India’s Contribution to the Liberation of Italy in WWII
Mention the word Italy to an average Indian and they are very likely to think about Sonia Gandhi. For an average Italian on the other hand, India is an exotic vacation spot. Obviously there is more to it than that. I have traveled to Italy on numerous occasions. On one of my visits I traveled to the island at the southern most part of Italy called Sicily. Sicily is full of very old and ancient towns. The towns themselves have wonderful buildings whose architecture was influenced by ancient Rome and Greece.
On once such building (the guide informed me that the building was about 2,200 years old) I found beautiful paintings (large but painted using smaller tiles) depicting scenery from India. These paintings were on the wall and the floor where the women in the palace resided. I was stunned. It dawned on me that somebody who knew about India (maybe even an Indian) stood on the very same spot where I was standing and created these tile paintings 2,200 years ago.
If you can travel to one country in Europe then Italy is the country that you should travel to. The Italians have a tremendous culture and history. After the World Wars the Italian governments (like many others in Europe) have done a tremendous job restoring villages and the ancient buildings that have been partly or completely demolished. The people are very warm, friendly and have a laid-back approach to life. Their society is similar to an Indian society in the sense that they are very family oriented. However there is one area where many Italians (and the tour guides) that I met are reluctant to talk about. Few Italians want to discuss the role the country played in World War II (along with their partners Germany and Japan) and the effort that was put in by the Allies to liberate the country.
One of the reasons for the silence could be that the Italian agenda in WWII is not something to be proud about. But I also think that education system has not done a good job of educating younger generation of Italians on their role in WWII and also about the countries and their soldiers who paid a heavy price in liberating Italy. The Indian government also does a poor job of educating their public about India’s role in WWII. The governments feel guilty of informing the public about the role the founders of the country played by collaborating with the enemy (the British) and fighting a war with another country (Germany) that did not do any harm to India.
The “Italian Campaign” launched by the Allied forces began in 1943. About 110,000 soldiers (Allied and German) died in this campaign. India was a British colony during WWII. At the beginning of the war the Indian army numbered about 250,000 and it rapidly grew to 2.5 million (Indian army was the largest voluntary army in the world during WWII). In the “Italian Campaign”, Indian forces where the third largest (about 50,000 Indian soldiers) next only to the United States and Britain. At the end of the campaign 20 Victoria Cross medals (highest award for bravery from Britain) were handed out. Six of these recipients were Indians.
It took Italy about 60 years to acknowledge the role played by India in its liberation. In 2007 a ceremony was held in Cassino (near Rome) to honor the sacrifice of Indian soldiers. About 445 Indian soldiers are buried in a grave near Cassino. The next time you visit Florence, Bologna, San Marino or Ferrara enjoy the wonderful architecture, wine or the culture. But also spend a few minutes thinking about the brave soldiers from India who were fighting for a cause that was not theirs.
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Category: Cuisine & Travel
Thank you, this helped me with my coursework.
You are welcome.
Thanks for this excellent description of the Italian campaign. I have published a book that describes the many memorials to that campaign in Italy, including those to Indian forces.
My book, A Travel Guide to World War II Sites in Italy, is sold on Amazon and elsewhere.
Welcome Anne. Wish you much success.