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Sacrifice on the Steppe: The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign, 1942–1943
"Ho bisogno solo di qualche migliaio di morti da gettare sul tavolo delle trattative": così nell'estate del 1940 Mussolini giustifica all'allora capo di stato maggiore, Pietro Badoglio, l'ingresso dell'Italia nella Seconda guerra mondiale. E quando un anno dopo Hitler invade la Russia il Duce, abbagliato dalla possibilità di una vittoria veloce a fianco dei nazisti e della spartizione del bottino, invia in poche settimane un corpo di spedizione a sostegno delle truppe tedesche. Il prezzo di questa decisione, frutto di un calcolo cinico quanto catastroficamente sbagliato, è dei 220.000 soldati italiani che nella primavera 1942 sono dislocati sul Don solo 10.000 tornano a casa. Impreparati sul piano militare, mal equipaggiati, guidati da comandi incompetenti e costretti a subire continue umiliazioni anche dai propri alleati, soccombono alla forza d'urto dell'esercito sovietico e al martirio della ritirata, alla fame, al gelo, alle condizioni disumane dei campi di lavoro e di rieducazione. Alla fine della guerra, le esigenze dei veterani si perderanno nel turbinio della retorica patriottica e la verità sul trattamento ricevuto da parte dei russi e le grandi sofferenze patite verrà sacrificata alle esigenze della propaganda "Dite che siete stati bene" ordinerà qualcuno. A settant'anni dalla campagna di Russia, Hope Hamilton ripercorre la storia del corpo degli alpini attraverso le testimonianze di chi partecipò alla spedizione; ci racconta il viaggio dei reduci nell'Europa devastata dagli scontri, l'orrore del fronte, la rabbia dei sopravvissuti traditi due volte dal proprio dal governo fascista che li aveva mandati al massacro, e da quello del dopoguerra che tentò di cancellare con un colpo di spugna la memoria delle loro sofferenze
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 23, 2018
Even though I consider myself somewhat of a history buff, I must admit that I didn't know much about Italy's involvement in the Russian campaign (Germany's so named Barbarossa). Mussolini, catering to Hitler's every whim, sent 200,000+ ill equipped, poorly led troops to protect the left flank of the Don River as the Nazis pushed toward Stalingrad. They arrived in November of 1942 and collapsed in January of 1943, thus beginning the long and horrifying retreat. The temperatures dropped to -35F, the fleeing soldiers had no appropriate winter clothing, no food, no water, no chance. Those that didn't die on the march were captured and sent to Russian POW camps.
The book is divided into two distinct sections......the first being the battle that took place as the Italians fought to hold their positions and second, the conditions encountered in the POW camps.
Section one provides detailed movements of troops accompanied by maps (thank heavens) and also reveals how the Germans couldn't be bothered to advise or share with the Italian officers the plan of battle, thereby leaving them pretty much to their own devices. When the Germans began to retreat, the Italians were unaware of it and much of their army could have been saved if they had moved in tandem with the Germans.
Section two concentrates on the Bataan Death March version of the captured Italian troops trek to the various POW camps. Men were shot or dropped dead, frozen in their tracks and left where they fell, most never to be identified or their bodies/remains never recovered after the war. The author follows the stories of several officers and enlisted men who lived through the experience and were able to relate their time in hell once they returned to Italy Many were not released until several years after the war ended but were given no explanation why. We know that history blurs and memory is sometimes unreliable but the tales told by these former POWs are so similar that the reader doesn't have much doubt about their veracity.
This book has gotten mixed reviews but for me it was an eye-opening history of a doomed army that probably hasn't gotten as much attention as it deserves. I would recommend it.
The book is divided into two distinct sections......the first being the battle that took place as the Italians fought to hold their positions and second, the conditions encountered in the POW camps.
Section one provides detailed movements of troops accompanied by maps (thank heavens) and also reveals how the Germans couldn't be bothered to advise or share with the Italian officers the plan of battle, thereby leaving them pretty much to their own devices. When the Germans began to retreat, the Italians were unaware of it and much of their army could have been saved if they had moved in tandem with the Germans.
Section two concentrates on the Bataan Death March version of the captured Italian troops trek to the various POW camps. Men were shot or dropped dead, frozen in their tracks and left where they fell, most never to be identified or their bodies/remains never recovered after the war. The author follows the stories of several officers and enlisted men who lived through the experience and were able to relate their time in hell once they returned to Italy Many were not released until several years after the war ended but were given no explanation why. We know that history blurs and memory is sometimes unreliable but the tales told by these former POWs are so similar that the reader doesn't have much doubt about their veracity.
This book has gotten mixed reviews but for me it was an eye-opening history of a doomed army that probably hasn't gotten as much attention as it deserves. I would recommend it.
August 4, 2020
Hope Hamilton's book '' Sacrifice on the Steppe : The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad campaign" is based on the life and death struggle of around 60000 - 80000 Italian Alpine soldiers who had been fighting against the Soviet army as part of the Alpine Corps for nearly 4 months in the chilling winter of Stalingrad front. This book in fact is the first one which i have read dealing with the topic of Italy's participation in the eastern front. But i am quite disappointed with this book. The first few chapters i find quite mesmerizing which tell us about the daily life of patrolling duty of Alpine soldiers on the adjacent areas of river Don which acted as one of the flanks of the German sixth army engaged in the fierce fighting in Stalingrad. But as the book progresses chapter by chapter tone of monotony sets in due to the regurgitating tale of the army's withdrawal from a vastly extended terrain after being surrounded by the red army as well as of the extreme hardship they had passed through in the Soviet prison camps. I had expected more from the author since there is hardly any masterpiece that had been written on the heroic sacrifice of the Italian army in the second world war. But the author has no doubt worked very hard to produce this book as he has personally met the Alpine corps veterans of the war and interviewed them. Apart from this the author has also extensively sought after the written sources penned by the Italian soldiers in Italian language to share their personal experiences in the eastern front.
The father of fascism Benito Mussolini was a mere toy in the hand of Adolf Hitler. This bitter truth played a pivotal role behind Duce's firm decision of sending thousands and thousands of Alpine soldiers to guard the flank of the German army in Stalingrad front. In other words The Alpine corps which was renowned for their fighting prowess and special skill for combat in the mountainous region instead were sent as cannon fodders to the Stalingrad front without adequate winter clothing, arms or equipment to sacrifice themselves for the German cause. What can be more farcical than this ? And what did they get in return ? Mistreatment and misbehavior from their German counterparts. As depicted in this book the Germans were too selfish even to share a tiny warm space inside the Russian huts ( Izba ) with the Italians. To the Germans the Italians were nothing but pest like the people of any conquered territories in the east. Naturally the Italians including the entire Alpine corps harbored secret hatred for the Germans . The Alpine soldiers were also awestruck at watching the unimaginable brutality of the Germans in meting out punishment to the Russian people without any rhyme or reason. Unlike the Germans , the Italians had a soft corner for the ordinary Russian non combatants and had saved them many times from hunger with their own ration. In exchange these ordinary Russians had saved the lives of countless Italian soldiers by helping them with food, clothing and shelter in dire need. Many decades after the end of the war many Alpine veterans had even paid a visit to the old battlefield places in Russia and met some of the old Russians again. The Russians were extremely jubilated to see and recognize them.
The last few chapters of this book also elaborate how the communist regime under Josef Stalin had plotted to turn Italy into a communist country by indoctrinating the Alpine soldiers and even planting their secret Italian political agents in Italy. But barring a few ones most of the Italian soldiers were reluctant to embrace the ideology of the same regime which had mercilessly heaped excruciating pain and torture on thousands of them in the prison camps. Around 25000 Alpine soldiers simply disappeared from the Russian soil. After the fall of the Soviet regime when all the KGB files related to Italian prisoners of eastern front were disclosed no trace of these 25000 soldiers were found in them. Everyone was not so lucky as the Alpinees like Nello Corti or Giuseppe Beraudi who had been able to return to their native land through heaps of obstacles and uncertainties. After reading this book I personally think that the Italians were mere victims of the whims of their Duce Mussolini and his fascist partner Hitler. They had been embroiled in a brutal war which they were not at all prepared to fight or at least associate with it emotionally. As a consequence the Italians were quicker than their Axis partners Germany and Japan to be disillusioned with the war. From the Soldiers to the ordinary Italian non combatants everyone was subjected to this disillusionment at the end.
The father of fascism Benito Mussolini was a mere toy in the hand of Adolf Hitler. This bitter truth played a pivotal role behind Duce's firm decision of sending thousands and thousands of Alpine soldiers to guard the flank of the German army in Stalingrad front. In other words The Alpine corps which was renowned for their fighting prowess and special skill for combat in the mountainous region instead were sent as cannon fodders to the Stalingrad front without adequate winter clothing, arms or equipment to sacrifice themselves for the German cause. What can be more farcical than this ? And what did they get in return ? Mistreatment and misbehavior from their German counterparts. As depicted in this book the Germans were too selfish even to share a tiny warm space inside the Russian huts ( Izba ) with the Italians. To the Germans the Italians were nothing but pest like the people of any conquered territories in the east. Naturally the Italians including the entire Alpine corps harbored secret hatred for the Germans . The Alpine soldiers were also awestruck at watching the unimaginable brutality of the Germans in meting out punishment to the Russian people without any rhyme or reason. Unlike the Germans , the Italians had a soft corner for the ordinary Russian non combatants and had saved them many times from hunger with their own ration. In exchange these ordinary Russians had saved the lives of countless Italian soldiers by helping them with food, clothing and shelter in dire need. Many decades after the end of the war many Alpine veterans had even paid a visit to the old battlefield places in Russia and met some of the old Russians again. The Russians were extremely jubilated to see and recognize them.
The last few chapters of this book also elaborate how the communist regime under Josef Stalin had plotted to turn Italy into a communist country by indoctrinating the Alpine soldiers and even planting their secret Italian political agents in Italy. But barring a few ones most of the Italian soldiers were reluctant to embrace the ideology of the same regime which had mercilessly heaped excruciating pain and torture on thousands of them in the prison camps. Around 25000 Alpine soldiers simply disappeared from the Russian soil. After the fall of the Soviet regime when all the KGB files related to Italian prisoners of eastern front were disclosed no trace of these 25000 soldiers were found in them. Everyone was not so lucky as the Alpinees like Nello Corti or Giuseppe Beraudi who had been able to return to their native land through heaps of obstacles and uncertainties. After reading this book I personally think that the Italians were mere victims of the whims of their Duce Mussolini and his fascist partner Hitler. They had been embroiled in a brutal war which they were not at all prepared to fight or at least associate with it emotionally. As a consequence the Italians were quicker than their Axis partners Germany and Japan to be disillusioned with the war. From the Soldiers to the ordinary Italian non combatants everyone was subjected to this disillusionment at the end.
November 9, 2011
This book follows the deployment and subsequent actions of the Italian Alpine Corps on the Eastern Front in 1943. Sent by Mussolini as part of the Italian contingent to assist his German ally the Italian Alpine Corps was placed on the Don River along the Stalingrad Front and was caught up in the massive Soviet offensive to surround the German 6th Army in Stalingrad.
We follow the fighting retreat of the Alpine troops until they reach the new German lines. Due to heavy losses the Alpine troops are sent back to Italy, the book then covers the fate of the Italian POW’s in Russian hands. The book does not go into great detail about the military actions of the Corps, which is what I wanted to read, it offers a general account of this unit with numerous first-hand accounts with a third of the book covering the issue of POW’s.
If you are looking for a detailed combat account of the Italian Alpine Corps in Russia then this book may not satisfy your cravings and you will need to look elsewhere. Overall a decent book offering the reader a chance to view the experiences of these mountain troops that were stuck on the wide open steppe with little modern equipment and combat arms and only their courage and Esprit de corps to help them survive the Soviet juggernaut and the Russian winter.
We follow the fighting retreat of the Alpine troops until they reach the new German lines. Due to heavy losses the Alpine troops are sent back to Italy, the book then covers the fate of the Italian POW’s in Russian hands. The book does not go into great detail about the military actions of the Corps, which is what I wanted to read, it offers a general account of this unit with numerous first-hand accounts with a third of the book covering the issue of POW’s.
If you are looking for a detailed combat account of the Italian Alpine Corps in Russia then this book may not satisfy your cravings and you will need to look elsewhere. Overall a decent book offering the reader a chance to view the experiences of these mountain troops that were stuck on the wide open steppe with little modern equipment and combat arms and only their courage and Esprit de corps to help them survive the Soviet juggernaut and the Russian winter.
March 18, 2020
A book that shines light on an often glossed over part of WWII and the Stalingrad campaign. A lot of first hand accounts woven to tell the tale and horror. I wish there were more first hand battle accounts but a majority are on the withdrawal, return to Italy, capture and internment in Russia.
January 5, 2012
Out-gunned, out-numbered, under-clothed, under-fed, and far from home, the Italian army's faith was sealed long before the battle started. One can not say that one can understand such misery because very few of us have lived through such agony. The retreat from the Don, the transport to the camps, and the homecoming are well written.
February 24, 2013
I picked this book up on a whim from the library and I am so glad that I did. The meticulous research and good writing style meant that the human suffering became more of a focus for me than the actual military information which meant I read it cover to cover. I am in awe of the author and thank her for taking me on the journey of the Alpini in Russia. It is a story I didn't know a lot about and the book is highly recommended for WW2 buffs particularly those who enjoyed Beevors Stalingrad.
September 23, 2017
memoirs, especially war memoirs, are highly suspect: people normally refrain from presenting themselves in a bad light, let alone incriminating themselves in war crimes - it's the other bastards that did all the nasty things. but this one is laying it so thick that it really takes the biscuit!
it is essentially a combined memoir of several Alpini - including Revelli and a pair of author's uncles (uh-oh!). unfortunately, i realized that somewhat belatedly and decided to press on, looking for at least some saving grace.
throughout the book i had to re-check the title several times: was it "Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign" or was it "Goody Two-Shoes"?!? because there's very little information on the Stalingrad campaign in the book - you'll learn more in 20 pages of Müller. instead, there's lots of feeding of the poor Russian peasants, lots of those peasants chanting "Italianskie choroshio (Italians are good)" and quite a bit of saving of kittens that were stuck on a tree. the last third of the book is dedicated to the suffering of the POWs and the aftermath.
strangely enough, the Allied, German and even Belgian fascist (for what it's worth!) accounts of Italian forces conduct in the east in WWII somewhat differ from those presented here. go figure...
some passages were priceless, though:
i think the following quote sums up the sentiment of the book pretty well (emphasis added):
it is essentially a combined memoir of several Alpini - including Revelli and a pair of author's uncles (uh-oh!). unfortunately, i realized that somewhat belatedly and decided to press on, looking for at least some saving grace.
throughout the book i had to re-check the title several times: was it "Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign" or was it "Goody Two-Shoes"?!? because there's very little information on the Stalingrad campaign in the book - you'll learn more in 20 pages of Müller. instead, there's lots of feeding of the poor Russian peasants, lots of those peasants chanting "Italianskie choroshio (Italians are good)" and quite a bit of saving of kittens that were stuck on a tree. the last third of the book is dedicated to the suffering of the POWs and the aftermath.
strangely enough, the Allied, German and even Belgian fascist (for what it's worth!) accounts of Italian forces conduct in the east in WWII somewhat differ from those presented here. go figure...
some passages were priceless, though:
[when working as POWs ...] black soil just stuck to our hands, and they would start to ache terribly, to the point we finally protested. We complained and said we couldn’t continue this work, because our hands were aching from the cold. The Russians told us the next day we would work pulling up carrots in another field. That suited us since you only have to pull the carrots out of the ground, and you don’t get that cold soil all over your hands. But what surprised us was that the next day, in the field where we had worked digging up potatoes, now there were Russian women doing what we had been doing, and this in a sense really shocked us.er... seriously?
i think the following quote sums up the sentiment of the book pretty well (emphasis added):
M. worked [as a POW ...], cutting down trees [...] "We worked in the forest every day," he said. "[...] and drove back to a sawmill sitting on top of the wood. The driver of the truck was a [Russian] woman who treated us with great disdain. I never could understand why.
July 24, 2024
The story of the Italian Alpine corps in Russia specifically as it relates to the Stalingrad campaign/battle. I found this to be a well written book, seemingly well researched. It is based on personal anecdotes of Alpini, mostly officers, and tells the tale of a poorly equipped army, sent out to the far reaches of Russia to hold an extended line bereft of any heavy equipment, or weaponry. Lacking winter clothing they suffered long before the Russian counteroffensive cut them off and forced them to retreat across miles of frozen wasteland. Unsupplied and moving through sheer desperation and/or willpower they battled the elements, and the Russians to escape the impending doom. Some died along the way from the elements or starvation. Others died in combat trying to escape encirclement. Some did escape, others were captured. The captured ones ordeal continued through additional forced marches back from whence they had come to railheads where they were packed onto trains and taken to frozen interment camps, that were not much better than hovels. Many more died in captivity.
The book is written from the perspective of a number of troops from the Alpine Corps. It is heavily weighted toward officers unfortunately. While their experiences certainly would have been pretty similar to the troops in a lot of cases, that would not have always been the case. I found it to be a very readable account. if you are looking for an operational account, this is not it. This is an account of the Alpine Corps disastrous retreat from the Don line.
Gave it 4 stars probably more of a 3.5
The book is written from the perspective of a number of troops from the Alpine Corps. It is heavily weighted toward officers unfortunately. While their experiences certainly would have been pretty similar to the troops in a lot of cases, that would not have always been the case. I found it to be a very readable account. if you are looking for an operational account, this is not it. This is an account of the Alpine Corps disastrous retreat from the Don line.
Gave it 4 stars probably more of a 3.5
May 26, 2025
This book provides insight into how the Germans and their minor Axis allies got along (they didn't: the Germans were arrogant pricks who set their allies up to fail and abandoned them at the first sight of trouble, i.e., when the Soviets surrounded Stalingrad during Uranus.) My favorite scene in this book is about a week after the Germans commandeer all vehicles to retreat as quickly as possible, leaving their own stragglers and the Italians, Romanians, and Hungarians behind to fend for themselves. A lone, unnamed Alpino walks up to a screaming German officer, presses a pistol to his chest, shoots him, and steals his truck. This is the clearest example of the barely-clothes hostility between the Germans and their "allies", as well as the complete breakdown of discipline and cohesion once things didn't go their way. It also helps inform how more than a few Italian service members may have been radicalized to join anti-Nazi resistance movements once they returned from the front and the Italian government deposed Mussolini.
Hamilton is careful not to stray into the fraught territory of "Italiani, brava gente" (that is, war crime whitewashing and denialism), but definitely you can see the way that the Germans were generally more fanatical than Italians in terms of motivation to fight, as well as level of comfort with committing atrocities against those they deemed subhuman. This helps put into stark relief just how non-conventional and radical the German attitude was going into WW2; most of their allies just were not as enthusiastic about conquest or about genocide.
Hamilton is careful not to stray into the fraught territory of "Italiani, brava gente" (that is, war crime whitewashing and denialism), but definitely you can see the way that the Germans were generally more fanatical than Italians in terms of motivation to fight, as well as level of comfort with committing atrocities against those they deemed subhuman. This helps put into stark relief just how non-conventional and radical the German attitude was going into WW2; most of their allies just were not as enthusiastic about conquest or about genocide.
January 2, 2013
When Hitler had Germany invade Russia in June 1941, Prime Minister of Italy Mussolini declared war on Russia. He quickly sent a hastily organized Italian Expeditionary force of 62,000 men to join the Russian campaign even though Adolf Hitler discouraged such a move. Italy was unprepared militarily. Mussolini's motivation was to join Hitler in receiving the spoils following an imagined rapid Nazi victory against Russia.
Hope Hamilton's book draws on personal interviews, exhaustive research and the written accounts of Italians who participated in and survived Mussolini's tragic decision of Italian involvement. Mussolini compounded his mistake by sending even more troops the following year. The author does a good job of showing the human side of the Italian involvement on the Russian front. This is not a scholarly work on the tactics and logistics of the Italian involvement. Rather, it is the story of the people who made the terrible trek from Italy to Russia to support their German ally. The German's had little trust of and kept the Italians minimally informed and I believe misused the Alpine troops by not maximizing the troops mountain fighting ability by their placement along the Don River.
The author does a great job of telling the soldier's story. Her writing style focuses on the individual accounts of the soldiers. She discusses how the Alpine Corps was caught up in the German campaign capture Stalingrad in the autumn of 1942. She takes us through the Soviet offensive that followed in late November. We experience the collapse of the entire Axis front and the Alpine Corps’ withdrawal to the Don. I could have used a more background about the Stalingrad Campaign. The book does not take a strategic view of the campaign. Little attention is given to the big picture. The story is told from the Italian point of view instead of looking at it from the Axis point of view.
The book includes good notes, is well indexed, and has a great bibliography. I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for an after action report of the Italian participation or a critical analysis of the campaign this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a good overview and an understanding of what the Italian soldiers experienced then you'll enjoy the book. I give it four stars. It is a must addition to any military historian’s library. It is a good first volume to fill a long void of an English language account of the Italian involvement on the eastern front.
Hope Hamilton's book draws on personal interviews, exhaustive research and the written accounts of Italians who participated in and survived Mussolini's tragic decision of Italian involvement. Mussolini compounded his mistake by sending even more troops the following year. The author does a good job of showing the human side of the Italian involvement on the Russian front. This is not a scholarly work on the tactics and logistics of the Italian involvement. Rather, it is the story of the people who made the terrible trek from Italy to Russia to support their German ally. The German's had little trust of and kept the Italians minimally informed and I believe misused the Alpine troops by not maximizing the troops mountain fighting ability by their placement along the Don River.
The author does a great job of telling the soldier's story. Her writing style focuses on the individual accounts of the soldiers. She discusses how the Alpine Corps was caught up in the German campaign capture Stalingrad in the autumn of 1942. She takes us through the Soviet offensive that followed in late November. We experience the collapse of the entire Axis front and the Alpine Corps’ withdrawal to the Don. I could have used a more background about the Stalingrad Campaign. The book does not take a strategic view of the campaign. Little attention is given to the big picture. The story is told from the Italian point of view instead of looking at it from the Axis point of view.
The book includes good notes, is well indexed, and has a great bibliography. I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for an after action report of the Italian participation or a critical analysis of the campaign this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a good overview and an understanding of what the Italian soldiers experienced then you'll enjoy the book. I give it four stars. It is a must addition to any military historian’s library. It is a good first volume to fill a long void of an English language account of the Italian involvement on the eastern front.
August 4, 2018
Thanks to Amazon's marketing algorithms, this is one of those books they suggested would be of interest to me, and it was a good match indeed. There's not much in English on this topic. I had read a book translated from Italian to English, but it wasn't as good as I hoped and was more a collection of memoirs then a history of the campaign. This book on the other hand was written by an American author who became interested in the subject because some her relatives were survivors from the campaign and she wanted to preserve their history.
The book does a good job providing the background of how and why the Italians were sent Russia, even though Hitler preferred Mussolini send them to Africa. The battle campaign is covered well and is intermixed with material from interviews and memoirs so everything is kept in context. I like how she seperates the narrative of the survivors that broke out of the encirclement from the ones that were ultimately captured.
Life in the prison camps was detailed well, but what was new and refreshing to me was the material on how the Soviets tried to re-educate the officers for future use as spies. It sounds like the Russian's go-to play is to try to appeal to a man's sexual desires (which still works great if today's news headlines are to be believed).
Overall an enjoyable book and probably the best native-English book you'll find on the Italians in Russia during WW2.
Note: the book makes clear there were 7 divisions that went of which 3 were Alpine. All are covered in the historical background section. But the bulk of the fighting during the breakout attempt was by the Alphine divisions because by then the regular divisions had pretty much been smashed during the opening Russian offensive. And thus most of the survivors that could be interviewed for the book were from the Alpine Corps.
The book does a good job providing the background of how and why the Italians were sent Russia, even though Hitler preferred Mussolini send them to Africa. The battle campaign is covered well and is intermixed with material from interviews and memoirs so everything is kept in context. I like how she seperates the narrative of the survivors that broke out of the encirclement from the ones that were ultimately captured.
Life in the prison camps was detailed well, but what was new and refreshing to me was the material on how the Soviets tried to re-educate the officers for future use as spies. It sounds like the Russian's go-to play is to try to appeal to a man's sexual desires (which still works great if today's news headlines are to be believed).
Overall an enjoyable book and probably the best native-English book you'll find on the Italians in Russia during WW2.
Note: the book makes clear there were 7 divisions that went of which 3 were Alpine. All are covered in the historical background section. But the bulk of the fighting during the breakout attempt was by the Alphine divisions because by then the regular divisions had pretty much been smashed during the opening Russian offensive. And thus most of the survivors that could be interviewed for the book were from the Alpine Corps.
October 29, 2014
The Italian Alpine Corps, equipped and trained for mountain warfare, went to the Soviet Union expecting to fight in the Caucasus. Instead, the German command ordered them to the Don River, where the Red Army caught them in part of the great attacks around Stalingrad. The alpine troops suffered through a horrific retreat, losing many members to the cold, the Red Army, or captivity. The survivors returned home to fine their sacrifice unacknowledged by the fascist government. Hamilton bases her account on oral and units histories, including some with family members. The camaraderie of the alpine troops, their lack of hostility toward the Russian people, and their antipathy to their German "allies" all come through clearly. This unusual perspective on the war in the USSR is well worth reading.
July 16, 2012
I liked its focus and was keen to learn the Italians sent did not want to be there. Also it highlighted German bigotry as the oftened treated their ally something sort of contempt. It also showed the difference in fascist ideology whereas the Germans were driven by race-political war. The Italians seemed to driven by a WTF is up the Duce....War accounts and Prisoner stories are simple the same meaning that it was savagely brutal. And by no means diminished this accounts.
It was interesting to point to hear an Italian POV on the war on the Eastern Front. Largely, they didn't want to be there, didn't see a need to be there and maybe the start of the undoing of El Duce.
It was interesting to point to hear an Italian POV on the war on the Eastern Front. Largely, they didn't want to be there, didn't see a need to be there and maybe the start of the undoing of El Duce.
November 28, 2015
Its a good book based on a number of survivor accounts and interviews covering the operations of the Italian Alpine Corps on the Eastern Front, from arrival through to retreat and internment. It is at time a fascinating story and also in other moments pretty dramatic. The suffering of an ill equipped, prepared and supplied corp is truly tragic and some of the scrapes and scraps pretty horrific, it is tough to really capture some of the horrors, however this book does without doubt paint a true picture of human tragedy.
Well written, good book
Well written, good book
September 3, 2018
A real life horror story.
I have read many books on warfare n he eastern front during ww2 but this is one of the most graphic. Since so many soldiers of different nationalities did not survive pow camps in the ussr, this book details the life and death trials the Italian soldiers endured in those camps and ,prior to that,in the battles they fought.
I have read many books on warfare n he eastern front during ww2 but this is one of the most graphic. Since so many soldiers of different nationalities did not survive pow camps in the ussr, this book details the life and death trials the Italian soldiers endured in those camps and ,prior to that,in the battles they fought.
December 27, 2022
Interesting, heartbreaking story of the 200000 men Mussolini sacrificed to try and get some of what he thought would be the spoils of a conquered Russia. Honest, skilled but woefully under-supported men from the hills and mountains of Italy sent to deep Russia in winter, and ultimately overrun by the Russians.
May 20, 2022
Filled with many great anecdotes, but it felt all very disjointed. Despite a strong working knowledge of the timeline of the Eastern Front, and even the general role of the Italians, it was often hard to tell when things were happening. Needed to do a better job following the central narrative.
May 31, 2017
Great book about the Italian experience on the Eastern Front during WW 2.
October 6, 2018
Enjoyed this book.
Enjoyed this book. The preface was a helpful addition that explained the premises of the work. It truly was a tradegy.
Enjoyed this book. The preface was a helpful addition that explained the premises of the work. It truly was a tradegy.
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