Italian Social Republic: Difference between revisions

In July 1943, after the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] had pushed Italy out of North Africa and subsequently [[Allied invasion of Sicily|invaded Sicily]], the [[Grand Council of Fascism]]—with the support of King [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy|Victor Emmanuel III]]—[[Fall of the Fascist regime in Italy|overthrew and arrested Mussolini]]. The [[BadoglioFirst IBadoglio Cabinetgovernment|new government]] began secret peace negotiations with the Allied powers. When the [[Armistice of Cassibile]] was announced on 8 September, Nazi Germany was prepared and quickly intervened. [[Operation Achse|German troops seized control of the northern half of Italy]], [[Gran Sasso raid|freed Mussolini]], and brought him to the German-occupied area to establish a satellite regime. The Italian Social Republic was proclaimed on 23 September 1943.<ref name="Pauley p228"/><ref name="RiseFall">{{cite book |last=Shirer |first=William |author-link=William L. Shirer |year=1960 |title=[[The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |location=New York City |isbn=0-671-72868-7}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2018}} Although the RSI claimed sovereignty over most of the Italian Peninsula, its ''de facto'' jurisdiction only extended to a vastly reduced portion of the country.<ref name="Susan Zuccotti 1996. P. 148">Susan Zuccotti. The ''Italians and the Holocaust: Persecution, Rescue, and Survival''. University of Nebraska Press paperback edition. University of Nebraska Press, 1996. P. 148.</ref> The RSI received [[diplomatic recognition]] only from the Axis powers and their satellite states. [[Finland]] and [[Vichy France]], although in the German orbit, did not recognize it. Unofficial relations were maintained with [[Argentina]], [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Portugal]], [[Francoist Spain|Spain]] and, through commercial agents, [[Switzerland]]. The [[Vatican City]] did not recognize the RSI.