Here's an interesting video documentary, it’s a little long about 2hrs but covers allot of ground. The video tackles the myths, misconceptions and revisionism associated with Italy in WW2. It’s accurate and the author is knowledgeable and is likely a historian. Outside of Italy, you really don’t see this kind of deep dive into this topic. I don't know who the author is, possibly Eastern European judging from the accent although the author probably spent some time in Italy. If you think the video is long, try watching it in parts (YouTube stores your last view point or use the chapters), it’s worth the time if you're interested in the subject - it’s kind of an abbreviated history course on this topic without the exam. If you like the video don't forget to like it in Youtube.
VIDEO: Myths, Misconceptions and Revisionism WW2 Italy
VIDEO: Myths, Misconceptions and Revisionism WW2 Italy - Part II
Below is the second part of WWII Misconceptions and Myths Italy, the video was posted recently and is a follow-up of the first. Occasionally, although not often, we get emails and even forum posts that could use the information presented here.
Just a couple of comments on the video:
1) The video tackles or mentions Anglo-American revisionism but I think, at least in my many years of experience on this topic we can remove the "American" side of this tag - no other historians have done as much or more than Americans (outside of Italy) about setting the record straight on this topic, and just to name a few authors:
James Sadkovich
J. Lee Ready
Frank Joseph
Jack Greene
Walter Zapotoczny
Ralph Riccio
There are a some British historians that have done a pretty good job covering this subject such as:
Chris Dunning
Ian Walker
but they stop short, such is the intensity of these views in that country or even the need to express such views.
The video (and the previous one) does however in fact focus mainly on the Anglo-histories.
2) The video also tackles Italian Revisionism (long over-due), this is understandable because there are two view-points on this subject and like many other places these days is rooted in politics, but the thing people miss is that this is not about politics, it's about history and that this topic should not be used to score or make political points.
3) At the end of the video there's a quote from Winston Churchill:
From the meeting between Winston Churchill and the British Vatican delegate William Godfrey after the war (November 1945):
" ... Italy will benefit of great peace ... The only thing Italy will miss is political freedom ... It will determine a permanent state of discordia that will cause weakness of future Italian governments. Churchill stated that this is necessary."
Churchill was not the first British (plural?) to express this view in fact it was written as a British secret article in the Treaty of Chaumont 1814 (at the end of the Napoleonic wars - Napoleon counting his Italian troops amongst his best who fought in Spain and Russia) whereby Italy would be prevented from unifying - although Germany would be "allowed" to unify. These views have been around for more than 150yrs and it doesn't stop there, if you want to learn more about how the British Establishment influence the US see Promethean Updates on YouTube. This is consistent with their foreign policy view that has always advocated for a balance of powers (in Europe) that inevitably lead to major wars and why the League of Nations (Woodrow Wilson's collective security) and later the United Nations (both US initiatives) were formed.
However the thing Churchill failed to grasp was that the US would do exactly to Britain what Churchill had in mind for Italy (I suppose the classic saying applies here - if you live by the sword you die by it), for various reasons but chief amongst them was to end these kinds of practices, and also no doubt Churchill shared his views on this matter with the then sitting US President.
The video is long like the first, but is worth watching in its entirety. YouTube stores your progress so you can watch it in short parts. This is the history I knew and grew up knowing.
In the end you can't grow or learn from the past if what you believe or know is built on a weak-foundation - it is the primary reason why "empires" or societies eventually fail and then fall.
Just a couple of comments on the video:
1) The video tackles or mentions Anglo-American revisionism but I think, at least in my many years of experience on this topic we can remove the "American" side of this tag - no other historians have done as much or more than Americans (outside of Italy) about setting the record straight on this topic, and just to name a few authors:
James Sadkovich
J. Lee Ready
Frank Joseph
Jack Greene
Walter Zapotoczny
Ralph Riccio
There are a some British historians that have done a pretty good job covering this subject such as:
Chris Dunning
Ian Walker
but they stop short, such is the intensity of these views in that country or even the need to express such views.
The video (and the previous one) does however in fact focus mainly on the Anglo-histories.
2) The video also tackles Italian Revisionism (long over-due), this is understandable because there are two view-points on this subject and like many other places these days is rooted in politics, but the thing people miss is that this is not about politics, it's about history and that this topic should not be used to score or make political points.
3) At the end of the video there's a quote from Winston Churchill:
From the meeting between Winston Churchill and the British Vatican delegate William Godfrey after the war (November 1945):
" ... Italy will benefit of great peace ... The only thing Italy will miss is political freedom ... It will determine a permanent state of discordia that will cause weakness of future Italian governments. Churchill stated that this is necessary."
Churchill was not the first British (plural?) to express this view in fact it was written as a British secret article in the Treaty of Chaumont 1814 (at the end of the Napoleonic wars - Napoleon counting his Italian troops amongst his best who fought in Spain and Russia) whereby Italy would be prevented from unifying - although Germany would be "allowed" to unify. These views have been around for more than 150yrs and it doesn't stop there, if you want to learn more about how the British Establishment influence the US see Promethean Updates on YouTube. This is consistent with their foreign policy view that has always advocated for a balance of powers (in Europe) that inevitably lead to major wars and why the League of Nations (Woodrow Wilson's collective security) and later the United Nations (both US initiatives) were formed.
However the thing Churchill failed to grasp was that the US would do exactly to Britain what Churchill had in mind for Italy (I suppose the classic saying applies here - if you live by the sword you die by it), for various reasons but chief amongst them was to end these kinds of practices, and also no doubt Churchill shared his views on this matter with the then sitting US President.
The video is long like the first, but is worth watching in its entirety. YouTube stores your progress so you can watch it in short parts. This is the history I knew and grew up knowing.
In the end you can't grow or learn from the past if what you believe or know is built on a weak-foundation - it is the primary reason why "empires" or societies eventually fail and then fall.
