The Italian Social Republic (Italian: Repubblica Sociale Italiana, RSI), informally known as the Republic of Salò (Italian: Repubblica di Salò), was a puppet state of Nazi Germany and the second and last incarnation of a Fascist Italian state from 1943 until 1945 It was led by Duce Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The state claimed Rome as its capital, but was de facto centered around Salò (hence its colloquial name), a small town on Lake Garda, where Mussolini's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was headquartered. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy, but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht (stationed German military troops) to maintain control.
In 1943, after the Allied forces invaded southern Italy and began to advance toward Rome, the Grand Fascist Council, with the support of King Victor Emmanuel III had overthrown and arrested Mussolini. The new government began peace negotiations with the Allied powers. Nazi Germany, concerned that Italian forces would join the Allied troops, quickly intervened. Germany seized control of northern Italy and brought Mussolini to the German-occupied area to establish a puppet regime. Soon after its establishment it was forced to cede Trieste, Istria and South Tyrol to Germany, with the understanding that Venice would be taken at some point.
Around 25 April 1945, Mussolini's republic came to an end. This day is known as Liberation Day. On this day a general partisan uprising and the Allied spring offensive managed to oust the Germans from Italy almost entirely. At the point of its demise, the Italian Social Republic had existed for slightly more than nineteen months. On 27 April, Mussolini, his mistress (Clara Petacci), several RSI ministers, and several other Italian Fascists were caught while attempting to flee. On 28 April, most of the captives were shot at Mezzegra and Dongo by Italian partisans. Fifteen of the bodies were taken to Piazzale Loreto, a square in the centre of Milan and unceremoniously hanged upside down in front of a petrol station.
Read more about Italian Social Republic: Context of Creation, Economy and War Effort, List of RSI Ministers
Famous quotes containing the words italian, social and/or republic:
“Until recently the word fascist was considered shameful. Fortunately, that period has passed. In fact, there is now a reassessment of how much grandpa Benito did for Italy.”
—Alessandra Mussolini, Italian actor, politician, and medical student. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 19 (February 17, 1992)
“The day-laborer is reckoned as standing at the foot of the social scale, yet he is saturated with the laws of the world. His measures are the hours; morning and night, solstice and equinox, geometry, astronomy, and all the lovely accidents of nature play through his mind.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“While the Republic has already acquired a history world-wide, America is still unsettled and unexplored. Like the English in New Holland, we live only on the shores of a continent even yet, and hardly know where the rivers come from which float our navy.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)