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Table of Contents
Intro; Acknowledgements; Contents; Abbreviations and Glossary; List of Figures; Chapter 1 Introduction; A Distorted Outside View Defined by Propaganda and Stereotypes; Aims of This Study; A Note on Sources; Chapter 2 Historiography: Past Problems and Recent Trends; General Overviews on the Italian Army 1940-1943; The Italians on the Eastern Front; Memory; Chapter 3 The Italian Army Before the Second World War (1861-1940); The First World War, the Colonies and the Army Under Fascism; Readiness for War: 8 Million Bayonets or 8 Million Myths?; The Economy: Insufficient Industrial Base
Bad Material in Low Quantities?The Structure of an Italian Infantry Division; Antiquated Doctrines?; Officers and Men; Chapter 4 The guerra fascista-10 June 1940-25 July 1943; The Attack on France (June 1940); The Loss of Italian East Africa; Setting the Balkans Aflame: Albania, Greece and Jugoslavia; The North African Theatre; A Learning Organisation?; Chapter 5 The Italian Operations on the Eastern Front (1941); Italians to the Front; Conquering the Donets Basin; Lessons Learned?; Chapter 6 The Italian Operations on the Eastern Front (1942); The Creation of the ARMIR
Operations in Summer 1942: Marching to the DonThe 'First Defensive Battle on the Don' (20 August-1 September 1942); Preparing for the Second Winter-Sitting Idle on the Don?; Chapter 7 The Battle on the Don, 11 December 1942-31 December 1943; Operation Little Saturn or the 'Second Defensive Battle on the Don'; The Alpini Corps' Fate, January 1943; Conclusion; Chapter 8 The Italian Combat Performance: 'Chicken Led by Donkeys'?; Soviet Assessments of the Italians; The Germans on the Italians; Italian Anti-tank Warfare; German Ratings of Italian Divisions; German Ratings of Italian Officers
Chapter 9 Narratives About Victimhood: Evil Germans, Good Italian Occupiers and Evil Soviets?Victims of Their Teutonic Ally?; Victims of Defamation? The Italians and the War of Extermination; The Treatment of Civilians and Prisoners; Engaging the Partisans; Victims in Soviet Captivity; Chapter 10 Shaping the Myths: Memoirs, the Army and the Alpini; Giusto Tolloy: Staff Officer Turned Socialist; The Army's Voice; The Debate in the Rivista Militare; The Don, the Resistenza and the Alpini; Nikolayevka as 'Last Stand' Narrative and lieu de mémoire
Chapter 11 Contested Memories During the Cold WarItalo-Soviet Relations and the Return of POWs 1945/1946; Togliatti and the PCI; Messe's Post-1943 Career; The Peace Treaty Conference, 1946; The Elections of April 1948; The Left vs Messe; Defending the Army, 1950-1964; Messe vs. L'Unità 1955-1956; Chapter 12 Conclusion; Bibliography; Index
Bad Material in Low Quantities?The Structure of an Italian Infantry Division; Antiquated Doctrines?; Officers and Men; Chapter 4 The guerra fascista-10 June 1940-25 July 1943; The Attack on France (June 1940); The Loss of Italian East Africa; Setting the Balkans Aflame: Albania, Greece and Jugoslavia; The North African Theatre; A Learning Organisation?; Chapter 5 The Italian Operations on the Eastern Front (1941); Italians to the Front; Conquering the Donets Basin; Lessons Learned?; Chapter 6 The Italian Operations on the Eastern Front (1942); The Creation of the ARMIR
Operations in Summer 1942: Marching to the DonThe 'First Defensive Battle on the Don' (20 August-1 September 1942); Preparing for the Second Winter-Sitting Idle on the Don?; Chapter 7 The Battle on the Don, 11 December 1942-31 December 1943; Operation Little Saturn or the 'Second Defensive Battle on the Don'; The Alpini Corps' Fate, January 1943; Conclusion; Chapter 8 The Italian Combat Performance: 'Chicken Led by Donkeys'?; Soviet Assessments of the Italians; The Germans on the Italians; Italian Anti-tank Warfare; German Ratings of Italian Divisions; German Ratings of Italian Officers
Chapter 9 Narratives About Victimhood: Evil Germans, Good Italian Occupiers and Evil Soviets?Victims of Their Teutonic Ally?; Victims of Defamation? The Italians and the War of Extermination; The Treatment of Civilians and Prisoners; Engaging the Partisans; Victims in Soviet Captivity; Chapter 10 Shaping the Myths: Memoirs, the Army and the Alpini; Giusto Tolloy: Staff Officer Turned Socialist; The Army's Voice; The Debate in the Rivista Militare; The Don, the Resistenza and the Alpini; Nikolayevka as 'Last Stand' Narrative and lieu de mémoire
Chapter 11 Contested Memories During the Cold WarItalo-Soviet Relations and the Return of POWs 1945/1946; Togliatti and the PCI; Messe's Post-1943 Career; The Peace Treaty Conference, 1946; The Elections of April 1948; The Left vs Messe; Defending the Army, 1950-1964; Messe vs. L'Unità 1955-1956; Chapter 12 Conclusion; Bibliography; Index