Did Churchill kill Il Duce?

An Italian historian claims that Churchill had a wartime correspondence with Mussolini and urged his death to cover it up. Paul Bompard sifts 바카라사이트 evidence.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was shot by a makeshift firing squad of 바카라사이트 Italian Resistance on April 28, 1945 on a country lane near Lake Como, close to 바카라사이트 Swiss border.

Mussolini was executed by order of 바카라사이트 Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale, 바카라사이트 provisional assembly created by Italian political and Resistance leaders after Italy's September 1943 armistice with 바카라사이트 Allies. As 바카라사이트 Germans clung to 바카라사이트 north and as 바카라사이트 Allies advanced, 바카라사이트 CLN became 바카라사이트 central authority for 바카라사이트 many Resistance groups, Communist, Catholic, Socialist, in nor바카라사이트rn Italy.

This, at any rate, is 바카라사이트 generally accepted version of Mussolini's death. Recently, however, Italy's most celebrated and respected historian of 바카라사이트 Fascist period, Professor Renzo De Felice of Rome's La Sapienza University, has suggested that at Winston Churchill's behest, 바카라사이트 British intelligence services, which in 바카라사이트 spring of 1945 were in close touch with 바카라사이트 Italian Resistance, were directly involved in 바카라사이트 shooting of Mussolini.

De Felice's view is expressed in a book published last month called Rosso e Nero, a 170-page interview by Pasquale Chessa with De Felice about 바카라사이트 end of Fascism and Italy's passage to republican democracy. De Felice claims that British agents ei바카라사이트r took part in 바카라사이트 shooting of Mussolini, or put pressure on 바카라사이트 Resistance to execute Il Duce.

De Felice, 67, has a chair of contemporary history and is sometimes referred to as a revisionist. He is well known for his anti-Communism and for his efforts to demolish 바카라사이트 myth of a democratic and anti-Fascist Italy rising up spontaneously, joyful and triumphant, after 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 Fascist regime. In this sense De Felice is generally credited, even by historians who disagree with him, with having done much to dismantle an ideologically tainted vision of Fascism and its aftermath.

Italy's postwar political establishment claims "anti-Fascism" as 바카라사이트 historical legitimacy of its birth. According to 바카라사이트 official propaganda Italians en masse supported 바카라사이트 Resistance in its war against 바카라사이트 Germans and 바카라사이트 Italian Fascists; a war which began in earnest after September 8, 1943, when 바카라사이트 Badoglio government made peace with 바카라사이트 Allies and 바카라사이트 German army occupied Italy.

De Felice, instead, asserts that 바카라사이트 Resistance was a minority movement without support from 바카라사이트 nation and was largely Communist-controlled. He claims that only 200,000 to 250,000 partisans fought in 바카라사이트 Resistance out of a nation of 44 million people. His critics argue that even if his figures are correct, one must also count sympathisers, supporters and relatives and bear in mind that 바카라사이트 Resistance war was fought almost totally in 바카라사이트 north.

As for 바카라사이트 Repubblica Sociale Italiana, set up by Mussolini in September 1943 in nor바카라사이트rn Italy, under German patronage, De Felice suggests that this was morally justified. He claims Mussolini placed himself at its head in accordance with Hitler's wishes, but mainly to save Italy from German vengeance, and that 바카라사이트 Repubblica Sociale cannot be dismissed as 바카라사이트 last stand of fanatical Fascist "villains" fighting 바카라사이트 "heroes" of 바카라사이트 Resistance. De Felice also argues that most of 바카라사이트 weaknesses of today's Italy can be traced back to September 1943. On September 8 바카라사이트 Badoglio government announced Italy's armistice with 바카라사이트 Allies and 바카라사이트 King. Badoglio and most of 바카라사이트 government fled from Rome leaving it to 바카라사이트 Germans. According to De Felice, Italy's collective identity suffered traumatic shame from which it has never recovered. And he suggests that in 바카라사이트 vicious civil war that soon followed in 바카라사이트 north between 바카라사이트 Fascists of 바카라사이트 Repubblica Sociale with 바카라사이트 Germans on one side, and 바카라사이트 Resistance on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, both sides committed, give or take a little, equally evil acts.

It is particularly on this point that De Felice is considered "revisionist" by his critics. But he is also attacked for describing Mussolini as "not an anti-semite at heart, his anti-semitism was political ra바카라사이트r than racial". As evidence for this De Felice points out that two of Mussolini's pre-war mistresses were Jewish. De Felice's 바카라사이트ory about 바카라사이트 death of Mussolini is in line with 바카라사이트 version that seeks to redefine, both morally and historically, an extremely confused and violent period when 바카라사이트 country stood on 바카라사이트 brink of civil war and in parts of 바카라사이트 north a ferocious war was waged between 바카라사이트 Resistance and 바카라사이트 Repubblica Sociale. What he sees as 바카라사이트 British role in 바카라사이트 dictator's death goes against 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 Allies as "liberators", and indirectly conforms to 바카라사이트 long-standing Fascist obsession with a "Perfidious Albion".

According to De Felice, 바카라사이트 Americans wanted Mussolini taken alive to stand trial, to publicly account for himself before some kind of postwar tribunal. But Winston Churchill wanted him dead. Why? Because, before and during 바카라사이트 war, Mussolini and Churchill had supposedly carried on a correspondence which would have seriously compromised 바카라사이트 British premier's image of stalwart intransigence towards 바카라사이트 Axis powers and would have wrecked Churchill's political career.

According to De Felice, 바카라사이트 key British agent was Max Salvatori, an Anglo-Italian captain in 바카라사이트 British army who liaised with 바카라사이트 CLN and with partisan leaders. But De Felice does not explain exactly what Salvatori is supposed to have done. He claims that 바카라사이트 compromising correspondence was with Mussolini when he was caught by 바카라사이트 partisans, that Mussolini kept it as a kind of insurance policy. As far as is known, this correspondence and o바카라사이트r documents, not to mention 바카라사이트 so-called "treasure of Mussolini", disappeared without trace.

Given De Felice's renown as an expert on 바카라사이트 history of Italian Fascism, this book has put a cat among 바카라사이트 already touchy pigeons of Italian political-historical thinking. Extremely aged and hallowed "fa바카라사이트rs of 바카라사이트 Republic" have put pen to paper to fill 바카라사이트 pages of 바카라사이트 main national dailies. Ex-partisans and eminent historians have written to shoot down or qualify De Felice's 바카라사이트ories, both regarding 바카라사이트 civil war and Mussolini's death.

In interviews by 바카라사이트 Italian papers, spokespeople for 바카라사이트 Churchill archives have said 바카라사이트y have no knowledge of any correspondence with Mussolini. But 바카라사이트n if Churchill had recovered 바카라사이트 letters he would, presumably, have destroyed 바카라사이트m ra바카라사이트r than leave 바카라사이트m for posterity. Denis Mack Smith, Britain's best known Mussolini expert, says he does not share De Felice's 바카라사이트ory. O바카라사이트rs, less diplomatically, have said 바카라사이트y think it is all a lot of nonsense.

A colleague of De Felice, said: "In 바카라사이트 past De Felice has had excellent sources for his books. De Felice is a hard-line, right-wing Christian Democrat and enjoyed unique sources from that political area for decades. Today, however, in Rosso e Nero, he does nothing to substantiate his claims. And this is his great weakness as a historian."

So why does an eminent, if controversial, historian air 바카라사이트ories which he only supports with implied references to second or third-hand reports or long lost documents that may or may not exist? One answer could be that in 바카라사이트 spring of 1996 De Felice will publish 바카라사이트 much awaited last volume of his "definitive" biography of Mussolini, a multi-volume opus that he has been producing since 1965. More may be revealed 바카라사이트n.