Mussolini's grandson to pursue case of Benito's death

[panzermahn]

Hi Feldgrauans,

Interesting article

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.as ... rldupdates

Regards
Panzermahn

[phylo_roadking]

Yes, apparently the newly-discovered pictures of the bodies throw possibly new light on when they were killed - or rather when they weren't

[Tom Houlihan]

Even if a British operative had killed them, where's the crime? He was a uniformed head of a military organization, wasn't he? While there may be arguments against killing the head of the enemy state, it ain't illegal in war, is it? I mean, if some poor lieutenant/leftenant ( ) bombadier just happened just happened to drop an errant stick while Adi was taking his evening stroll around the Kanzlerei gardens, would he suddenly be a war criminal?

[DXTR]

Even if a British operative had killed them, where's the crime? He was a uniformed head of a military organization, wasn't he? While there may be arguments against killing the head of the enemy state, it ain't illegal in war, is it? I mean, if some poor lieutenant/leftenant ( ) bombadier just happened just happened to drop an errant stick while Adi was taking his evening stroll around the Kanzlerei gardens, would he suddenly be a war criminal?

First of all, lets assume that Hitler could be regarded as a civilian, if he was taking a stroll around the reichkanslerei and a bomb was dropped on him, one would have to first of all ask if the bombardier was making a direct attack on Hitler or whether he was making an attack on the reichkanslerei.
The laws of war prohibits attacks on public buildings, however since the reichkanslerei was highly involved in the planning of military operations it is a legitimate target on level with a field HQ.

The question is then, was Hitler and Mussolini civilians? Well they did of course dress up in uniforms and name themselves as head of the armed forces. But this does not make them any less civilians in my view. I believe they lost their civilian status as they were deeply involved on a strategical as well as operational level in the planning and execution of war operations. This is what makes them a legitimate target. It is now more a warcrime to kill them than if you were bombing a munitionsfactory and the civilian worker inside got killed, or when a munitionstrain gets bombed and the poor eisenbahn employee gets toasted.

Regards
DXTR

[phylo_roadking]

Apparently there is somme question that they might have been arrested first by representatives of Marshall Badoglio then handed over in whatever state to the partisans - which therefore brings up the question of them being shot while in custody...

[Commissar D, the Evil]

But what proof is there to suggest that the British were involved in his execution?

The murder of Mussolini and his mistress may have been an understandable, if questionable, spontaneous reaction by partisans, which makes much more logical sense, as the Allies would have obviously preferred a "show trial" against him, followed by a public execution.

Best,
David

[panzermahn]

I think that the notion that the British wanted to execute Mussolini is quite a myth as it is well know that Allied agents are looking for Mussolini (not to murder Mussolini but to protect thim from the wrath of the Johnny-came-lately Bolshevik partisans).

The murder of Mussolini and Petacci was a crime that can never be forgotten. Even so in the case of Clara Petacci, whose only crime was to stay loyal to her love, Mussolini.

And thanks to Togliatti's orchestrated amnesty law in Italy in the late 40s, the partisans especially most the hardcore Bolsheviks who committed unspeakable crimes during the epurazione period were let off in the name of national reconciallation.

Regards
Panzermahn

P.S. I doubt if anyone remembers the Bolshevik republic of Montefiorino or the Polizia Partigiani who terrorised the Italian countrymen during the late 40s