Chapter 161 Volume 5, Chapter 6, Italy: Armistice

Italy's Proposal for Peace August 5th My telegram to President Roosevelt The final meeting of the German and Italian heads of state Badoglio's question August 7th and 9th My telegram to Eden His reply! !Italian plenipotentiary appointed by Badoglio arrives in Spain August 16th I report to President Roosevelt! !Our joint call to General Eisenhower General Castellano and General Biddle Smith to talk in Lisbon My congratulatory message to General Alexander Arrival of General Zanussi Ultimatum to Italian envoy! !President Roosevelt and I report to Stalin that General Castellano signs the terms of an armistice near Syracuse September 3rd British Eighth Army crosses the Strait of Messina Italian fears of German occupation of Rome Eisenhower decides to launch Battle of Avalanche as planned At 6:00 p.m. on September 8, the German army surrounded Rome. The King of Italy fled to Brindisi. The Italian fleet urgently needed to occupy the Italian base in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Hundred Days of Italy became a major battleground.

With regard to the possible capitulation of Italy, detailed plans had been drawn up between the British and American Governments.By the end of July the drafting of the terms of the armistice had begun; on August 3 I circulated the papers in the War Cabinet so that they would be prepared should Italy propose to us.We hope there will be time to negotiate through political or diplomatic channels, not through Allied HQ. On the same day, Rome made its first peace proposal.Our Ambassador in Lisbon reported to the Foreign Office that the new Counselor of the Italian Legation in Lisbon, who had just arrived from Rome, wanted to see him, and hinted that he had a mission from the Badoglio government.The Italian diplomat was Ciano's former private secretary, the Marquis Dayetta.He had American ties and was friends with Sumner Wells.His mission to Lisbon this time was arranged by the new Italian Foreign Minister Guaglia under the instructions of Badoglio.The next day, Dayetta was invited to the British embassy.He made no mention of the armistice, but explained that although the King of Italy and Badoglio had demanded a peace, they had to pretend to continue fighting in order to prevent the Germans from carrying out a military coup in Italy.It is clear from his speech that Goa Ariglia was particularly interested in explaining to the Allies that, in order to assuage German suspicions, he was about to hold a conference with Ribbentrop in northern Italy.

I immediately notified President Roosevelt of Italy's coming to negotiate this time. former navy personnel to president roosevelt August 5, 1943 The following situation was told by a newly arrived Italian legation counselor to Campbell, the British ambassador in Lisbon.I pass these facts on to you because they have substance.I have instructed Ambassador Campbell not to express any opinion. This does seem to reveal some inside information.I'm leaving for Quebec now, but Aiden is staying here.You can keep in touch with both me and him. The King of Italy and the heads of the Army had been preparing for a military coup, but this one, perhaps a few days earlier, due to the actions of the Fascist Grand Council.

Fascism was wiped out in Italy.All traces were wiped away.Italy turned red overnight.Communist demonstrations took place in Turin and Milan and had to be suppressed by armed forces.Two decades of fascism have wiped out the middle class.Between the king and rampant Bolshevism there was nothing left.Patriots had gathered around the king, and they had taken control of the situation.One of the German armored divisions was stationed just outside Rome, and if there was any sign of instability in Italy, they would move in.There were about 10,000 German troops scattered in the urban area of ​​Rome, most of whom carried machine guns.If we bomb Rome again, the people will revolt and the Germans will march in and kill everyone.They have actually threatened to use poison gas.The Italian army had gathered as much as possible around Rome, but they had no desire to fight any more.They were practically without weapons and were no match for even a well-equipped German division.

In this case, the king of Italy and Badoglio, who first considered making peace, had no other choice but to pretend to continue fighting.Ancient Ariglia will probably meet with Ribbentrop tomorrow, and after the talks there will be a communiqué in which it will be more clearly stated than in the past that Italy remains an active ally of Germany.But this is just a false gesture.The whole country just longed for peace, and especially to be rid of the Germans, whom everyone hated. If we cannot immediately attack Germany from the Balkans and thereby withdraw the German troops from Italy, we should land in Italy as soon as possible.The Germans were determined to defend the camp at every step anyway.When we land in Italy we shall meet little resistance, and even positive cooperation, from the Italians.

Dayetta never mentioned the terms of the peace, and from all he said you would find that it was nothing more than an appeal to us to save Italy from the Germans, and from his own, as soon as possible. He hoped that we would not blame the King of Italy and Badoglio too much, which would lead to bloodbaths, but a small blame would help them maintain their false appearance against the Germans. All concerned in Italy wanted peace with the Allies, and the Italian High Command was already eager to fight the Germans.Ancient Ariglia and the Italian Foreign Office hoped to take advantage of the moment and proceed cautiously to turn the situation around without provoking the wrath and reprisals of the Germans.Thus we have come into contact with two Italian representatives, although we cannot estimate which forces will be at work.The same goes for the Germans.On August 6, General Ariglia and Ambrosio met Ribbentrop and Keitel on the frontier.Discussions about the military aspect were extremely intense.Ambrosio demanded that the Italian divisions stationed in France and the Balkans be transferred home.Keitel, on the other hand, ordered the German troops, which were on standby at the border strongholds, to enter Italy during the meeting.At the same time, the foreign minister Gualiglia engaged in empty and meaningless negotiations with Ribbentrop in order to delay the German assault.

On August 6, another Italian diplomat, Mr. Berrio, came to negotiate with our diplomatic representative in Tangier.His instructions came directly from Badoglio.He made time demands again, but this time, he expressed a serious desire to negotiate, and he had been authorized to begin negotiations. I was on my way from Seaway to Quebec to attend a conference when this news, together with Mr. Eden's advice, reached me.The foreign secretary wrote: "We can fully see this as a conditional negotiation proposed by Badoglio's government.In this case, may we answer this: As we all know, we insist on unconditional surrender, and the Badoglio government must first inform us that Italy will surrender unconditionally to us.Then, at the next stage, when the Badoglio government has achieved this, we should inform them of the conditions under which we are prepared to cease hostilities against Italy.

After reading this telegram, I wrote with a red pen on the side, don’t miss the opportunity; I also wrote that if they surrender immediately, we are ready to make conditions to them, but this is as a kind of grace, not a bargain.Then, on August 7th, I replied to the Foreign Secretary as follows: Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary August 7, 1943 We agree with the approach you have taken.Badoglio admitted that he was ready to betray someone, but from his interests and the mood of the Italian people, it seemed more likely that the person he was about to betray was Hitler.His difficult situation should be considered.Meanwhile, the war against Italy should continue to advance on all sides agreed by the Americans.

On the day I arrived in Canada, I sent another telegram: Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary August 9, 1943 Badoglio must declare that he is prepared to defer unreservedly to the allied governments.The Allied governments had made it clear that they wanted Italy to have a respected place in the new Europe. It should also be noted that General Eisenhower had proposed the repatriation of Italian prisoners of war captured in Tunisia and Sicily as long as the Allied prisoners were promptly released. 2. The purpose of the above points is to express to the Italian Government the intention that although they must make a formal act of surrender, we wish to treat them with the utmost care, as military urgency permits.Repeatedly emphasizing unconditional surrender, without making them see leniency even as a kind of grace, may eventually lead them to refuse to surrender.The term honorable surrender, which was also formally used by President Roosevelt, I do not think should be omitted from the vocabulary we shall now use.

3. We have just arrived (Halifax Port).The voyage was very enjoyable, and the discussions that took place during the trip were very rewarding. I forward Mr. Eden's reply to President Roosevelt. Former Naval Personnel (in Quebec) to President Roosevelt August 12, 1943 Eden suggested that our representative in Tangier should reply to Badoglio's special envoy, Berio, as follows: Badoglio must understand that we cannot hold negotiations but demand unconditional surrender.That is to say, the Italian government should leave it to the hands of the Allied Governments, which will then present their terms.These conditions would provide a dignified surrender.

The instruction goes on to say: At the same time, Badoglio's special envoy should be reminded: the Prime Minister and the President have stated that when peace is re-established, we hope that Italy will, in due course, occupy a respected place in the new Europe; General Eisenhower has declared , as long as all British and Allied prisoners of war now in Italian hands are released, Italian prisoners of war captured in Tunisia and Sicily will also be released. These are really just words taken from our published manifestos. If you agree with this answer in principle, please call Eden directly at the Foreign Office immediately, as my whereabouts are unknown.If such an answer is not in your opinion, you can discuss it after I arrive.I think the Italian envoy should be answered as soon as possible. President Roosevelt telegraphed Mr. Eden, who agreed with the wording, and so informed the Italian envoy in Tangier. These tentative contacts of the Italian Government were now replaced by a plenipotentiary of the Italian High Command in Spain.On August 15th General Castellano, Chief of Staff to General Ambrosio, visited Sir Samuel Hall at the British Embassy in Madrid.Castellano said that he had been ordered by Marshal Badoglio to inform us that the Italian government was ready to join the Allies against Germany as soon as the Allies landed on the Italian mainland.If the Allies accepted the offer, Castellano immediately provided detailed information on the deployment of German troops.I immediately passed this news to President Roosevelt. Former Naval Personnel (in Quebec) to President Roosevelt August 16, 1943 I enclose with this telegram four telegrams which I have received from London concerning Badoglio's new proposals.I suggest that the following answer should be given. We note the statement of the Italian envoy: we are not in a position to impose any conditions.If we can participate in the war against Germany as an ally, we are willing to accept unconditional surrender.As for our allies, we are in no position to take any decisions concerning any change in Italy's position, and at this stage we are not yet able to formulate plans together.But if a fierce battle broke out between the Italian Army and the German invaders, a new situation would arise.The Italians knew well that the British and American governments had no intention of denying Italy a respected place in Europe.Therefore, before the arrival of the British and American troops, the Italian government should resist the Germans as soon as possible with the best efforts.In particular, they should blow up bridges and culverts, destroy railways and roads in northern Italy to prevent further German invasion of Italy, and cut off the German army's communication lines in southern Italy. Such effective action would be seen as a valuable contribution by victorious allies, while also making possible further cooperation against a common enemy.There can be no doubt that the Italian government and people are capable of disrupting and cutting off the German lines of communication, and that such an action would prove their sincerity, another proof would be the protection of British and Allied prisoners of war from being transported to go to germany.If the Germans have such an attempt, and the Italian government has no strength to resist, the prisoners of war should be released and the Italian people should rescue them.Another great task, to which the Italian government was indeed in a position to contribute to the Allies, was to send Italian warships to any port occupied by the Allies. Fourthly, any information provided by the Italian Government concerning the disposition of German troops, any assistance given by the Italian army and people to the Allied landings, and especially the fighting between the Italians and the Germans accompanying the Allied landings, all of these will be was given good reviews.Fifthly, any cooperation between the Italian troops in the Balkans and various patriotic forces there would also be well received by the Allies, in the form of joint resistance against the Germans and resulting in bloody struggles. The Government, Army, and people of Italy, by thus acting against the common enemy, can promote, without any negotiation, more friendly relations with the United States.We expressly declare that if the Italians are found attacking the Germans wherever the Allied forces go, we will do our utmost to assist the Italians. Aiden will be here tomorrow and we can discuss the whole situation together.I am sending you this bundle of letters so that you may follow my train of thought. The chiefs of staff of the armed forces are considering the practical steps and timing necessary to bring about the defection of Italy. President Roosevelt and I agreed that Eisenhower should send General Bedell Smith and his Chief of Intelligence Staff, British General Strong, to Lisbon to begin negotiations with the Italian envoy.They brought with them the final terms of military surrender, which were determined after thorough discussion at our Quebec Quadrant meeting. President and Prime Minister to General Eisenhower August 18, 1943 The President and Prime Minister have agreed to an order from the Anglo-American Joint Chiefs of Staff that you immediately send two staff officers, one American and one British, to Lisbon.They should report to the British ambassador as soon as they arrive there.They should carry the terms of the armistice we agreed upon, which have been delivered to you.The British ambassador in Lisbon will follow orders to arrange a meeting with General Castellano. Your staff officer will attend this meeting. 2. During this meeting, an ultimatum was delivered to General Castellano in accordance with the following guidelines: We shall accept the unconditional surrender of Italy on the terms stated in the documents submitted to him. (The terms of the armistice that we have agreed upon and sent to you in advance should be handed over to him at this time. He should be informed that these terms do not include political, economic or financial terms, which will be communicated in other ways later .) These conditions did not specify the active assistance Italy could provide in the war against the Germans.The extent to which these treaties will be modified in favor of Italy will depend on how much assistance the Italian government and people will actually render to the United Nations against Germany during the war to come. The United States, however, declares unreservedly that wherever Italian troops or people are fighting against the Germans, or destroying German property, or hindering the movement of German troops, the forces of the United States will give them all possible assistance.At the same time, provided that information about the enemy can be supplied directly and regularly to us, the Allied bombing will be directed as far as possible against those targets which are sufficient to influence the activities and operations of the German forces. The end of hostilities between the United Nations and Italy shall be effective from the date and time notified by General Eisenhower. The Italian government must declare an armistice immediately after General Eisenhower declared it, and order their army and people to, from then on, cooperate with the Allied forces to resist the Germans. The Italian government must, at the time of the armistice, order the immediate release of all Allied prisoners of war who are in danger of being captured by the Germans. The Italian government must order the Italian fleet and as many merchant ships as possible to set sail for the Allied ports at the time of the armistice.At the same time as many military aircraft as possible must be flown to the Allied bases.Any ship or aircraft in danger of being captured by the Germans must be destroyed. 3. General Castellano should be informed that Badoglio has much work to do before the Germans become aware of the plans now in progress.The exact nature and extent of his actions must be judged for himself, but the following general principles should be put to him: If the local authorities could be informed without the knowledge of the Germans, the whole country should be informed about passive resistance. Keep the Germans from taking over Italy's coastal defenses. Arrangements should be made for the dispatch of the Italian troops in the Balkans to the coast, at the appropriate time, so that the United Nations may repatriate them to Italy. On August 19, the two sides met at the British Embassy in the Portuguese capital.We informed Castellano that General Eisenhower would accept the Italian Government's unconditional surrender on the terms now handed to him.It is difficult to adapt tough military negotiations to flexible diplomacy.The Italian general on a mission was in a desperate position in Lisbon.As he emphasized, the purpose of his visit was to discuss how Italy could rise up against Germany.And Biddle Smith had to reply that he could only discuss unconditional surrender. These negotiations took place at the same time as the final conquest of Sicily.On the same day, I called General Alexander: Prime Minister (in Quebec) to General Alexander (in the Middle East) August 19, 1943 I was overjoyed to hear of this new brilliant achievement.My warmest congratulations on everything you've accomplished.I would like to send you a telegram immediately, asking you to announce to the troops of the Fifteenth Army Group, but I feel that it is best for President Roosevelt and the King to congratulate Eisenhower first.I'm making this suggestion. 2. Undoubtedly, you already know that General Castellano came to intercede with us, and our reply from here.Our greatest danger is the entry of the Germans into Rome and the establishment of a Quisling-style fascist regime, say, under Farinassi.Equally unpleasant, the whole of Italy gradually descended into a state of chaos.I doubt that the Badoglio government will be able to maintain their duplicity until the date now fixed for the start of the implementation of Operation Avalanche, so that any means of shortening this period sufficiently without jeopardizing military success, All very helpful. General Alexander to Prime Minister (in Quebec) August 20, 1943 I appreciate your kind call very much and value it very much.We are doing everything possible to make the avalanche plan come true as soon as possible.Here we see clearly that each hour gives the enemy more time to prepare and organize forces against us. On August 19th the meeting with General Castellano in Lisbon lasted all night.The Italian general, realizing that Bedell Smith would make no concessions on terms, drew on a map the deployment of German and Italian armies in Italy.Castellano, after a suitable delay in order to cover his travels to Portugal, returned to the Rome. Yet another Italian envoy, General Zanussi, appeared in Lisbon on 26 August.Chief aide to the Italian Chief of Staff, he arrived in Lisbon accompanied by General Caton de Vuillard, who had been awarded the Victoria Cross; middleman's.The purpose of this new visitor is unclear.Perhaps Badoglio worried that Castellano was giving up too much equity and needed to know what he was doing.They told Carton de Vuillard that one pigeon had been released, but it didn't come back, so another was released.Zanussi received Badoglio's instructions, asking him to try to get to London and step up his request for the Allied forces to land north of Rome. Since we had started negotiations with Castellano, it was decided to send Zanussi to General Eisenhower's headquarters.But before he set off there was a chivalrous deed.The Italian general wanted to return to Rome to report that his mission had not been successful.When he discussed the matter with his English partner, the latter said quietly that he was of course prepared to accompany him back.Zanussi recounts, in his own words, what Caton de Vuillard said at the time: I am a prisoner of war.I was released to accompany you to London on a mission.Because this mission was not carried out, you are going back to Italy, and I am going back to my comrades. The Italian replied that he would never agree to such a plan.He knew that everything was in order for Vuillard to return to England and that he should meet General Eisenhower as suggested.Carton de Ville should consider himself free.This episode between Britain and Italy is worth remembering forever by our two nations. The recently arrived Italian envoy was therefore sent to Algiers, where he provided further information on German movements in Italy. On August 31, General Biddle Smith, accompanied by General Zanussi, met with Castellano in Sicily, according to prior arrangements.Castellano stated that if the Italian government had been a free-action government, they would have accepted and declared the terms of the armistice, as the Allies wished.However, they were under German control.Since the Lisbon talks, the Germans have sent more troops into Italy, and the whole country is actually under German occupation.Therefore, the truce cannot be announced at the time required by the Allies, that is, before the Allied forces have landed in Italy in large numbers, and Castellano is eager to know the details of the landings.The Italians wanted to make sure the landing force was strong enough to keep the Italian king and government in Rome safe. Evidently the Italian government was particularly looking forward to our landing north of Rome in order to protect them and keep them from the German divisions near Rome.Castellano said in his talk that fifteen Allied divisions would be required to take part in such a battle.Bedell Smith made it clear that since the armistice would not be announced until after the main Allied forces had landed, he was not prepared to continue negotiations on that basis, and the Allies refused to provide any information on the strengths to be used in the forthcoming campaign. intelligence.Castellano then asked permission to reapply to his government.We told him that this was the last condition and that the time limit had expired, but that given the current discussions, the Allies were willing to wait until midnight between September 1 and 2, when they would have to declare whether they would accept it firmly or reject it.Castellano returned to Rome that night. The Allied High Command saw that the Italian government was rapidly losing its nerve, and that it would not have the guts to sign the terms of an armistice unless it was convinced of the overwhelming strength of the Anglo-American attack on the Italian mainland.General Eisenhower therefore proposed to General Castellano that he would send an airborne force to land near Rome.Such an approach would depend on an assurance from the Badoglio government that the terms of an armistice be signed and promulgated, as the Allies wished; The division took combat action against the Germans. At this time, President Roosevelt and I were both in the White House, and we sent the following telegram to General Eisenhower: We very much agree with your decision to proceed with the avalanche plan and to land an airborne division near Rome on the terms stated.We are fully aware that at this critical juncture, military considerations must prevail.The War Cabinet met in London on the same day and approved the opinion. We reported to Stalin the development of the situation in Italy. Prime Minister and President Roosevelt to Premier Stalin September 2, 1943 We have received a statement from General Castellano that the Italians have accepted the terms of the armistice and that he is coming to sign it; but we do not yet know exactly whether this refers to the short-term What about the military conditions, or have you specified the more comprehensive and complete conditions that you are prepared to sign. 2. The military situation in this area is both urgent and full of hope.Our attack on the Italian mainland will probably begin soon, and this heavy blow, called the avalanche, will begin in the next week or so.Since the Italian government and people were having a hard time extricating themselves from Hitler's clutches, perhaps a more daring venture was necessary because General Eisenhower needed the help of as many Italians as possible.Italy's acceptance was chiefly based on the fact that we would send an airborne division to Rome in order to enable them to thwart the Germans, who, having assembled armored forces in the outskirts of Rome, might want to set up a Under the leadership of the Quisling-style regime, to replace the Badoglio government.Since the situation there was changing so rapidly, we thought General Eisenhower should be careful not to delay the resolution because of the difference between short-term or long-term conditions.Obviously, the short-term conditions were included in the long-term conditions, which also resulted from unconditional surrender, and the power of interpretation about them rested in the hands of the Allied Commander-in-Chief. 3. We therefore presume that, if necessary, you wish to have General Eisenhower sign the short terms on your behalf.This was necessary in order to prevent General Castellano from returning to Rome again, and to prevent the delays and instability which would affect military operations.Of course, we strongly hope that Italy will surrender unconditionally to the Soviet Union, just as it has surrendered unconditionally to Britain and the United States.The timing of the announcement of Italy's surrender would of course coincide with a military attack. General Castellano returned to Sicily, officially authorized by his government to sign the military terms of surrender.On September 3, in an olive grove near Syracuse, the signing ceremony took place.I got this news from a telegram from General Alexander. General Alexander to Prime Minister September 3, 1943 Today, on the afternoon of the fourth anniversary of the war, Generals Biddle Smith, representing General Eisenhower, and General Castellano, representing Marshal Badoglio, were duly authorized to sign the terms of the short-term armistice. Castellano remains near my headquarters, and we begin military talks this evening to arrange the best assistance Italian forces can provide in our campaign. Before dawn on September 3, the British Eighth Army crossed the Strait of Messina and entered the Italian mainland. Prime Minister to Premier Stalin September 5, 1943 General Castellano, after a long struggle, signed the short-term terms on September 3; he is now working out with Generals Eisenhower and Alexander the best way to implement them.This will inevitably lead to a direct war between the armies of Italy and Germany, and we will, wherever possible, do our best to give the Italian army the most effective and prompt assistance.A startling development will emerge next week.The attack on the toe of Italy had been successful and was advancing, and the avalanche plan and the risky move of the air force were imminent.Although I believe that in the avalanche plan we can land with a strong force, I cannot predict what will happen in Rome or in the whole of Italy.The most important purpose is to annihilate the Germans as much as possible on this battlefield and to prompt the Italians to annihilate the Germans. I shall stay on this side of the Atlantic until the matter is settled.On the other hand, please accept my warmest congratulations on your new series of victories and breakthroughs on the main fronts. Now, it is necessary to integrate Italy's terms of surrender with our military strategy.American General Taylor of the 82nd Airborne Division was dispatched to Rome on 7 September.His secret mission was to negotiate with the Italian General Staff and prepare to seize the airport near the capital on the night of the 9th.But the situation had changed dramatically since Castellano asked for the protection of the allies.The Germans have a strong force close by and they seem to have taken the airfield.The Italian army was demoralized and short of ammunition.Around Badoglio, various opinions quarreled endlessly.Taylor asked to meet him.Everything is in a state of indecision.Italy's leaders now feared that should the terms of surrender they had signed be announced, it would lead to a direct German occupation of Rome and bring about the end of Badoglio's government.At 2 a.m. on September 8, General Taylor met with Badoglio, who requested a delay in broadcasting the armistice because the airfield had been seized.In fact, he had sent a telegram to inform Algiers that the safety of Rome airport could not be guaranteed.Therefore, the airborne was cancelled. Eisenhower must now make a quick decision.The offensive against Salerno was scheduled to start within twenty-four hours.So he called the Anglo-American Joint Chiefs of Staff: September 8, 1943 I just had a meeting with the main commander.I decided not to accept the change in Italian attitude.We intend to proceed with the plan of declaring a truce, followed by propaganda and other measures.We have informed Marshal Badoglio through our direct contact that the armistice agreement concluded by his appointed representative and in which both parties seem to have fulfilled their sincerity, is of course considered valid and binding, and we do not recognize the abandonment of our original agreement any behavior. After consultation, President Roosevelt and I responded as follows: September 8, 1943 It is the opinion of the President and the Prime Minister that, having signed the agreement, you should announce it publicly under conditions favorable to your military operations. So General Eisenhower broadcast the truce at six o'clock that afternoon, followed by the full text of the truce, and about an hour later Marshal Badoglio himself announced the truce from Rome.The surrender of Italy was successfully concluded. During the night between September 8 and 9, German forces began to encircle Rome.Badoglio and the royal family moved into the War Ministry building and martial law was declared.In an atmosphere of increasing tension and panic, hasty discussions took place.In the middle of the night, a convoy of five cars passed through the east gate of Rome and headed for the port of Pescara on the Adriatic coast.Among the group were members of the Italian royal family, Badoglio and his cabinet, and senior officials.They arrived in Brindisi in the early morning of September 10th in two submarine destroyers, and quickly established the necessary institutions of an anti-fascist Italian government in the area occupied by the Allies. After the departure of the exiles mentioned above, Marshal Caviglia, a retired soldier who had won the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in the First World War, came to Rome.He automatically took responsibility for negotiating with the German forces that were advancing around Rome.Scattered battles have begun at the city gates.Certain regular units of the Italian Army and partisan bands of Roman citizens fought the Germans in the countryside. On September 11, hostilities ended with the signing of a military armistice, allowing Nazi divisions to move freely through the city. The reason why Marshal Badoglio was put under pressure to force him to surrender was that the allotted time for the Allied landings on the heel of Italy and near Rome would not be disrupted.With the formal signing of the terms of the armistice important steps have been taken, but there are other fruits to be plucked in this dreaded harvest: the Italian fleet must sail safely to the ports of the Allies; There were also many Italian divisions whose equipment was invaluable to the Allies as they continued to fight Nazi Germany; and there were even more important Italian bases in the eastern Mediterranean.重要的是，絕不能讓這些島嶼落入敵人的手中。 我深深地感到這種特殊的危險。 首相致威爾遜將軍（在中東） 一九四三年九月十三日 你此刻如能在意大利的幫助下攻佔羅得島，這對於總的戰局將是一個極好的貢獻。請把你對於這一軍事行動的計劃告我。你能否從中東的部隊中臨時抽出必要的駐軍？分配給你的總的兵力是多少？ 現在是想到克萊夫、彼得巴勒，以及魯克【１】的部隊攻陷直布羅陀的時候了。 【１】克萊夫，見原文第六十二頁譯者注。彼得巴勒（一六五八｜一七三五），魯克（一六五○｜一七零九），均是英國人。十八世紀初葉，由於爭奪西班牙王位，以法國為一方，奧地利、英國、荷蘭為另一方爆發了戰爭。在戰爭中，彼得巴勒於一七○五年率領的英荷遠征軍在西班牙的巴倫西亞等地打敗法軍；魯克於一七○四年參加了佔領直布羅陀的戰役。translator 為了避免使人感到我過分地渲染這種情緒，我引述英美聯合參謀長委員會對於我們在華盛頓通過的決議所作的最後總結。 地中海東部 英美聯合參謀長委員會注意到，中東總司令對於羅得島和多德卡尼斯群島的其他島嶼所採取的行動。他們同意這個行動，並正在考慮所能採取的進一步行動。 我不久還要重新談到這些事情。 也是在這一時期，九月八日天黑以後，意大利艦隊的主力部分遵照盟國的指示，離開熱那亞和斯佩西亞，開始一次勇敢的航行，駛往馬耳他島去投降。它們既沒有盟國飛機的保護，也沒有意大利空軍的防衛。第二天早晨，它們在沿著撒丁島西海岸向南航行時，遭到了從法國基地起飛的德國飛機的襲擊。旗艦羅馬號被擊中，全部炸毀，死傷慘重，艦隊總司令伯蓋米尼海軍上將也同時犧牲。戰列艦意大利號也受到了損傷。艦隊除留下幾艘小艦艇撈救墜海未死者外，繼續它的艱苦的航行。十日早晨，艦隊在海上和英國海軍的艦艇會合，並由它們護送到馬耳他島。英國軍艦中有沃斯派特號和英勇號，這兩艘軍艦以前在不同的情況下，時常搜尋意大利艦隊。塔蘭托的一支分艦隊，其中有兩艘戰列艦，也在九日起航，在海上遇到了前去佔領塔蘭托港的英國艦隊，第二天它平安地到達了馬耳他島。 十一日早晨，坎寧安海軍上將報告海軍部，現在意大利的作戰艦隊在馬耳他要塞大炮的保護下，已停泊在港內。 我迫切希望我們能很好地對待意大利海軍。我在九月十日致電坎寧安：如果意大利艦隊，在認真地履行了停戰條件和遭受了德國轟炸機的報復性襲擊以後，到達了我們的港口，我希望你和艾森豪威爾將軍商量，以便使他們獲得親切的和寬厚的接待。我確信，這是符合你的情感的。在當天晚些時候，我又電告他：如果可能的話，關於意大利艦隊的投降、英國人對他們的親切接待以及體貼地為傷員進行治療等等情況，應當拍成電影。 一度曾為頭等勝利強國的意大利的全部艦隊，現在落到我們的手中，成為我們的輝煌戰利品。我們必須使它在我們這一方發揮它的作用。 首相致坎寧安海軍上將（在阿爾及爾） 一九四三年九月十二日 你應當盡早地將意大利艦隊的各種性能的大炮和魚雷所需的彈藥數字報來，此項調查可從最重要的部隊單位開始，並報來現在艦上存有多少，在塔蘭托接收多少等等，並估計出需要製造的數量及其確切的規格。你不必等待全部情況調查清楚，而應當立即將主要的和最現代化的部隊所需的彈藥數目向海軍部報告，然後，通過正式途徑轉達美國。我大概可以在這裡進行安排，設法迅速製造。 隨著法西斯政權的崩潰，意大利全境都處在一種動盪不安的政治局面中。關於抵抗德國人的組織工作，由於缺乏領導而落到羅馬一個地下解放委員會的手中，並且又同現在整個半島上開始活躍的游擊隊的日益增長的活動聯繫起來。解放委員會的成員，不是在二十年代被墨索里尼剝奪了權勢的政客，就是仇視法西斯統治的集團的代表。但是，法西斯主義的少數核心力量，在失敗時刻企圖捲土重來的威脅，卻籠罩著一切，而德國人確實盡力助長這種趨勢。 墨索里尼在七月二十六日以後被拘留在蓬察島，隨後又轉到離撒丁島海岸不遠的拉馬達勒納島。巴多格利奧擔心德國人進行一次奇襲，因此曾在八月底，把他以前的首長遷到意大利中部阿布魯齊高山上的一個小型休養地。因為從羅馬逃出時，十分慌張，巴多格利奧沒有給看守這位垮臺的獨裁者的便衣警察和憲兵以明確的指示。九月十二日，星期天的早晨，由滑翔機運載的九十名德國傘兵，在墨索里尼被拘禁的旅館附近降落。當時沒有發生任何傷亡事件，墨索里尼就被一架德國輕型飛機運到慕尼黑去，同希特勒舉行另一次會議。 墨索里尼既被救了出來，德國人便能夠在北部成立一個與巴多格利奧政府對抗的政權。一個虛設的法西斯政權設在加爾達湖濱，墨索里尼就在這裡上演了一幕百日醜劇。羅馬北面的地區處在德國軍事佔領的蹂躪下；一個無人效忠的掛名政府設在羅馬，現在那裡聽任德國軍隊自由出入；意大利國王和巴多格利奧在盟國委員會的監視下，在布林迪西成立了一個殘存政府，他們擁有的有效權力，不能越出市行政大樓的範圍。由於我們的軍隊正從半島的趾形地區向前推進，盟國的軍政府接管了統治解放地區的任務。 意大利現在將要經歷它的歷史上最悲慘的時期，並成為戰爭中幾次最激烈的戰鬥的戰場。