Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

Discussions on the foreigners (volunteers as well as conscripts) fighting in the German Wehrmacht, those collaborating with the Axis and other period Far Right organizations. Hosted by George Lepre.
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Komi
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Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#1

Post by Komi » 28 Mar 2021, 20:19

By now it seems there's quite a few books in English about Germany's collaborators, but I'm having a hard time finding anything written about Italy's ones; guys like the MVAC, Savoia Cossacks, etc.

Are there any publications in English about Italy's foreign volunteers that someone can recommend?

zaptiè
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#2

Post by zaptiè » 09 Apr 2021, 11:30

Some on Osprey on Italian on WWII


Komi
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#3

Post by Komi » 09 Apr 2021, 12:22

I found this book online: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1891227122/

Does anyone know how much detail it goes into regarding Slovenes who served Italy?

zaptiè
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#4

Post by zaptiè » 09 Apr 2021, 17:40

Nice book, but very basic.There is a slovenian book with a lot of photos but is in slovene.

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Ifor
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#5

Post by Ifor » 09 Apr 2021, 18:44

Only know these ones, Italian and others,
Sacrifice on the Step.
The East Came West
For Croatia and Christ
Hitler's Spanish Legion
Germany's First Ally-Slovenia
Three Kings
Hitler's Eastern Legions
Cossacks in the German Army

I don't know how good these books are as I haven't read them yet(still on my shelf). I'm sure I've got one on the ROA by Wydawnitwo Militatia, can't find it at moq

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#6

Post by Sid Guttridge » 16 Apr 2021, 08:37

Hi Guys,

Italy already had some Slovenes on its territory and acquired more in 1941. They were subject to Italian conscription and could end up in North Africa. However, they were not trusted and were split up in mostly non-combatant roles. Some deserted to the British (there is a photo of some Slovenes turning themselves in to the British in a stolen Italian armoured car) and the rest there were captured. They became a major source of recruitment for the Royal Yugoslav forces in exile.

According to p.127 of: https://ecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewconten ... luc_theses, the British formed two battalions of Italian Slovenes in the Middle East.

Cheers,

Sid.

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#7

Post by Sid Guttridge » 16 Apr 2021, 09:20

Hi Komi,

The potential to recruit overseas Italians is illustrated by enlistments in the Legione Parini for the Ethiopian War of 1935-36 (only those countries producing more than 100 volunteers):

France -665
Belgium - 100
Tunisia - 800
Egypt - 150
Morocco - 120
Argentina - 700
Brasil - 400
USA - 350
Uruguay - 120

The total over all was at least 3,677. (See p.162 of La Legione Parini by Joao Fabio Bertonha)

They served in Somalia and the final drive into Ethiopia but saw almost no combat. Their role was essentially a propaganda one.

Italy also received hundreds of volunteer applications from non-Italians, but these were rejected as they only wanted volunteers of Italian origin.

However, in WWII most of these countries of origin were in Allied hands or cut off by the Royal Navy, so overseas enlistment of Italian volunteers was minimal.

Cheers,

Sid.

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K.Kocjancic
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#8

Post by K.Kocjancic » 26 Apr 2021, 10:02

Sid Guttridge wrote:
16 Apr 2021, 09:20
Hi Komi,

The potential to recruit overseas Italians is illustrated by enlistments in the Legione Parini for the Ethiopian War of 1935-36 (only those countries producing more than 100 volunteers):

France -665
Belgium - 100
Tunisia - 800
Egypt - 150
Morocco - 120
Argentina - 700
Brasil - 400
USA - 350
Uruguay - 120

The total over all was at least 3,677. (See p.162 of La Legione Parini by Joao Fabio Bertonha)

They served in Somalia and the final drive into Ethiopia but saw almost no combat. Their role was essentially a propaganda one.

Italy also received hundreds of volunteer applications from non-Italians, but these were rejected as they only wanted volunteers of Italian origin.

However, in WWII most of these countries of origin were in Allied hands or cut off by the Royal Navy, so overseas enlistment of Italian volunteers was minimal.

Cheers,

Sid.
Can you check the book, if there were any volunteers from Yugoslavia/Slovenia?

Thanks!

KK

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#9

Post by Sid Guttridge » 07 Jun 2021, 12:30

Hi K.Kocjancic,

Sorry for the delay. I misplaced the book.

On p.50 it says there were some 50 volunteers from Yugoslavia mentioned in the 24 November 1935 edition of the journal Fanfulla.

On p.162 it gives another list of the members of the two legions of overseas Italians including, "Jugoslavia (23 dalmati, 8 della colonia Mahovljani, Bosnia) 31".

I can find nothing specifically on Slovenia.

Cheers,

Sid.

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K.Kocjancic
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#10

Post by K.Kocjancic » 08 Jun 2021, 20:29

Sid Guttridge wrote:
07 Jun 2021, 12:30
Hi K.Kocjancic,

Sorry for the delay. I misplaced the book.

On p.50 it says there were some 50 volunteers from Yugoslavia mentioned in the 24 November 1935 edition of the journal Fanfulla.

On p.162 it gives another list of the members of the two legions of overseas Italians including, "Jugoslavia (23 dalmati, 8 della colonia Mahovljani, Bosnia) 31".

I can find nothing specifically on Slovenia.

Cheers,

Sid.
Thanks!

KK

Orwell1984
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#11

Post by Orwell1984 » 09 Jun 2021, 02:24

Image

https://www.amazon.com/FRENCH-VOLUNTEER ... B00QRVG3S4

Here's one that showed up on Amazon in a kindle version

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Any books in English about Italy's foreign volunteers?

#12

Post by Sid Guttridge » 09 Jun 2021, 07:51

Hi Orwell1984,

I suspect that although they may have been French citizens, they were probably largely of Italian extraction.

The dividing line between French and Italians was less well defined then. The language traditionally spoken in southern France was more closely related to north-western Italian and Catalan in Spain than to Parisian French. In 1939 there were more Italian citizens in Monaco than French citizens and there was a large Italian diaspora in south-eastern France. Garibaldi, the iconic unifier of modern Italy, had been born in Nice. There was also a locally raised Blackshirt battalion in Nice which fell back into Italy with the Germans in August 1944. The post war centralized French education system has helped homogenize the country since.

Cheers,

Sid

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