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Italian Military Internees

January 01, 1970

"Italian Military Internees" (Italienische Militärinternierte in German, Internati Militari Italiani in Italian, abbreviated as IMI) was the official name given by Germany to the Italian soldiers captured, rounded up and deported in the territories of Nazi Germany in Operation Achse in the days immediately following the World War II armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces (September 8, 1943).

Prison camp for Italian military after the armistice of September 8, 1943, German propaganda photo

After disarmament by the Germans, the Italian soldiers and officers were confronted with the choice to continue fighting as allies of the German army (either in the armed forces of the Italian Social Republic, the German puppet regime in northern Italy led by Mussolini, or in Italian "volunteer" units in the German armed forces) or, otherwise, be sent to detention camps in Germany. Those soldiers and officials which refused to recognize the "republic" led by Mussolini were taken as civilian prisoners too. Only 10 percent agreed to enroll.[1] The others were considered prisoners of war. Later they were re-designated "military internees" by the Germans (so as to not recognize the rights granted prisoners of war by the Third Geneva Convention), and finally, in the autumn of 1944 until the end of the war, "civilian workers",[2] so they could be subjected to hard labor without protection of the Red Cross.

The Nazis considered the Italians as traitors[3] and not as prisoners of war. The former Italian soldiers were sent into forced labor in war industries (35.6%), heavy industry (7.1%), mining (28.5%), construction (5.9%) and agriculture (14.3%). The working conditions were very poor. The Italians were inadequately fed or clothed for the German winter. Many became sick and died.

The death rate of the military internees at 6-7% was second only to that of Soviet prisoners of war although much lower.[4]

Numbers of prisoners and casualties edit

The Germans disarmed and captured 1,007,000 Italian soldiers, out of a total of approximately 2,000,000 actually in the army. Of these, 196,000 fled during the deportation. Of the remaining approximately 810,000 (of which 58,000 were caught in France, 321,000 in Italy and 430,000 in the Balkans), more than 13,000 lost their lives during the transportation from the Greek islands to the mainland and 94,000, including almost all the Blackshirts of the MVSN, decided immediately to accept the offer to fight alongside the Germans. This left a total of approximately 710,000[1] Italian soldiers deported into German prison camps with the status of IMI. By the spring of 1944, some 103,000 had declared themselves ready to serve in Germany or the Italian Social Republic, as combatants or as auxiliary workers. In total, therefore, between 600,000 and 650,000 soldiers refused to continue the war alongside the Germans.

The estimates of losses among the IMI vary between 37,000 and 50,000. The causes of death were:

  • the harshness and danger of forced labor (10,000 dead)
  • disease and malnutrition, especially in the last months of the war (23,000)
  • executions inside the camps (4,600)
  • the allied bombings of facilities where they worked (2,700)
  • others perished on the Eastern Front (5,000-7,000)
  • attempted to escape to allied lines in Italy or the Western Front or neutral Switzerland and were either shot or died on to journey to freedom (Unknown Number)

At the end of the war, several thousand former IMI ended up in the hands of French, Soviets or Yugoslavs, and instead of being released, were kept in captivity for some time after the end of the war while others were liberated by American, British and Canadian soldiers.

Ships sunk carrying Italian POWs edit

Total of 13,939 killed [6][7]

Notable IMIs edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b . Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  2. ^ Zimmermann, Elisabeth (July 17, 2008). "Italian court to allow claims by Nazi victims". www.wsws.org.
  3. ^ "Home".
  4. ^ Gerlach, Christian (2016). The Extermination of the European Jews. Cambridge University Press. pp. 235–236. ISBN 978-0-521-70689-6.
  5. ^ Or 1835, according to other sources
  6. ^ Colombo, Lorenzo (March 9, 2014). "Con la pelle appesa a un chiodo: Prigionieri".
  7. ^ "Error".

External links edit

  • Between Two Stools. The History of the Italian Military Internees 1943 - 1945 web site of the exhibition at the Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre in Berlin
  • The Sand Mine - documentary web about the massacre of 127 Italian forced labourers in April 1945 in Treuenbrietzen (Brandenburg).

January 01, 1970
italian, military, internees, italienische, militärinternierte, german, internati, militari, italiani, italian, abbreviated, official, name, given, germany, italian, soldiers, captured, rounded, deported, territories, nazi, germany, operation, achse, days, imm. Italian Military Internees Italienische Militarinternierte in German Internati Militari Italiani in Italian abbreviated as IMI was the official name given by Germany to the Italian soldiers captured rounded up and deported in the territories of Nazi Germany in Operation Achse in the days immediately following the World War II armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces September 8 1943 Prison camp for Italian military after the armistice of September 8 1943 German propaganda photo After disarmament by the Germans the Italian soldiers and officers were confronted with the choice to continue fighting as allies of the German army either in the armed forces of the Italian Social Republic the German puppet regime in northern Italy led by Mussolini or in Italian volunteer units in the German armed forces or otherwise be sent to detention camps in Germany Those soldiers and officials which refused to recognize the republic led by Mussolini were taken as civilian prisoners too Only 10 percent agreed to enroll 1 The others were considered prisoners of war Later they were re designated military internees by the Germans so as to not recognize the rights granted prisoners of war by the Third Geneva Convention and finally in the autumn of 1944 until the end of the war civilian workers 2 so they could be subjected to hard labor without protection of the Red Cross The Nazis considered the Italians as traitors 3 and not as prisoners of war The former Italian soldiers were sent into forced labor in war industries 35 6 heavy industry 7 1 mining 28 5 construction 5 9 and agriculture 14 3 The working conditions were very poor The Italians were inadequately fed or clothed for the German winter Many became sick and died The death rate of the military internees at 6 7 was second only to that of Soviet prisoners of war although much lower 4 Contents 1 Numbers of prisoners and casualties 2 Ships sunk carrying Italian POWs 3 Notable IMIs 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksNumbers of prisoners and casualties editThe Germans disarmed and captured 1 007 000 Italian soldiers out of a total of approximately 2 000 000 actually in the army Of these 196 000 fled during the deportation Of the remaining approximately 810 000 of which 58 000 were caught in France 321 000 in Italy and 430 000 in the Balkans more than 13 000 lost their lives during the transportation from the Greek islands to the mainland and 94 000 including almost all the Blackshirts of the MVSN decided immediately to accept the offer to fight alongside the Germans This left a total of approximately 710 000 1 Italian soldiers deported into German prison camps with the status of IMI By the spring of 1944 some 103 000 had declared themselves ready to serve in Germany or the Italian Social Republic as combatants or as auxiliary workers In total therefore between 600 000 and 650 000 soldiers refused to continue the war alongside the Germans The estimates of losses among the IMI vary between 37 000 and 50 000 The causes of death were the harshness and danger of forced labor 10 000 dead disease and malnutrition especially in the last months of the war 23 000 executions inside the camps 4 600 the allied bombings of facilities where they worked 2 700 others perished on the Eastern Front 5 000 7 000 attempted to escape to allied lines in Italy or the Western Front or neutral Switzerland and were either shot or died on to journey to freedom Unknown Number At the end of the war several thousand former IMI ended up in the hands of French Soviets or Yugoslavs and instead of being released were kept in captivity for some time after the end of the war while others were liberated by American British and Canadian soldiers Ships sunk carrying Italian POWs editGaetano Donizetti Sep 23 1943 Rhodes 1 796 killed 5 sunk by HMS Eclipse Ardena Sep 27 1943 Argostoli 779 killed sunk by a mine Mario Roselli Oct 11 1943 Corfu 1 302 killed sunk by RAF air attack Maria Amalia Oct 13 1943 Kefalonia 544 killed sunk by a mine or by a Royal Navy submarine either HMS Unruly or HMS Trooper Sinfra Oct 20 1943 Crete 2 098 killed sunk by RAF and USAAF air attacks Aghios Antonios Kal 89 Nov 19th 1943 Karpathos 110 killed sunk by ORP Sokol Leda Feb 2nd 1944 Amorgos 780 killed sunk by RAF air attack Petrella Feb 8 1944 Souda 2 670 killed sunk by HMS Sportsman Oria Feb 12 1944 Cape Sounion 4 074 killed shipwrecked in a storm Sifnos March 4 1944 Milos 70 killed sunk by RAF air attack Tanais June 9 1944 Crete 213 killed sunk by HMS Vivid Total of 13 939 killed 6 7 Notable IMIs editVittorio Emanuele Giuntella Giovannino Guareschi Tonino Guerra Alessandro Natta Mario Rigoni Stern Gianrico Tedeschi Giuseppe TontodonatiSee also editDisarmed Enemy Forces La Voce della PatriaReferences edit a b The Forgotten Italian Military Internees of WWII the Stillman Exchange Archived from the original on June 17 2018 Retrieved April 14 2018 Zimmermann Elisabeth July 17 2008 Italian court to allow claims by Nazi victims www wsws org Home Gerlach Christian 2016 The Extermination of the European Jews Cambridge University Press pp 235 236 ISBN 978 0 521 70689 6 Or 1835 according to other sources Colombo Lorenzo March 9 2014 Con la pelle appesa a un chiodo Prigionieri Error External links editBetween Two Stools The History of the Italian Military Internees 1943 1945 web site of the exhibition at the Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre in Berlin The Sand Mine documentary web about the massacre of 127 Italian forced labourers in April 1945 in Treuenbrietzen Brandenburg Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Italian Military Internees amp oldid 1216507394, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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