opposition of his subordinates. This line of defense not only did not play a defensive role, but became a living target for the British army.
In addition, the logistics of the Italian army was a big problem. Due to the long supply lines, coupled with the inability of the Italian Navy to effectively control the Mediterranean, the front-line troops often experienced shortages of ammunition and food. In this case, many soldiers preferred to surrender rather than continue fighting.
The Battle of Tobruk in January 1941 is a good example. At that time, the British army launched an offensive on Tobruk. The Italian army defending the city, though numbering 25,000 men, eventually surrendered within a day due to insufficient supplies and confusion of command. This surrender not only cost Italy a large number of troops, but also allowed the British army to capture a large amount of weapons and equipment.
It is worth noting that the surrender of the Italian army was not always out of cowardice. In some cases, surrender is instead seen as a wise choice. For example, on the battlefields of Greece, many Italian soldiers considered the war pointless. They would rather surrender than die for Mussolini's ambitions.
An interesting phenomenon arose after Italy was announced on September 8, 1943. Many Italian soldiers voluntarily surrendered to the Allies, but the Allies did not have enough resources to deal with such a large number of prisoners. As a result, many Italian soldiers had to remain in their original positions, only with a different "employer".
In general, the frequent surrenders of the Italian army reflected the embarrassing situation of Italy in World War II. As a country embroiled in the war, Italy lacked both a firm war goal and insufficient military strength. In such a situation, surrender often became the best option in the eyes of many Italian soldiers.
Fourth, the chaotic situation after the surrender of Italy
On September 8, 1943, Italy announced its unconditional surrender, an event that caused unprecedented chaos within Italy. The surrender announcement came so suddenly that many Italian soldiers and civilians were overwhelmed. The chaos affected not only Italy itself, but also all the regions occupied by Italy.
In Rome, the streets were thrown into chaos immediately after the news of the surrender. People poured into the streets, some cheering, thinking that the war was finally over; Others were terrified and feared retaliation from the Germans. At the same time, King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy and Prime Minister Bardolio quietly fled Rome for Brindisi. This move further exacerbated the chaos in the government.
In the Italian army, many soldiers and officers were confused and overwhelmed by the news of the surrender. Some units chose to disband, and soldiers took off their uniforms in an attempt to blend in with the civilian population. Others decided to continue fighting, but did not know which side to take. This chaotic situation is widespread throughout Italy.
For example, in Corfu, the Italian division "Aque", stationed there, was faced with a difficult choice. Their commander, General Antonio Gandin, received two contradictory orders: one from Rome demanding that they surrender to the Allies; The other came from the Germans and asked them to keep fighting. In this situation, General Gandin decided to confront the Germans. However, due to the lack of clear instructions and coordination, the "Aqua" division was eventually defeated by the Germans, and most of the soldiers were captured or killed.
In Crete, the situation is more complicated. There, the Italian garrison "Siena" division faced pressure from many sides from the Germans, the Greek Resistance and the British special forces. In the chaos, some Italian soldiers chose to join the Greek Resistance, some tried to flee the islands, and some were forced to continue serving the Germans.
The situation in Italy itself is not much better. In Naples, a group of Italian civilians and a handful of servicemen organized themselves to launch the famous "Four Days of Uprising" in an attempt to drive out the Germans before the arrival of the Allies. The uprising, while ultimately victorious, took a heavy toll, with thousands of civilians killed in the fighting.
In some cities in the north, such as Milan and Turin, the Germans quickly took control. They disarmed the local Italian army and began mass arrests of Jews and anti-fascists. Many Italian servicemen faced the fate of being sent to German labor camps.
The confusion on the part of the Navy is also worth mentioning. The Italian Navy received an order to sail the ships to the Allied-controlled ports for surrender. However, this order does not specify which port one should go to. As a result, the Italian fleet split into several parts, some sailed to Malta, some to Alexandria, and some even tried to sail to the Atlantic. The Luftwaffe took the opportunity to launch an attack on these ships, causing considerable losses.
In this chaos, some heroes also appeared. For example, the "Granatiri" paratrooper regiment in Rome, after learning that the Germans were about to attack Rome, decided to resist. Despite being ill-equipped, they held out for two days on the defensive line outside the city of Rome, buying valuable time for the citizens of Rome to evacuate.
The surrender of Italy also caused unexpected problems for the Allies. Suddenly, they had to deal with a large number of Italian prisoners of war. Lacking sufficient resources to hold these prisoners, many Allied commanders had to resort to unconventional means. In some places, Italian prisoners of war were assigned to various miscellaneous jobs; Elsewhere, they were even allowed to move freely, simply reporting to the Allies on a regular basis.
This chaos lasted for quite some time. It was not until October 13, 1943, when Italy officially declared war on Germany, that the situation began to become clearer. But even then, Italy remained divided: the south was under the control of the Allies, and the north was formed the puppet regime "Italian Social Republic" led by Mussolini.
Italy's surrender and the chaos that followed not only changed the course of World War II, but also profoundly affected the political and social landscape of post-war Italy. This history has become an important part of the collective memory of Italians, and its influence is far-reaching.
V. The impact of Italy's surrender on the situation in World War II
Italy's surrender had a profound impact on the situation of World War II, which not only changed the strategic landscape of the Mediterranean, but also accelerated the defeat of the Axis powers. The impact of this incident can be analysed from a number of perspectives.
First, the surrender of Italy led to a radical shift in the situation in the Mediterranean theater. The Italian-controlled islands of Sicily and Sardinia had long been a major obstacle to Allied attacks on the European continent. With the surrender of Italy, these two strategic points soon fell into the hands of the Allies. On September 9, 1943, the Allies landed in Salerno and began the campaign on the Italian peninsula. Although German troops quickly took over Italy's defenses, their situation became even more difficult without the support of their Italian allies.
In North Africa, Italy's capitulation had an equally dramatic impact on the Axis powers. Although by May 1943 the Axis powers had lost the battlefield in North Africa, Italy's surrender completely cut off the logistical supply lines for the remnants of German forces in North Africa. These units soon became prisoners of the Allies. For example, the German Afrika Korps in Tunisia, having lost the support of the Italian Navy, could not evacuate to Sicily and eventually had to surrender to the Allies.
The Balkans were another region that was significantly affected by Italy's surrender. Before the surrender, Italy had a large number of troops in Greece, Albania, and Yugoslavia. After the surrender of Italy, the situation in these regions changed rapidly. In the case of Yugoslavia, the local partisans took the opportunity to capture a large number of Italian weapons, which greatly increased their combat effectiveness. On the Croatian island of Rab, the local Italian garrison even took the initiative to hand over weapons to the Yugoslav partisans, which later played an important role in the operation to eradicate the local pro-Nazi forces.
In Greece, the surrender of Italy set off a series of dramatic events. The Italian division "Aqua", stationed on the island of Kefalonia, refused to surrender to the Germans and was brutally repressed. Nearly 5,000 Italian soldiers were killed in the conflict, an event that later became the inspiration for the famous novel "The Mandolin of the Captain Perillon".
Italy's surrender also gave the Allies an unexpected advantage: a large intelligence resource. After Italy's surrender, many Italian intelligence officers chose to cooperate with the Allies, and the information they provided played an important role in the subsequent Allied military operations. For example, during the Battle of Naples in October 1943, a map of the city's underground sewer system provided by former Italian intelligence officers helped the Allies break through German lines.
However, Italy's surrender also presented some unexpected challenges for the Allies. Suddenly, the Allies needed to take over large swathes of territory that had been under Italian control, putting enormous pressure on the Allied logistics and management systems. In Tripoli, Libya, the Allied forces faced food shortages and law and order chaos immediately after taking over the city. In order to maintain order, the Allies had to cooperate with local Italian administrators, which provoked discontent among the local Arabs.
For Germany, Italy's surrender was undoubtedly a heavy blow. Having lost Italy as an ally, Germany had to face the Allies on the Western Front and the Soviet troops on the Eastern Front alone. In order to fill the void left by Italy, Germany had to transfer large numbers of troops to Italy and the Balkans, which further weakened their strength on other fronts.
At the political level, Italy's capitulation also had far-reaching consequences. It shook the confidence of other small Axis powers in Germany. Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary began covert contacts with the Allies to explore the possibility of a separate peace. This change in attitude ultimately hastened the collapse of the Axis powers.
After the surrender of Italy, the fall of Mussolini's regime was also a wake-up call for other fascist regimes. In Spain, the Franco regime began to adjust its foreign policy, gradually distancing itself from the Axis powers. This change had a subtle but important impact on the subsequent battle situation.
In general, the surrender of Italy marked the beginning of a new phase in World War II. It not only changed the strategic landscape of the Mediterranean and southern Europe, but also hastened the eventual defeat of the Axis powers. The repercussions of this event went far beyond the military dimension and had a profound impact on the political landscape of post-war Europe.