RSI Ministry of the Armed Forces

[hpt]

The Ministry of National Defence (Ministero per la Difesa Nazionale) was established on 23 September 1943, with Maresciallo d'Italia Rodolfo Graziani as Minister (his appointment was confirmed the following day). On 6 January 1944 the Ministry was renamed to Ministry of the Armed Forces (Ministero Forze Armate).

My question concerns hierarchy of the Army within this Ministry and may seem elementary, yet doubt remains...

Military Intelligence of the Italian Army in the liberated South in February 1945 described how the Ministry of the Armed Forces was the supreme authority over

- the Army General Secretariat (Segretariato Generale Esercito)
- Military Inspectorate of Labour (Ispettorato Militare del Lavoro)
- Navy Under-Secretariat (Sottosegretariato Marina)
- Air Force Under-Secretariat (Sottosegretariato Aeronautica)
- War Production General Secretariat (Segretariato Generale produzione do guerra).

Post-war historians (e.g. Pisano', in "Storia delle Forze Armate della R.S.I.") show an Under-Secretariat of State for the Army (Sottosegretariato di Stato per l'Esercito), with three successive Under-Secretaries: Giglio, Ollearo and Basile. Within this Under-Secretariat is shown the Army General Secretariat, with three successive General Secretaries: Canevari, Chirieleison and the same (Generale Umberto) Giglio as shown for the Under-Secretary.

My question: Are Pisano', et al, correct is showing the Army General Secretariat as a Component of the Under-Secretariat of State for the Army? A Secretariat as a component of an Under-Secretareiat seems a contradiction in terms. Could it just be that there was just one Secretariat for the Army within the Ministry?

Thanks for any help on this!

hpt

[Davide Pastore]

Within this Under-Secretariat is shown the Army General Secretariat, with three successive General Secretaries: Canevari, Chirieleison and the same (Generale Umberto) Giglio as shown for the Under-Secretary.
My question: Are Pisano', et al, correct is showing the Army General Secretariat as a Component of the Under-Secretariat of State for the Army? A Secretariat as a component of an Under-Secretareiat seems a contradiction in terms. Could it just be that there was just one Secretariat for the Army within the Ministry?
hpt

I don't know if this can be of help:
At the page
http://web.tiscali.it/RSI_ANALISI/31ago.htm
there are the minutes of a meeting on 31 Aug 1944 of Mussolini and his ministers, that somewhat in the middle contains the item:

[Decr. Min. riguardante la nomina del Generale Giglio Umberto a Segretario Generale per l’Esercito e delega di firma allo stesso dei provvedimenti di carattere amministrativo (166 d). Cassato nel testo del verbale. Correzione autorizzata dal Duce]

"Ministerial Decree, concerning the appointment of General Giglio Umberto as General Secretary for the Army and delegation to him of power to sign administrative measures (166 d). Cancelled from the minutes text. Correction authorized by the Duce."

As of today Italy, there are a few (civilian) Sottosegretari under the Ministro della Difesa (each one with a specific delegation over some field; however, under Mussolini - himself the Minister most of the time - there was just one per service, doing most if not all of the the minister's work) but, lower still, there is a (military) "Segretario Nazionale della Difesa", with same level as Army/Navy/Air Force/Carabinieri General Chiefs of Staff (i.e., 4-stars General) and responsability over the defence technical barnches:
http://www.difesa.it/Segretario-SGD-DNA ... ma-big.htm

So, the figure of a Secretary under an Under-Secretary is not new. My guess is, the (upper) Sottosegretario did the "political" work, and the (lower) Segretario the "technical" work.

Davide

[Larry D.]

Gentlemen, a small question.

Pisano, Storia delle Forze Armate della R.S.I., was originally published in the late 1970's or early 1980's in numerous parts over serveral years, much like a magazine is published. Today, it is all buy impossible to find them. Does anyone know if Pisano's massive work was ever republished in book form?

Thanks,

--Larry

[Lupo Solitario]

Larry, there's an edition but it's rare and off print.


For the rest....the point is that in "burocratic italian" the "Undersecretary" is the official name for vice-minister, so an italian ministery has one minister and some (two or three usually) undersecretaries.

At the same time, a chief of a bureau or a department into the same ministery can be call a "secretary" as alternative to director. Pure dictonary trouble

bye

[Larry D.]

Larry, there's an edition but it's rare and off print.

Thanks, Lupo. I have photocopies of parts of it, but not the whole thing. It was an excellent production!