The
Corps of Volunteer Troops (
Corpo Truppe Volontarie, or CTV) was an
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
expeditionary force which was sent to
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
to support General
Francisco FrancoFrancisco Franco Bahamonde, commonly known as Francisco Franco , or simply Franco, was a military general and dictator of Spain from October 1936, and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in 1975...
and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
. The CVT was commanded by
Mario RoattaMario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
,
Ettore BasticoEttore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
,
Mario BertiMario Berti was an Italian General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. -Personal life.:Mario Berti was bron in La Spezia. La Spezia is in mordern day Liguria Italy. He was born in to a upper middle class family. His family were quite wealthy. His father was given land in La Spezia after...
, and
Gastone GambaraGastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
.
Background
In July 1936, at the beginning of
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
, most of the elite Nationalist forces were isolated in
Spanish MoroccoSpanish Protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
or on the
Canary IslandsThe Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago which, in turn, forms one of the Spanish Autonomous Communities and an Outermost Region of the European Union. The archipelago is located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the disputed border between Morocco and the...
. Meanwhile, in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, smaller formations of Nationalists and Guardia Civil forces were locked in combat with pro-government militias,
Assault GuardsThe Guardia de Asalto , usually shortened to Los Asaltos or just Asaltos, were the blue-uniformed urban police force of Spain during the Spanish Second Republic. It was the urban analogue to the green-uniformed Guardia Civil which patrolled the countryside...
and those army units which remained loyal to the Leftist
Popular FrontThe Popular Front in Spain's Second Republic was an electoral coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various left-wing political organisations, instigated by Manuel Azaña for the purpose of contesting that year's election....
government. Making the situation more difficult for the Nationalists was the fact that the Spanish Air Force and
NavyThe Spanish Navy is the maritime arm of the Spanish Military, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path from the Far East to America across the...
generally remained loyal to the government.
If the Nationalist forces fighting in Spain did not receive reinforcements, the rebellion could soon fail. General Franco and the other Nationalist leaders sent emissaries to
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
and
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
to ask for help. Both German dictator
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party...
and Italian dictator
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
responded in a positive manner. They sent transport aircraft and crews to
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
to airlift Nationalist forces from Morocco to
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. The troops from Morocco allowed the Nationalist forces to take the initiative on the
Iberian PeninsulaThe Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France. It is the westernmost of the three major southern European peninsulas—the Iberian, Italian, and Balkan peninsulas...
.
The Italians also used Spanish Nationalist-held, and also
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
, harbours as staging points for sending supplies to the Nationalist forces, and also for landing Spanish troops to support the rebellion. Italian
submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability...
s began to sink Spanish, Soviet and other nations' ships transporting materials through the Mediterranean to Republican harbours. However action by the
League of NationsThe League of Nations was an inter-governmental organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920. At its greatest extent from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it had 58 members...
resulted in the Nyon Agreement of September 1937, which classed this as an act of piracy, and was enforced by the
French NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
and the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
.
Commanders
The following are the commanders of the Corps of Volunteer Troops and significant battles fought with CTV participation while they were in command:
- General Mario Roatta
Mario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1936 to 1937
- Battle of Málaga
The Battle of Málaga was the culmination of an offensive in early 1937 by the combined Nationalist and Italian forces to eliminate Republican control of the province of Málaga during the Spanish Civil War...
- Nationalist victory
- Battle of Guadalajara
The Battle of Guadalajara saw the Spanish Popular Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...
- Republican victory
- General Ettore Bastico
Ettore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, 1937
- Battle of Santander
The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
- Nationalist victory
- General Mario Berti
Mario Berti was an Italian General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. -Personal life.:Mario Berti was bron in La Spezia. La Spezia is in mordern day Liguria Italy. He was born in to a upper middle class family. His family were quite wealthy. His father was given land in La Spezia after...
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1937 to 1938
- Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive in the Spanish Civil War was the Nationalist campaign that began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended in April 19, 1938...
- Nationalist victory
- General Gastone Gambara
Gastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
- Commander-in-Chief of the CTV, from 1938 to 1939
- Catalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican held Catalonia with its capital city, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, and Franco closed the border with France by February...
- Nationalist victory
1936
3 September : Republican forces from
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
, under the command of Captain
Alberto BayoAlberto Bayo y Giroud was a Cuban military leader of the defeated left-wing Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War. He was also a poet and essayist.He was born in Cuba and studied in the United States and Spain...
, made a landing on Majorca. His formations were the target of Italian air forces which attacked on 24 October. On the same date, Italian bombers and fighters launched their first air raid on
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
. This was intended to demonstrate to the Republican forces the power of Franco's allies. In the following days, they began a series of bombing raids on the Spanish capital.
2 November : Italian and German bombers and their fighter escorts were attacked by
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
aircraft, nicknamed
"ChatosThe Polikarpov I-15 was a Soviet biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s. Nicknamed Chaika because of its gulled upper wings, it was operated in large numbers by the Soviet Air Force, and together with the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane, was one of the standard fighters of the Spanish Republicans during...
" by the Spanish, which resulted in some losses for the Italians.
12 December : After the collapse of Franco's offensive on Madrid, Mussolini decided to send regular army forces to Spain. Mussolini made this decision after consulting with
Italian Minister of Foreign AffairsAs in most countries, in Italy the Minister of Foreign Affairs is one of the most important ministerial positions.-Kingdom of Italy:-Italian Republic:...
Galeazzo CianoGian Galeazzo Ciano, 2nd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari , was Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Benito Mussolini's son-in-law.-Early life:Ciano was born in Livorno, Italy, in 1903...
and General
Mario RoattaMario Roatta was an Italian general, Mussolini's Chief-of-Staff, and head of the military secret service.-SIM:From 1934 to 1936, Roatta headed up the Italian Military Intelligence Service .-Spain:...
. Ciano and Roatta were two of the most influential men in Italy at the time. Roatta was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian "expeditionary force." General
Luigi FrusciLuigi Frusci was an officer in the Italian Royal Army during World War II.Frusci fought on the southern front for General Rodolfo Graziani during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War...
became his Deputy Commander.
23 December : The first formation of 3,000 troops landed in
CadizCádiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Cádiz Province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
. They were called the "Italian Army Mission."
1937
January: By this time, approximately 44,000 regular Italian army soldiers and members of the Fascist paramilitary (
Fasci di CombattimentoThe Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
) were in Spain. At the end of February, the "expeditionary force" was renamed the "Corps of Volunteer Troops" (
Corpo Truppe Volontarie, or CTV). The CTV was organised into four divisions:
- 4th "Littorio" Infantry Division (Lictor
The lictor, derived from the Latin ligare , was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium; essentially, a bodyguard...
) - A fully motorized infantry division of the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito).
- 1st "Dio lo Vuole" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("God wants it")
- 2nd "Fiamme Nere" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("Black Flames")
- 3rd "Penne Nere" Blackshirt Infantry Division ("Black Feathers")
The Blackshirt (
Camicie Nere, or CCNN) Divisions contained regular soldiers and
volunteer militiaThe Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
from the Fascist Party. The CCNN divisions were semi-motorised. There it also had the independent
XXIII de Marzo GroupAgrupación XXIII de Marzo or XXIII de Marzo Group, was one of the Blackshirts units sent to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to make up the "Corpo Truppe Volontarie" , or CTV. This unit was attached to the 2nd CCNN Division "Fiamme Nere" during the Battle of Guadalajara in March 1937...
of CCNN infantry.
The Italian CTV also had a
Tank and Armoured Cars GroupThe Tank and Armoured Cars Group was the first armoured formation of the Corps of Volunteer Troops involved in the Spanish Civil War. Between 3 February and 8 February 1937, Italian armor played a successful part during the Battle of Málaga...
, Corps Artillery of ten regiments (Groups) of field artillery, and four batteries of anti-aircraft artillery.
3 February to 8 February : The 1st CCNN Division "Dio lo Vuole," in support of the Nationalists, launched an offensive against
MálagaMálaga is a city in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. It is the second most populous city of Andalusia, the sixth largest in Spain and 43rd-most populous municipality in the European Union, with a population of 566,447 in 2008...
. On 8 February, the Italians and Nationalists captured the city. The
Battle of MálagaThe Battle of Málaga was the culmination of an offensive in early 1937 by the combined Nationalist and Italian forces to eliminate Republican control of the province of Málaga during the Spanish Civil War...
was a decisive victory for the Nationalists. About 74 Italian soldiers were killed, 221 wounded, and two missing in the battle.
March : The Corps of Volunteer Troops now numbered over 50,000 troops.
8 March to 23 March :
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
decided that Fascist Italian forces should lead a fourth offensive on
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
. This Italian offensive resulted in the
Battle of GuadalajaraThe Battle of Guadalajara saw the Spanish Popular Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...
. The battle ended as a decisive victory for the Republican forces. In contrast, the Italian forces suffered heavy losses. The Italian armor, consisting for the most part of
L3/35 tankettesThe L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
, proved to be no match for the tanks provided to the Republicans by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. The Italian offensive was repulsed by a strong Republican counter-offensive. Of the four Italian divisions engaged, only the Littorio Division did not suffer heavy losses. The three CCNN divisions had such heavy losses that they had to be reorganized into two divisions and a special weapons (armour and artillery) group. The 3rd CCNN Division was disbanded and consolidated with the 2nd CCNN Division in April 1937.
From this point until the end of the war, the commanders of the Italian Corps did not organize their own offensives. Instead they acted under the Nationalist command. Similarly the commander of the German Legion Kondor, General
Hugo SperrleHugo Sperrle , was a German field marshal of the Luftwaffe during World War II.Born in Ludwigsburg, he joined the German Army in 1903 and transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte at the start of World War I, serving as an observer to the end of the war.Sperrle joined the Freikorps at the end of the war...
, commanded the Italian air force in Spain.
April to August: As the CCNN Divisions were reduced, Italians began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish
Flechas (
Arrows) units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file. The first were the
Flechas Azules Mixed BrigadeIn 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Italians from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file...
"Blue Arrows" and
Flechas Negras Mixed BrigadeIn 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Italians from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie began to serve in mixed Italo-Spanish Flechas units where the Italians provided the officers and technical personnel, while the Spanish served in the rank-and-file...
"Black Arrows", that served respectively in Extremadura and Viscaya from April to August 1937. Also in Viscaya were the CTV's XXIII de Marzo Group and 11 Artillery Groups.
August to September: Roatta's replacement, General
Ettore BasticoEttore Bastico was an Italian military officer before and during World War II. He held high commands during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War , the Spanish Civil War, and the North African Campaign....
commanded the CTV forces including the
Division XXIII di MarzoThe Agrupación XXIII de Marzo was upgraded to Division status as the Division XXIII di Marzo prior to the Battle of Santander. It was one of the ItalianBlackshirts units sent to Spain during the Spanish Civil War to make up the "Corpo Truppe Volontarie" , or CTV.- Battle of Santander August 1938...
formed from the XXIII de Marzo Group. The CTV broke the Republican's lines near Soncillo, captured a key pass, the
Puerto del EscudoThe Puerto del Escudo is a mountain pass at 1,011 meters elevation located in the valley of Luena, to the east of the Sierra del Escudo mountain range and on the boundary between Cantabria and Castile in Spain. The source of the Magdalena or Luena River is located there...
, and penatrated deep into the Republican rear during the
Battle of SantanderThe Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
, resulting in a decisive victory for the Nationalists. After that they were transferred to the
AragónAragon is an autonomous community of Spain. Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces from north to south: Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza .Aragon's northern province of Huesca borders France and is positioned in the middle of the Pyrenees...
Front. Some CTV forces may have been involved in the
Battle of El MazucoThe Battle of El Mazuco was fought between September 6 and September 22, 1937, between the Republican and Nationalist armies during the Spanish Civil War as a part of the War in the North campaign. The Republican defence of El Mazuco and the surrounding mountains halted the Nationalist advance into...
, but details are unconfirmed.
October : After the northern campaigns, the 1st CCNN Division and 2nd CCNN Division was consolidated with the Division XXIII di Marzo and renamed the XXIII de Marzo Division "Llamas Negras".
1938
March : The Flechas Negras Brigade was expanded into the
Flechas DivisionFlechas Division was created from the Flechas Negras Brigade expanded into a Division sized unit. It served in the Aragon Offensive and the March to the Sea, in 1938, during the Spanish Civil War...
"Arrows" serving in the
Aragon OffensiveThe Aragon Offensive in the Spanish Civil War was the Nationalist campaign that began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended in April 19, 1938...
and the
March to the SeaThe March to the Sea can refer to:* A rough, but commonly-used, translation for the Greek term anabasis** A commonly-used title for Xenophon's work, The Anabasis* Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War...
with the CTV now under
Mario BertiMario Berti was an Italian General in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. -Personal life.:Mario Berti was bron in La Spezia. La Spezia is in mordern day Liguria Italy. He was born in to a upper middle class family. His family were quite wealthy. His father was given land in La Spezia after...
.
18 March:
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
was the target of thirteen Italian large-scale air raids. The Italian aircraft were armed with incendiary and gas bombs, which resulted in the death of around 2,500 civilians.
November : The Flechas Division was strengthened renamed "Flechas Negras" and the Flechas Azules Brigade was expanded into two other Flechas Divisions that took part in the
Catalonia OffensiveThe Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican held Catalonia with its capital city, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, and Franco closed the border with France by February...
the final offensive of the war, along with the rest of the CTV under
Gastone GambaraGastone Gambara was an Italian General during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.Born at Imola, he was commander-in-chief of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie during the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War....
:
- Flechas Negras Division
Flechas Negras Division was created when the Flechas Division was further strengthened with support units and renamed. It served in the that took part in the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War...
"Black Arrows"
- Flechas Azules Division
Flechas Azules Division was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two Division sized units the Flechas Azules and Flechas Verdes Divisions. The Flechas Azules Division served in the Catalonia Offensive, the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War...
"Blue Arrows"
- Flechas Verdes Division
The Flechas Verdes Division was a division of the Spanish army. The name means "Green Arrows" in Spanish. It was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two division-sized units: the Flechas Verdes and Flechas Azules Divisions. The Flechas Verdes Division served in the...
"Green Arrows"
1939
February : Following the victory of Franco and the Nationalists over the Republicans, General Bastico and the Italian volunteers withdrew from Spain.
Italian Aces of the Spanish Civil War
| Name |
Kills |
| Mario Bonzano |
15 |
| Adriano Mantelli |
12 |
| Corrado Ricci |
10 |
| Guido Nobili |
10 |
| Carlo Romagnoli |
9 |
| Giuseppe Cenni |
6 |
| Granco Lucchini |
5 |
| Enrico degli Incenti |
5 |
Source: http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4286 (12 July 2008)
Aftermath
On 1 April 1939, the success of the Nationalists meant that the Italians now had a friendly regime in the western
MediterraneanThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
. But they acquired this friend at a high cost in both men and materials. Of the approximate 78,500 men sent to Spain, 3,819 were killed and about 12,000 were wounded. The Italian military left behind roughly 3,400 machine guns, 1,400 mortars, 1,800 artillery pieces, 6,800 vehicles, 160 tanks, and 760 aircraft. But, while the military equipment represented a loss to Italy's war inventory, most of the equipment was obsolete. The financial cost of the war was more debilitating. The cost of the CTV to Italy amounted to between 6 and 8.5 billion
lireLire is a French literary magazine covering both French and foreign literature. It was founded in 1975 by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber and Bernard Pivot.-External links:*...
. At 14 to 20 percent of annual expenditure, this represented an immense drain on the Italian economy. The high cost of Mussolini's Spanish adventure severely handicapped Italy in the period leading up to
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
See also
- Italian Royal Air Force
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy . It was established as a service independent of the Italian Royal Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished and the Kingdom of Italy became the Republic of Italy...
(Regia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy . It was established as a service independent of the Italian Royal Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished and the Kingdom of Italy became the Republic of Italy...
) and Aviation Legion (Aviazione LegionariaThe Aviazione Legionaria was a unit sent by the Italian Regia Aeronautica in support of Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. They acted in concert with the German Condor Legion....
)
- Italian Royal Navy
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Regia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) and Submariners Legion (Sottomarini Legionari)
- Legion Kondor
- Operation Ursula - German Navy (Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine, and the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht.-Command structure:Adolf Hitler was the commander-in-chief...
) U-boatU-boat is the anglicized version of the German word , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
operations in support of the Francoist and Italian navies
- Operation Rügen
The bombing of Guernica was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths during the Spanish Civil War. The raid by planes of the German Luftwaffe "Condor Legion" and the Italian Fascist Aviazione Legionaria was called Operation Rügen...
- the bombing of Guernica
- Luigi Frusci
Luigi Frusci was an officer in the Italian Royal Army during World War II.Frusci fought on the southern front for General Rodolfo Graziani during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War...
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the CTV
- Giorgio Perlasca
Giorgio Perlasca was an Italian who posed as the Spanish consul-general to Hungary in the winter of 1944, and saved thousands of Jews from Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.-Early life:...
- served in the CTV with honors. He later used his appraise letter from Franco to pass for a Spanish diplomat in Budapest, saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazi extermination camps.
- Santoña Agreement
The Santoña Agreement or Pact of Santoña is an agreement signed in the town of Guriezo, near Santoña, Cantabria, the August 24th, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party , fighting with the Republican Side, and Italian forces fighting with the...
- the surrendering of the Basque Army to the CTV.
Selected Bibliography
- de Mesa, José Luis, El regreso de las legiones: (la ayuda militar italiana a la España nacional, 1936-1939), García Hispán, Granada:España, 1994 ISBN 84-87690-33-5
- Leon Wyszczelski "Madryt 1936-1937" Historical Battles published by Ministry of National Defence, Warsaw 1988.
- Some details from the Republican perspective on the Italian military in Spain appears in the works of Luigi Longo
thumb|right|Luigi Longo portrayed on a 1981 [[USSR]] postage stamp.Luigi Longo , also known as Gallo, was an Italian communist politician and secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1964 to 1972.-Early life:...
; a former organizer of the International Brigades.
- Information on Italian army activities appearing in this article was taken from lacucaracha.info "La Cucaracha": Civil War in Spain 1936-1939 Official site.
External links