MORALE OF THE 8TH ITALIAN ARMY SOLDIERS, INVOLVED IN FIGHTING AGAINST THE SOVIET TROOPS

Abstract

The article describes the morale of the Italian troops and their behaviour at the beginning of the campaign of the 8th army (ARMIR) on the Eastern front. The fascist propaganda brought different ideological motivations in favour of Italy’s participation in the war against the USSR. But the Catholic Church appeal to protect religion from “infidels” and “atheism” was one of the major arguments. Using unique documents from the archives of Italy and Russia, the author has considered the military iconography and the image of the enemy in the mass media of the Fascist regime. Initially, the idea of Catholic proselytism characterized the behaviour of the 8th Italian army troops, primarily in their relations with the civilian population. This idea of the Russian campaign was spread through mass screening of films made by such famous directors as Roberto Rossellini. With the aim of providing a general overview on the moral condition of the Italian troops, the author also describes their behaviour on the occupied areas.