Chapter 161
Chapter 161
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Italian War (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The United States hesitated considerably about advancing north of the military demarcation line.
“If we push north, the Reds might flip out. Is heading north really the right call?”
“There’s nothing I can guarantee, Your Excellency.”
Washington agonized endlessly over whether the Italian War might escalate.
“For now, breaking through the military demarcation line is a political matter, so don’t make any arbitrary judgments on the ground.”
To that end, they even issued directives to Supreme Commander Eisenhower not to cross the line at his own discretion.
But Washington didn’t need to stew in pointless worry.
Rome had made the decision for them.
“The Allied forces are hesitating to advance north.”
“What does it matter if they dither? Keep pushing north.”
King Umberto II, back in Rome, aggressively pushed for northward advance to restore the kingdom and prestige his father had squandered.
Prime Minister Bonomi was of the same mind.
‘If not now, there’ll be no chance for unification. The country’s already a warzone anyway—might as well see it through to the end.’
On September 19, the Italian Army broke through the military demarcation line and began marching into northern Italian territory.
“Northward for unification!”
“This is the way to go.”
Allied Supreme Command learned of it belatedly.
Eisenhower was furious.
“What the hell? How can you decide something this major on your own? Allied command authority rests with us.”
“It seems frontline units acted out of excessive zeal. We apologize, Your Excellency.”
When Rome faced fierce protests from Allied Supreme Command, it spouted absurd excuses.
“Who’s going to buy that nonsense?”
The Western Allies didn’t buy the Italian government’s excuses.
But the deed was done.
The Italian Army had already kicked off the race to Venice.
The Allies had no choice.
‘If the Italians go up alone and get smashed, we’ll have to plug the entire front. No helping it.’
After discussions, Eisenhower and Washington ordered the Allies to advance north.
“Push north.”
On September 20, as the Allied forces began their northward march, the Italian People’s Republic decided to hold Grecco accountable.
“We submit this motion to impeach Comrade Grecco for his responsibility in this war.”
The Italian Communist Party’s Central Committee stripped Grecco of its confidence.
Instead of excuses, Grecco tendered his resignation.
“I’m sorry, comrades. I committed a grave error and brought great harm to the Party and the state.”
“Realizing it only now is why you failed as a comrade.”
Grecco fled to Moscow immediately after stepping down as General Secretary.
Staying in Italy offered him nothing anyway.
“Comrade Longo, please take over as General Secretary.”
The position of Italian Communist Party General Secretary passed to Luigi Longo, who had been deputy commander of the People’s Army.
Thus, the Italian People’s Republic reorganized under new leadership.
But reorganizing or not, the tide of battle didn’t suddenly turn.
The People’s Army, with its main forces trapped in the south, lacked the power to halt the Allied advance.
Longo attempted delaying actions as best he could, but he was powerless against the Allies’ overwhelming might.
On September 25, the Allied vanguard seized Florence, the great central city.
Longo was stunned upon hearing of Florence’s fall.
“What? Florence has already fallen?”
“It happened this morning. The enemy’s actual front line is farther north by now.”
Now even Bologna, the republic’s capital, hung in the balance.
“No choice. If we don’t move the capital, our republic ends here.”
“Comrade General Secretary, we should swallow this humiliation for now and retreat north. We can’t let the socialist homeland perish here.”
Before the Allies closed in further, the Italian People’s Republic hastily relocated its capital north to Venice.
But Venice wasn’t safe either.
The day the People’s Republic moved its capital to Venice, a massive bomber formation struck the city.
In the dim bunker where Communist Party officials had gathered, their faces were grim.
At this rate, the republic wouldn’t last a month.
“Comrade General Secretary, is there no help from Moscow? They’re the ones who egged us into this war.”
Longo wanted to say as much to Moscow.
But Moscow held all the cards for now.
“Wait and see. Comrade Stalin won’t abandon us.”
That was the only hope Longo could cling to.
If Stalin grasped Italy’s strategic value, he’d surely act.
The Italian People’s Republic’s expectations were soon rewarded.
In truth, Moscow couldn’t let northern Italy collapse entirely.
Geopolitically, northern Italy was too valuable, and ignoring the fall of an ally they’d incited to war risked losing trust from other communist states.
Moscow’s leadership debated intervention forms at length.
“We need to commit our own troops directly. Throw in about a million, and we can shove the front line right back.”
Stalin rejected Zhukov’s proposal.
Committing Soviet troops could turn the tide instantly, but it would force direct confrontation with the West.
It didn’t suit the General Secretary’s desire for a controlled proxy war in Italy.
Soviet bureaucrats and generals floated various ideas, gauging Stalin’s mood.
After prolonged discussion, Soviet leadership reached these conclusions.
First, no direct intervention.
Any involvement had to be indirect.
Second, the committed force couldn’t exceed 500,000.
Too large a deployment would balloon the proxy war beyond control.
Third, the goal was preserving the Northern Italian People’s Republic.
Unification of the peninsula was never on the table.
Given America’s resolve this time, it was unattainable.
Fourth, command authority must rest with the Soviets.
Only then could they dictate when the war ended.
With guidelines set, Moscow moved swiftly.
On September 30, the day the Allies took Bologna, the Eastern Bloc responded.
“Voluntary volunteers from the International Legion are forming to aid our communist brethren.”
The West dismissed it as bullshit, but soon learned the truth and recoiled in horror.
“Have they lost their minds? What kind of volunteers are these!”
Some 300,000 intervention troops, heavily armed with Soviet tanks, armored cars, and self-propelled guns, crossed the Yugoslav border into northern Italy.
Volunteers in name only—they were Eastern European satellites and Soviet regulars with changed uniforms.
“Oh, we’re voluntary International Legionnaires! Haven’t you seen the Spanish Civil War?”
“We’re just kind young men here to help the Italian people, so no misunderstandings.”
The Western world was speechless at the brazen lies.
“Is this the Reds’ class? At least put some effort into your lies—who falls for that?”
But refusing to play along meant all-out war.
Grudgingly, the West turned a blind eye to the “People’s Volunteer Army, International Legion’s” entry.
Soviet involvement didn’t stop there.
The Red Air Force doubled its fighter sorties.
“Try bombing Venice again, why don’t you?”
As Soviet air challenges intensified, Allied bombers in northern Italy could no longer roam the skies freely.
With communist forces doubling and supply lines stretching, the Allied advance slowed sharply.
Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower concluded they couldn’t seize northern Italy before winter.
“This war will drag on for at least a year.”
Allied commanders agreed.
Only one group refused to accept prolongation.
“So, when do we take Venice?”
The Italian Kingdom government, convinced the war would end this year, ceaselessly hounded the Allies about seizing Venice.
“Rome’s idiots are talking nonsense. We saved their asses—start with gratitude instead of demanding more blood.”
Frontline Western commanders, including 8th Army Commander Walker, sneered at Italian demands for advance.
The Western Allies had no more appetite for pushing north.
They began digging deep trenches along the front in preparation for prolonged war.
Yet the Italian Kingdom refused to face reality.
“Keep attacking! Finish the Reds off while they’re weak!”
“Your Excellency, is this attack really wise?”
“What’s right or wrong when it’s about unifying the homeland? All-out assault. Breach their lines no matter what!”
Italian generals ordered all-out assaults, but ending the war on Italy’s strength alone was impossible.
Italian soldiers repeatedly suffered massive casualties against entrenched communists and were repulsed time and again.
Communist morale soared watching the Italians’ futile attacks.
‘Heard this was a tough war, but it’s more winnable than I thought.’
The Italians’ repeated assaults ended in failure.
“Damn idiots, won’t listen. Same as WWII or now—no change.”
The Italian War was now sliding into a phase of prolonged stalemate.