Your Email:

Subject:

Message:
Entry: D'Annunzio, Mussolini, and the Fate of Empires Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/dannunzio_mussolini_and_the_fate_of_empires#5453 Post contents: @ Charles A. Coulombes Italian performance as fighters in the Spanish Civil War on the side of Franco ,is at best -mixed. Around Malaga it was quite good. Later on it was nothing short of catastrophic. I heard myself on Spanish TV, the Red and the Blue commanders discussing the battle of Guadalajara. Both agreed that Italians were running like rabbits opening a dangerous breach in Nationalist's lines. They were such a laughing stock for both sides that Mussolini got miffed and order them home. An explanation could be that the first contingent (Malaga) was made of real fascists while the latter(more numerous) of rabble il Duce collected from the streets when he run out of his 'arditi'. Sent at: 2008 07 09