The British Empire and its Italian Prisoners of War, 1940-1947

by B. Moore, K. Fedorowich

Overview

During the Second World War, British and Imperial forces captured more than half a million Italian soldiers, sailors and airmen. Although a symbol of military success, these prisoners created a multitude of problems for the authorities throughout the war. This book looks at how the British addressed these problems and turned liabilities into assets by using the Italians as a labour force, a source of military intelligence and as a political warfare tool before their final repatriation in 1946-47.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780333738924
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	03/13/2002
Series:	Studies in Military and Strategic History
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	329
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.99(h) x 0.04(d)

About the Author

Author Kent Fedorowich: Kent Fedorowich is Reader in British Imperial and Commonwealth History at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction British Planning and Policy for POWs, 1939-1941 The Essential Labour Supply: The Import of Italian POWs to the United Kingdom Italian POWs in Africa, 1940-43 Farming Down Under: Italian POWs in Australia, 1941-43 Intelligence, Propaganda and Political Warfare The Watershed Year of 1943: From Enemies to Co-belligerents Neither Enemies Nor Allies: Italian Prisoners in the United Kingdom after the Armistice Freedom, Farming and Frustration: Italians in Africa and Australia, 1943-45 The Long Road Home Conclusion Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

The capture of half a million Italian prisoners by the British military during WWII offered both problems and opportunities in the larger prosecution of war aims. Moore (history, U. of Sheffield, UK) and Fedorowich (British Imperial history, U. of the West of England, UK) examine the situation from the pre-war planning to the post- armistice attempts to make them cooperate with the continuing war against Germany. Chapters look at their initial capture in North Africa, the controversial decision to disperse the prisoners across the Empire, the interrogation of prisoners to gain military and political intelligence, and the use of POWs for propaganda purposes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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