Author: Marek Sobski
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Benito Mussolini was an exceptionally hot-headed politician. No wonder then that when reports from various sources began to reach him about the invasion of the Soviet Union planned by Adolf Hitler, in the blink of an eye he made the decision to accompany his friend in this new venture. The news of the enormous successes of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front only reinforced the decision to send representatives of the Italian armed forces to Russia in the form of the Expeditionary Corps (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia; CSIR). It was one of the most disastrous decisions of the Duce, which in time directly contributed to the collapse of the fascist regime, as the number of victims and brutality of the fighting in the east terrified the Italian public opinion, which never looked at war in such a total way as it was in the 3rd Reich or USSR. In early July 1941, three Italian divisions and a Blackshirt Legion began their journey into the unknown. There, soldiers were to fight against a completely unknown opponent, among peoples and ethnicities of the Soviet Union oppressed by red terror and living on the verge of poverty. Italians also quickly understood that their enemy would be the climate, regardless of the season. Nevertheless, they proudly represented their country, and the period discussed in the book was indeed a time of heavy fighting, but also successes, which for Italian troops were so often missing in World War Two. At the same time, the first symptoms of impending catastrophe appeared. CSIR logistics turned out to be ineffective, the enemy's reserves of manpower seemed to be endless, and in terms of the quality and availability of weapons, he quickly began to outperform the Italians. The book covers the first period of Italian involvement on the Eastern Front: CSIR's participation in Operation "Barbarossa" and the Soviet counteroffensive in the winter of 1941/1942. The basis for the decision to increase the Italian participation to the level of an entire army (the 8th Army, commonly known as Armata Italiana in Russia - ARMIR) is also presented. One of the chapters is also devoted to the aviation component, which was subordinated to the command of the CSIR. The book is being illustrated by 8 maps and 97 photographs of the main theme of the work as well as photo album: Operation "Barbarossa" as seen in the Italian press at the time. Table of contents: Maps Introduction I. Fascist Italy And The USSR (1922-1941) II. Mussolini - An Unexpected Crusader III. Formation Of The Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia IV. Army Group "South" In Operation "Barbarossa" V. Workers' And Peasants' Red Army VI. Manoeuvre at Petrykivka VII. Italians in the Donetsk Basin VIII. The Christmas Battle IX. The Last Actions of the Corps X. The decision to form ARMIR XI. Behind the CSIR Lines XII. The Italian Air Corps on the Eastern Front Conclusion Appendix 1 Italian Ranks and Appointments Used Throughout The Book And Their British Equivalents Appendix 2 Biographies Of The High-Ranking Italian Commanders of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Appendix 3 Ordre de Bataille of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Bibliography Photo album: Operation "Barbarossa"
Mussolini's Eastern Crusade
Author: Marek Sobski
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Benito Mussolini was an exceptionally hot-headed politician. No wonder then that when reports from various sources began to reach him about the invasion of the Soviet Union planned by Adolf Hitler, in the blink of an eye he made the decision to accompany his friend in this new venture. The news of the enormous successes of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front only reinforced the decision to send representatives of the Italian armed forces to Russia in the form of the Expeditionary Corps (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia; CSIR). It was one of the most disastrous decisions of the Duce, which in time directly contributed to the collapse of the fascist regime, as the number of victims and brutality of the fighting in the east terrified the Italian public opinion, which never looked at war in such a total way as it was in the 3rd Reich or USSR. In early July 1941, three Italian divisions and a Blackshirt Legion began their journey into the unknown. There, soldiers were to fight against a completely unknown opponent, among peoples and ethnicities of the Soviet Union oppressed by red terror and living on the verge of poverty. Italians also quickly understood that their enemy would be the climate, regardless of the season. Nevertheless, they proudly represented their country, and the period discussed in the book was indeed a time of heavy fighting, but also successes, which for Italian troops were so often missing in World War Two. At the same time, the first symptoms of impending catastrophe appeared. CSIR logistics turned out to be ineffective, the enemy's reserves of manpower seemed to be endless, and in terms of the quality and availability of weapons, he quickly began to outperform the Italians. The book covers the first period of Italian involvement on the Eastern Front: CSIR's participation in Operation "Barbarossa" and the Soviet counteroffensive in the winter of 1941/1942. The basis for the decision to increase the Italian participation to the level of an entire army (the 8th Army, commonly known as Armata Italiana in Russia - ARMIR) is also presented. One of the chapters is also devoted to the aviation component, which was subordinated to the command of the CSIR. The book is being illustrated by 8 maps and 97 photographs of the main theme of the work as well as photo album: Operation "Barbarossa" as seen in the Italian press at the time. Table of contents: Maps Introduction I. Fascist Italy And The USSR (1922-1941) II. Mussolini - An Unexpected Crusader III. Formation Of The Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia IV. Army Group "South" In Operation "Barbarossa" V. Workers' And Peasants' Red Army VI. Manoeuvre at Petrykivka VII. Italians in the Donetsk Basin VIII. The Christmas Battle IX. The Last Actions of the Corps X. The decision to form ARMIR XI. Behind the CSIR Lines XII. The Italian Air Corps on the Eastern Front Conclusion Appendix 1 Italian Ranks and Appointments Used Throughout The Book And Their British Equivalents Appendix 2 Biographies Of The High-Ranking Italian Commanders of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Appendix 3 Ordre de Bataille of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Bibliography Photo album: Operation "Barbarossa"
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
Benito Mussolini was an exceptionally hot-headed politician. No wonder then that when reports from various sources began to reach him about the invasion of the Soviet Union planned by Adolf Hitler, in the blink of an eye he made the decision to accompany his friend in this new venture. The news of the enormous successes of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front only reinforced the decision to send representatives of the Italian armed forces to Russia in the form of the Expeditionary Corps (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia; CSIR). It was one of the most disastrous decisions of the Duce, which in time directly contributed to the collapse of the fascist regime, as the number of victims and brutality of the fighting in the east terrified the Italian public opinion, which never looked at war in such a total way as it was in the 3rd Reich or USSR. In early July 1941, three Italian divisions and a Blackshirt Legion began their journey into the unknown. There, soldiers were to fight against a completely unknown opponent, among peoples and ethnicities of the Soviet Union oppressed by red terror and living on the verge of poverty. Italians also quickly understood that their enemy would be the climate, regardless of the season. Nevertheless, they proudly represented their country, and the period discussed in the book was indeed a time of heavy fighting, but also successes, which for Italian troops were so often missing in World War Two. At the same time, the first symptoms of impending catastrophe appeared. CSIR logistics turned out to be ineffective, the enemy's reserves of manpower seemed to be endless, and in terms of the quality and availability of weapons, he quickly began to outperform the Italians. The book covers the first period of Italian involvement on the Eastern Front: CSIR's participation in Operation "Barbarossa" and the Soviet counteroffensive in the winter of 1941/1942. The basis for the decision to increase the Italian participation to the level of an entire army (the 8th Army, commonly known as Armata Italiana in Russia - ARMIR) is also presented. One of the chapters is also devoted to the aviation component, which was subordinated to the command of the CSIR. The book is being illustrated by 8 maps and 97 photographs of the main theme of the work as well as photo album: Operation "Barbarossa" as seen in the Italian press at the time. Table of contents: Maps Introduction I. Fascist Italy And The USSR (1922-1941) II. Mussolini - An Unexpected Crusader III. Formation Of The Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia IV. Army Group "South" In Operation "Barbarossa" V. Workers' And Peasants' Red Army VI. Manoeuvre at Petrykivka VII. Italians in the Donetsk Basin VIII. The Christmas Battle IX. The Last Actions of the Corps X. The decision to form ARMIR XI. Behind the CSIR Lines XII. The Italian Air Corps on the Eastern Front Conclusion Appendix 1 Italian Ranks and Appointments Used Throughout The Book And Their British Equivalents Appendix 2 Biographies Of The High-Ranking Italian Commanders of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Appendix 3 Ordre de Bataille of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Bibliography Photo album: Operation "Barbarossa"
Joining Hitler's Crusade
Author: David Stahel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316510344
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 457
Book Description
A ground-breaking study that looks at why European nations sent troops to take part in Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316510344
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 457
Book Description
A ground-breaking study that looks at why European nations sent troops to take part in Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union.
A Twentieth-Century Crusade
Author: Giuliana Chamedes
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674983424
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 441
Book Description
The first comprehensive history of the Vatican’s agenda to defeat the forces of secular liberalism and communism through international law, cultural diplomacy, and a marriage of convenience with authoritarian and right-wing rulers. After the United States entered World War I and the Russian Revolution exploded, the Vatican felt threatened by forces eager to reorganize the European international order and cast the Church out of the public sphere. In response, the papacy partnered with fascist and right-wing states as part of a broader crusade that made use of international law and cultural diplomacy to protect European countries from both liberal and socialist taint. A Twentieth-Century Crusade reveals that papal officials opposed Woodrow Wilson’s international liberal agenda by pressing governments to sign concordats assuring state protection of the Church in exchange for support from the masses of Catholic citizens. These agreements were implemented in Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, as well as in countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. In tandem, the papacy forged a Catholic International—a political and diplomatic foil to the Communist International—which spread a militant anticommunist message through grassroots organizations and new media outlets. It also suppressed Catholic antifascist tendencies, even within the Holy See itself. Following World War II, the Church attempted to mute its role in strengthening fascist states, as it worked to advance its agenda in partnership with Christian Democratic parties and a generation of Cold War warriors. The papal mission came under fire after Vatican II, as Church-state ties weakened and antiliberalism and anticommunism lost their appeal. But—as Giuliana Chamedes shows in her groundbreaking exploration—by this point, the Vatican had already made a lasting mark on Eastern and Western European law, culture, and society.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674983424
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 441
Book Description
The first comprehensive history of the Vatican’s agenda to defeat the forces of secular liberalism and communism through international law, cultural diplomacy, and a marriage of convenience with authoritarian and right-wing rulers. After the United States entered World War I and the Russian Revolution exploded, the Vatican felt threatened by forces eager to reorganize the European international order and cast the Church out of the public sphere. In response, the papacy partnered with fascist and right-wing states as part of a broader crusade that made use of international law and cultural diplomacy to protect European countries from both liberal and socialist taint. A Twentieth-Century Crusade reveals that papal officials opposed Woodrow Wilson’s international liberal agenda by pressing governments to sign concordats assuring state protection of the Church in exchange for support from the masses of Catholic citizens. These agreements were implemented in Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, as well as in countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. In tandem, the papacy forged a Catholic International—a political and diplomatic foil to the Communist International—which spread a militant anticommunist message through grassroots organizations and new media outlets. It also suppressed Catholic antifascist tendencies, even within the Holy See itself. Following World War II, the Church attempted to mute its role in strengthening fascist states, as it worked to advance its agenda in partnership with Christian Democratic parties and a generation of Cold War warriors. The papal mission came under fire after Vatican II, as Church-state ties weakened and antiliberalism and anticommunism lost their appeal. But—as Giuliana Chamedes shows in her groundbreaking exploration—by this point, the Vatican had already made a lasting mark on Eastern and Western European law, culture, and society.
Mussolini's War
Author: John Gooch
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 164313549X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
A remarkable new history evoking the centrality of Italy to World War II, outlining the brief rise and triumph of the Fascists, followed by the disastrous fall of the Italian military campaign. While staying closely aligned with Hitler, Mussolini remained carefully neutral until the summer of 1940. At that moment, with the wholly unexpected and sudden collapse of the French and British armies, Mussolini declared war on the Allies in the hope of making territorial gains in southern France and Africa. This decision proved a horrifying miscalculation, dooming Italy to its own prolonged and unwinnable war, immense casualties, and an Allied invasion in 1943 that ushered in a terrible new era for the country. John Gooch's new history is the definitive account of Italy's war experience. Beginning with the invasion of Abyssinia and ending with Mussolini's arrest, Gooch brilliantly portrays the nightmare of a country with too small an industrial sector, too incompetent a leadership and too many fronts on which to fight. Everywhere—whether in the USSR, the Western Desert, or the Balkans—Italian troops found themselves against either better-equipped or more motivated enemies. The result was a war entirely at odds with the dreams of pre-war Italian planners—a series of desperate improvisations against an allied force who could draw on global resources, and against whom Italy proved helpless.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 164313549X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
A remarkable new history evoking the centrality of Italy to World War II, outlining the brief rise and triumph of the Fascists, followed by the disastrous fall of the Italian military campaign. While staying closely aligned with Hitler, Mussolini remained carefully neutral until the summer of 1940. At that moment, with the wholly unexpected and sudden collapse of the French and British armies, Mussolini declared war on the Allies in the hope of making territorial gains in southern France and Africa. This decision proved a horrifying miscalculation, dooming Italy to its own prolonged and unwinnable war, immense casualties, and an Allied invasion in 1943 that ushered in a terrible new era for the country. John Gooch's new history is the definitive account of Italy's war experience. Beginning with the invasion of Abyssinia and ending with Mussolini's arrest, Gooch brilliantly portrays the nightmare of a country with too small an industrial sector, too incompetent a leadership and too many fronts on which to fight. Everywhere—whether in the USSR, the Western Desert, or the Balkans—Italian troops found themselves against either better-equipped or more motivated enemies. The result was a war entirely at odds with the dreams of pre-war Italian planners—a series of desperate improvisations against an allied force who could draw on global resources, and against whom Italy proved helpless.
Holy War
Author: Ian Campbell
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 1787386317
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 445
Book Description
In 1935, Fascist Italy invaded the sovereign state of Ethiopia--a war of conquest that triggered a chain of events culminating in the Second World War. In this stunning and highly original tale of two Churches, historian Ian Campbell brings a whole new perspective to the story, revealing that bishops of the Italian Catholic Church facilitated the invasion by sanctifying it as a crusade against the world's second-oldest national Church. Cardinals and archbishops rallied the support of Catholic Italy for Il Duce's invading armies by denouncing Ethiopian Christians as heretics and schismatics and announcing that the onslaught was an assignment from God. Campbell marshals evidence from three decades of research to expose the martyrdom of thousands of clergy of the venerable Ethiopian Church, the burning and looting of hundreds of Ethiopia's ancient monasteries and churches, and the instigation and arming of a jihad against Ethiopian Christendom, the likes of which had not been seen since the Middle Ages. Finally, Holy War traces how, after Italy's surrender to the Allies, the horrors of this pogrom were swept under the carpet of history, and the leading culprits put on the road to sainthood.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 1787386317
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 445
Book Description
In 1935, Fascist Italy invaded the sovereign state of Ethiopia--a war of conquest that triggered a chain of events culminating in the Second World War. In this stunning and highly original tale of two Churches, historian Ian Campbell brings a whole new perspective to the story, revealing that bishops of the Italian Catholic Church facilitated the invasion by sanctifying it as a crusade against the world's second-oldest national Church. Cardinals and archbishops rallied the support of Catholic Italy for Il Duce's invading armies by denouncing Ethiopian Christians as heretics and schismatics and announcing that the onslaught was an assignment from God. Campbell marshals evidence from three decades of research to expose the martyrdom of thousands of clergy of the venerable Ethiopian Church, the burning and looting of hundreds of Ethiopia's ancient monasteries and churches, and the instigation and arming of a jihad against Ethiopian Christendom, the likes of which had not been seen since the Middle Ages. Finally, Holy War traces how, after Italy's surrender to the Allies, the horrors of this pogrom were swept under the carpet of history, and the leading culprits put on the road to sainthood.
The Great Crusade
Author: H. P. Willmott
Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.
ISBN: 1612343872
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 658
Book Description
"The best balanced one-volume history of the Second World War in its coverage of all the major themes and all the fronts. Willmott's fresh insights into the war on the Eastern Front are an outstanding feature." --Russell F. Weigley, author of Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany, 1944-45 "The Great Crusade is a single-volume tour de force combining narrative, interpretation, and insight. Willmott has written both an outstanding operational history and a perceptive analysis of systems and societies in mortal conflict." --Dennis E. Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century "One of the best one-volume histories of World War II. . . . Thorough in its coverage, entertaining in its treatment, and perceptive in its analyses. . . . Exceptionally readable." --Sea Power Originally published in 1989 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the war's outbreak in Europe, the highly acclaimed The Great Crusade: A New Complete History of the Second World War, Revised Edition, provides a balanced account of both theaters of conflict in World War II and asserts that modern war is waged between systems and societies rather than among individuals. In this new revised edition, author H. P. Willmott provides a general overview of military events and relates them to political and economic factors, establishing a balance among the warring nations in terms of the conflict's causes and its course of victory and defeat. The Great Crusade includes detailed analyses of the Soviet side of the conflict and offers comparisons between the American Civil War and the Pacific theater to explain Japan's defeat. Willmott debunks the myth of German military proficiency, asserting that the German military was better at winning individual battles than waging war, thus resulting in its defeat. With its clear discussion of events, controversial interpretive frameworks, and new introduction, The Great Crusade is a well-written and engaging narrative history that will appeal to military buffs and scholars alike.
Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.
ISBN: 1612343872
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 658
Book Description
"The best balanced one-volume history of the Second World War in its coverage of all the major themes and all the fronts. Willmott's fresh insights into the war on the Eastern Front are an outstanding feature." --Russell F. Weigley, author of Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany, 1944-45 "The Great Crusade is a single-volume tour de force combining narrative, interpretation, and insight. Willmott has written both an outstanding operational history and a perceptive analysis of systems and societies in mortal conflict." --Dennis E. Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century "One of the best one-volume histories of World War II. . . . Thorough in its coverage, entertaining in its treatment, and perceptive in its analyses. . . . Exceptionally readable." --Sea Power Originally published in 1989 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the war's outbreak in Europe, the highly acclaimed The Great Crusade: A New Complete History of the Second World War, Revised Edition, provides a balanced account of both theaters of conflict in World War II and asserts that modern war is waged between systems and societies rather than among individuals. In this new revised edition, author H. P. Willmott provides a general overview of military events and relates them to political and economic factors, establishing a balance among the warring nations in terms of the conflict's causes and its course of victory and defeat. The Great Crusade includes detailed analyses of the Soviet side of the conflict and offers comparisons between the American Civil War and the Pacific theater to explain Japan's defeat. Willmott debunks the myth of German military proficiency, asserting that the German military was better at winning individual battles than waging war, thus resulting in its defeat. With its clear discussion of events, controversial interpretive frameworks, and new introduction, The Great Crusade is a well-written and engaging narrative history that will appeal to military buffs and scholars alike.
The Pope and Mussolini
Author: David I. Kertzer
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0679645535
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI’s secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini’s spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican’s role in the rise of Fascism in Europe. The Pope and Mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pius XI and “Il Duce” had many things in common. They shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. (“We have many interests to protect,” the Pope declared, soon after Mussolini seized control of the government in 1922.) Each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals. In a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic Church does battle with the Fascist regime, Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini’s dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. In exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini restored many of the privileges the Church had lost and gave in to the pope’s demands that the police enforce Catholic morality. Yet in the last years of his life—as the Italian dictator grew ever closer to Hitler—the pontiff’s faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini’s anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican’s inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years. The Pope and Mussolini brims with memorable portraits of the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy: Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, Pius’s personal emissary to the dictator, a wily anti-Semite known as Mussolini’s Rasputin; Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy, an object of widespread derision who lacked the stature—literally and figuratively—to stand up to the domineering Duce; and Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli, whose political skills and ambition made him Mussolini’s most powerful ally inside the Vatican, and positioned him to succeed the pontiff as the controversial Pius XII, whose actions during World War II would be subject for debate for decades to come. With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI’s papacy, the full story of the Pope’s complex relationship with his Fascist partner can finally be told. Vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, The Pope and Mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0679645535
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE From National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer comes the gripping story of Pope Pius XI’s secret relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. This groundbreaking work, based on seven years of research in the Vatican and Fascist archives, including reports from Mussolini’s spies inside the highest levels of the Church, will forever change our understanding of the Vatican’s role in the rise of Fascism in Europe. The Pope and Mussolini tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of twentieth-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pius XI and “Il Duce” had many things in common. They shared a distrust of democracy and a visceral hatred of Communism. Both were prone to sudden fits of temper and were fiercely protective of the prerogatives of their office. (“We have many interests to protect,” the Pope declared, soon after Mussolini seized control of the government in 1922.) Each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals. In a challenge to the conventional history of this period, in which a heroic Church does battle with the Fascist regime, Kertzer shows how Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini’s dictatorship possible and keeping him in power. In exchange for Vatican support, Mussolini restored many of the privileges the Church had lost and gave in to the pope’s demands that the police enforce Catholic morality. Yet in the last years of his life—as the Italian dictator grew ever closer to Hitler—the pontiff’s faith in this treacherous bargain started to waver. With his health failing, he began to lash out at the Duce and threatened to denounce Mussolini’s anti-Semitic racial laws before it was too late. Horrified by the threat to the Church-Fascist alliance, the Vatican’s inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, struggled to restrain the headstrong pope from destroying a partnership that had served both the Church and the dictator for many years. The Pope and Mussolini brims with memorable portraits of the men who helped enable the reign of Fascism in Italy: Father Pietro Tacchi Venturi, Pius’s personal emissary to the dictator, a wily anti-Semite known as Mussolini’s Rasputin; Victor Emmanuel III, the king of Italy, an object of widespread derision who lacked the stature—literally and figuratively—to stand up to the domineering Duce; and Cardinal Secretary of State Eugenio Pacelli, whose political skills and ambition made him Mussolini’s most powerful ally inside the Vatican, and positioned him to succeed the pontiff as the controversial Pius XII, whose actions during World War II would be subject for debate for decades to come. With the recent opening of the Vatican archives covering Pius XI’s papacy, the full story of the Pope’s complex relationship with his Fascist partner can finally be told. Vivid, dramatic, with surprises at every turn, The Pope and Mussolini is history writ large and with the lightning hand of truth.
The Defense of Moscow 1941
Author: Jack Radey
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 0811713482
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"A 'must read' by historian and layman alike."—Col. David M. Glantz, author of Kursk "An important book that will surely become the definitive account." —John Prados, author of Normandy Crucible Compelling study of how the Soviets inflicted a stunning defeat on the Germans during the early years of World War II Relies on archival records from both sides to shatter old myths about this battle
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 0811713482
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
"A 'must read' by historian and layman alike."—Col. David M. Glantz, author of Kursk "An important book that will surely become the definitive account." —John Prados, author of Normandy Crucible Compelling study of how the Soviets inflicted a stunning defeat on the Germans during the early years of World War II Relies on archival records from both sides to shatter old myths about this battle
The Pope's Last Crusade
Author: Peter Eisner
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006204916X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Drawing on untapped resources, exclusive interviews, and new archival research, The Pope’s Last Crusade by Peter Eisner is a thrilling narrative that sheds new light on Pope Pius XI’s valiant effort to condemn Nazism and the policies of the Third Reich—a crusade that might have changed the course of World War II. A shocking tale of intrigue and suspense, illustrated with sixteen pages of archival photos, The Pope’s Last Crusade: How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler illuminates this religious leader’s daring yet little-known campaign, a spiritual and political battle that would be derailed by Pius’s XIs death just a few months later. Peter Eisner reveals how Pius XI intended to unequivocally reject Nazism in one of the most unprecedented and progressive pronouncements ever issued by the Vatican, and how a group of conservative churchmen plotted to prevent it. For years, only parts of this story have been known. Eisner offers a new interpretation of this historic event and the powerful figures at its center in an essential work that provides thoughtful insight and raises controversial questions impacting our own time.
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006204916X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Drawing on untapped resources, exclusive interviews, and new archival research, The Pope’s Last Crusade by Peter Eisner is a thrilling narrative that sheds new light on Pope Pius XI’s valiant effort to condemn Nazism and the policies of the Third Reich—a crusade that might have changed the course of World War II. A shocking tale of intrigue and suspense, illustrated with sixteen pages of archival photos, The Pope’s Last Crusade: How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler illuminates this religious leader’s daring yet little-known campaign, a spiritual and political battle that would be derailed by Pius’s XIs death just a few months later. Peter Eisner reveals how Pius XI intended to unequivocally reject Nazism in one of the most unprecedented and progressive pronouncements ever issued by the Vatican, and how a group of conservative churchmen plotted to prevent it. For years, only parts of this story have been known. Eisner offers a new interpretation of this historic event and the powerful figures at its center in an essential work that provides thoughtful insight and raises controversial questions impacting our own time.
Crusade and Jihad
Author: William Roe Polk
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300222904
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 651
Book Description
Encompasses the entire history of the catastrophic encounter between the Global North--China, Russia, Europe, Britain, and America--and Muslim societies from Central Asia to West Africa, explaining the deep hostilities between them and how they grew over the centuries. --Adapted from publisher description.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300222904
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 651
Book Description
Encompasses the entire history of the catastrophic encounter between the Global North--China, Russia, Europe, Britain, and America--and Muslim societies from Central Asia to West Africa, explaining the deep hostilities between them and how they grew over the centuries. --Adapted from publisher description.