The Italian Co-Belligerent Army (Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano), or the Army of the South (Esercito del Sud), was the army of the Italian Royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies during World War II. The Italian Co-Belligerent Army was formed in southern Italy after the Allied armistice with Italy was declared on September 8, 1943; King Victor Emmanuel III had dismissed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister in July 1943 following the Allied invasion of Southern Italy, and had nominated Marshal of Italy (Maresciallo d'Italia) Pietro Badoglio instead.
The Italian soldiers of the Co-Belligerent Army no longer fought for Mussolini or for the Axis. Their allegiance was to King Victor Emmanuel and to the Allies. In many regards, the Italian Co-Belligerent Army was a reorganized version of the Royal Italian Army (Regio Esercito).
Read more about Italian Co-Belligerent Army: Formation, Italian Liberation Corps, Italian Co-Belligerent Army From Late 1944 To 1945, Italian Army, Famous Members
Famous quotes containing the words army and/or italian:
“We should have an army so organized and so officered as to be capable in time of emergency, in cooperation with the National Militia, and under the provision of a proper national volunteer law, rapidly to expand into a force sufficient to resist all probable invasion from abroad and to furnish a respectable expeditionary force if necessary in the maintenance of our traditional American policy which bears the name of President Monroe.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“Master of Trinity: Is he an Italian?
Harold Abrahams: Of Italian extraction, yes.
Master of Trinity: I see.
Harold Abrahams: But not all Italian.
Master of Trinity: I’m relieved to hear it.
Harold Abrahams: He’s half-Arab.”
—Colin Welland (b. 1934)