80 Years Ago Today: Last Days of Mussolini and the Axis Powers

"War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it."--Erasmus

Liberation Day, April 25, 2023. Three men wearing
the uniforms of the Resistance fighters of the North.

Today is the 80th anniversary of the death of Mussolini. On 25 April he fled Milan, where he had been based, and headed towards the Swiss border. He and his mistress, Claretta Petcci, were captured on 27 April by local partisans near the village of Dong on Lake Como. Mussolini and Petacci were executed the following afternoon, two days before Adolf Hitler's suicide.  

The bodies of Mussolini and Petacci were taken to Milan and left in a suburban square, the Piazzale Loreto, where a large angry crowd insulted and physically abuse. They were then hung upside down from a metal girder above a service station on the square.  

These were epic times, the culmination of the war in Europe. My father-in-law, Wilmer "Bud" Wagner, as a front line company agent in the Red Bull Division, had the opportunity to go see the bodies of Mussolini and his mistress, but he declined. He'd seen enough gore, having been on the first convoy to cross the Atlantic for the European Theater, fighting the Germans across North Africa to the toe of Italy and all the way up the boot.

All throughout he'd kept a diary, which later became a book, And There Shall Be Wars. Here are diary entries from those fateful days, along with additional commentary for context.

* * * * * 

Friday, April 27, 1945

Had to make one trip to Division Artillery last night around 1:00 a.m.  Took less than an hour.  Raining this morning, rained quite a bit during the night.  

Moved again, raining most of the day.  Several more trips to Division Artillery.

Both 5th and 8th Army units have been pouring across the Po and into the valley for 3 days; there's little or nothing now the Germans can do.  I'm thinking now when I see hay being made, that with luck, I'll be home even this summer helping make some more of it.

On April 25, the U.S. 1st Army met up with the Soviet forces at Torgau on the Elbe.  The U.S. 3rd Army crossed the Danube near Regensburg, and was attacked there.  Berlin had been entered in the south and the east.

Saturday, April 28, 1945

We moved on to #9 again today, in kind of an assembly area. Nice place alongside the road.

Several trips to Division Artillery. A pretty girl came up to talk -- she could speak German. Always nice to talk a little to them.  

As far as I can tell, we came through Modena and Parma, maybe farther.

It was nice to go through Modena, a city of over 150,000.  There were no old, narrow streets here, and there was a really tall 290 foot Cathedral.  Parma was another city worth forfeiting a furlough in order to see.  It looked modern, with straight streets.  The people were wild for the Americans.  Both Modena and Parma were Roman colonies before Christ. 

Seeing these cities had to have been a part of the glory of war -- there wasn't much glory in the shooting, killing, seeing the wounded, the mud, or slowly advancing toward the front.  That's where the fear, and the sickly feeling, and the wondering of "Why are we doing this?" comes in instead of glory.  As Desiderius Erasmus said a few hundred years ago, "War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it."

I was also happy to be out of the mountains.  I'd seen enough of mountains to last me a lifetime, and I still prefer the valleys.  The hills in Duluth are all I want to climb nowadays.

An ersatz surrender ceremony affecting all troops fighting in Italy took place at 2:00 p.m. on April 28.  The ceremony was kept somewhat secret; the German officers were dressed in civilian clothes, and were acting on their own.  A German Major and Lieutenant Colonel appeared at the peace table grim-faced before General Morgan and many other high-ranking American and British officers.  Their muscles were taut, their hands were clenched fiercely together behind their backs, and they had an "I hate you" expression on their face, just opposite of most of the low- ranking prisoners I had hauled to the rear.  

The German Lieutenant Colonel said for the record that he had received only limited powers from his Commander in Chief, and that he was being forced to overstep those limits.  He assumed his Commander would approve his action, but said he could not be sure if this was the case.

General Morgan just told him casually, "We accept those conditions."

The Germans sat and signed 5 copies of the surrender documents, and General Morgan signed them last.  The Germans left swiftly, and the ceremony was over at 2:17.

Sunday, April 29, 1945

A day I won't forget for awhile.  Up at 7:00.  

Pulled out at 8:30.  Made 172 miles.  Cold and windy.  Really enjoyed it, though.  Thick groves of people lined the road all the way.  Many beautiful girls, and well-dressed adults and younger people, all waving and cheering.  Some close enough to you hold out their hands to touch yours.  

Saw thousands of German prisoners.  I counted 35 heavily loaded vehicles with Jerry prisoners, some high ranking officers, also nurses, all standing in their trucks, with Kraut drivers heading north.  

We just crossed the Po again today, as wide as the Missouri River. We're at the foot of the Alps; they tower high in the distance, capped with snow, sure glad we don't have to chase Jerry through the Brenner Pass.  We'd heard about that place.  

We parked in a court yard for the night.  Was a hard day, but nice driving on a good road, and made good time. Tom McGee rode with me.

Monday, April 30, 1945

Layed around most of the day, but went to Division Artillery several times.  They are in a large town.  It seems we were supposed to get to Bergamo, but I'm not sure.  I don't think the Krauts who we heard were waiting there to ambush us are going to -- after all, the Germans are heading homewards.

We are close to, or in the outskirts of Milan.  All the Italians are chanting "Finito, Benito!" and he is pretty well finished, all right.  He and his mistress Clare Petacci are hanging by their heels in the main square of Milan for all to see.  Dick and I were going to go, but we changed our minds.  Some of our fellows went to see Benito and his girl friend, and said it was a pretty gory sight.  It seems this couple was almost in Switzerland on vacation when they were intercepted.

Related Links

Bud Wagner's And There Shall Be Wars

Liberation Day: Italy Celebrates Victory Over Fascism, With Expressions of Gratitude to the U.S.

Veteran's Day: The Book "And There Shall Be Wars" Speaks Volumes

Flashback Friday: Italy

It's well known that Florence played a central role in the birth of the Renaissance. During my visit to Italy this past spring I learned about the various factors that converged to foster an environment conducive to intellectual and artistic flourishing. These factors included economic prosperity, patronage of the arts, political stability and civic pride.

While there I learned how much the Florentines valued intellectual exchange and the love of learning. Purportedly the literacy rate in Florence was twice that of other cities in Europe and Italy itself. (EdNote: I read this in a book about booksellers row during the Renaissance. Fact-checkers are welcome to correct me here.) Books were highly valued and ancient books most of all.

All this to say that my selection of Florence as a destination was richly rewarded when I planned my Italy trip, a 70th birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law, this past spring. While there I took 40 pages of notes and what seemed like a thousand photos. Upon my return I began processing my experience by writing about it. Here are 16 blog posts about my trip abroad.

1. Initial Thoughts after my first trip to Italy

2. A Brief Overview of My Italy Adventure

3. 850 Years Old and Still Looking Good: The Battistero di Parma
4. The Galileo Museum in Florence Is Worthwhile Destination

5. Liberation Day: Italy Celebrates Victory Over Fascism, With Expressions of Gratitude to the U.S.

6. 1000 Rooms of Splendor: The Palazzo Pitti
7. Bob Dylan in Italy

8. The Death of Galileo

9. The Scarpelli Mosaici

10. Michelangelo’s David… A Showstopper

11. Daniela Meza Sigala: Florence Artist’s Seriously Whimsical Paintings

12. The Teatro Farnese in Parma

13. The Duomo in Florence: A History, plus Photos

14. One of the Most Famous Paintings in Florence: Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), by Antonio Ciseri

15. The Bargello: Another “Must See” Museum In Florence

16. L’Ippogrifo Stampe d’Arte: Mastery of a Grand Tradition 

Have you been to Italy? 

Where should I go next?

Leave a comment.

Liberation Day: Italy Celebrates Victory Over Fascism, With Expressions of Gratitude to the U.S.

Mayor Nardella (right) prepares to lay wreath to honor
Americans who helped liberate Italy from fascism.

On April 25 I had considered making a day trip to Pisa. But then I learned that it was Liberation Day and that there were special events taking place that day in Florence. In Italy, this is a major holiday as the celebrate their nation's liberation from fascism and America's role in this momentous event.

Mussolini came to power in 1922 and remained dictator till deposed in 1943 during the Allied invasion in World War II. In 1945, when he was executed and hung upside down in Milan, my father-in-law was a soldier stationed less than a mile away. He could have gone to see it, but said he had seen more than enough death and violence during the war.

Here's an overview of what I saw, heard and thought on this most interesting day in Florence.

If you knew where to look you could find a schedule of events online. The first event was about to take place less than three blocks from my AirBnB at a monument by the train station. When I arrived there was a marching band playing John Philip Sousa music. There were also members of what looked like the Florence Royal Guard. Numerous dignitaries were present to watch the Mayor Dario Nardella of Florence lay a wreath at the foot of this monument honoring the Americans who gave their all to liberate Italy.

(L to R) Rodolfo, Jacob, Marco and Albert. 

There were a number of men dressed in the outfits of the Italy's Mountain Troopers, an underground resistance army that fought in the mountains of Northern Italy.

The men here were too young to have fought in the war but clearly had a kinship with those who so served, wearing the hats of the mountain troopers. They recommended that I see the film Bella Ciao.

At the end of the ceremony the band played taps, with an "amen" at the end.

* * * 

Here are photos from the first ceremony near the train station:

* * * 

The statue of David is not Michelangelo's but a replica.

THE NEXT EVENT took place from eleven till noon in the square near the Uffizi. When I arrived there were as many as a thousand people assembled. Again Mayor Nardella gave a long enthusiastic speech to this larger crowd. He ended by saying, "Through this fight for freedom, with help from the United States, totalitarianism was pushed out of Italy.... today we have freedom and life."  (Huge huge applause.)

Next, a woman was introduced who began by saying "I love you" and then telling the "fundamental story" of liberation.

The third and fourth speakers gave short talks, then historian Aldo Cazzullo was introduced. 

"We're part of a tradition that includes Michelangelo, Dante..."  He mentioned Nietzsche coming here from Germany and other people and events of special significance to Italy. At the end of his talk there was another big applause.

A woman was then introduced who is a "scriba"... who shared a poem. This was followed by another woman who spoke of the fight against Mussolini and fascism. "We must confront it with confidence." 

At noon all the church bells rang.

* * * 

An Italian woman who spoke English told me, "I brought my son here so he is aware. We speak about fascism and the new government and what's changing and the dangers. Change comes slowly.

"My father lived here. We live in Milan. I'm here with my son to see grandparents. This (day in history) is a very important memory. Memory is very important so that we do not live it again. War is terrible."

One of the current issues in the news in Italy is a revelation that the current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has a fascist-leaning past. "We are all worried about it," the young woman said. "Italians were the first to experience directly the consequences of fascism."

* * *  

Learn more about the war in Italy from the point of view 

of a soldier who was there. Visit And There Shall Be Wars

Initial Thoughts After My First Trip to Italy

Three of 9 Michelangelo statues in the Medici Chapel

Thursday evening I arrived at my home back in Duluth after an eleven day journey to Italy, specifically Florence and Parma. Becoming immersed in these two cities was so uplifting and sensational that trying to write about, share it, it has been challenging. 

I wrote over 40 pages of notes during my stay, and took what seems like a thousand photos. Over the next few weeks I will attempt to present "snapshots" of the various experiences I had there. 

Late last night I scribbled these two statements in my journal:

If Italy doesn't move you, then your eyes were closed.

If Italy doesn't change you, then your heart was closed.

Time will tell as regards the truth of the latter. From the moment I arrived, though, I fully experienced the former.

* * * 

Over the years I've thought much and written numerous times about influences. Usually I connected influence with people. A century ago, however, a Nobel prizewinner gave a few lectures on influence and connected it with places. Places can pull us just as much as they invigorate us and make us come alive. One of my first thoughts after I'd checked into my AirBnB and began walking the streets of Florence was this one: "I'm home." Something was resonating within me at a very deep level. 

What follows are a few miscellaneous photos from Florence with more to be shared as time unfolds over the weeks to come. 

Bust of Gallileo

Michelangelo's Bacchus

In an open square by the Academy

Bridge across the Arno

Courtyard of the Pitti Palace

One of literally countless painted ceilings.

Typical windows seen from the streets. 

There were three especially cool and unexpected surprises while I was there. Last weekend there was a protest by Peruvians in Italy, aimed at drawing attention to alleged genocide taking place in Peru under the current government regime. On April 25 there was a national celebration of the Liberation of Italy from fascist dictator Mussolini. Florence celebrated with speeches, the laying of a wreath at a monument commemorating this event in which the U.S. drove out Italy's enemies during World War II. (I plan to devote a blog post to this historical moment in which my father-in-law participated.) And third, there was a fantastic MC Escher retrospective of the first order in which I learned of Italy's influence on this great 20th century designer/artist. (This will be re-visited later as well.)

Then there were the numerous interesting people I became acquainted with. And the bookstores. And the food. And the wonder of it all.

If you are not a regular follower of Ennyman's Territory you can subscribe by placing your email address in the appropriate slot just below the bar code.

A Visit With Amateur Futurist and Instant Millionaire Eric Martin

On several occasions I have mentioned my having become involved with Medium this past year, the blogging platform developed by Ev Williams. Williams, you may recall, was a co-founder of Blogger in the late 90's and later Twitter.

Eric Martin

The elegance and ease of use make Medium popular among users, but especially interesting is the multi-cultural community that has evolved. It has been enjoyable meeting so many new people, sharing one's writing and ideas and getting feedback.

In addition to posting on the forum you may also submit articles and poems to publications that have built followings on Medium. The publications cover all manner of interests, from literature to business and entrepreneurialism. Eric Martin is editor of a publication called Predict, a forward thinking publication to which I have been occasionally contributing. It wasn't till more recently I discovered he has many other facets of his life than merely managing this digital periodical.

A relatively young man, Eric won a competition that made him an instant millionaire. (See link at the end of this interview.) But that was only the first of many features of his life adventure.

EN: You called yourself an amateur futurist. Where did your passion for thinking about the future come from?

Eric Martin: It started with Technology, our family got our first computer when I was 4 or 5, and I've been hooked ever since. In about 6th grade I got interested in programming. Then, over the past 5+ years I've really gotten interested in Artificial Intelligence. In my mind, AI is the single biggest development that will shape the future of technology and the economy, so naturally I think about the future implications of it. A fascination with a computer led to a fascination with computation, which led to a fascination with AI, which leads to a fascination with the future.

EN: What prompted you to start Predict, your publication on Medium about futurism?

EM: I'm interested in future topics, but with Predict, I'm trying to create something where anyone can publish an article about the future. Many publications are very exclusive and only let certain writers in. Predict is the opposite of that. If someone is thinking something about the future and can write it into words, we want to publish it. We are not elitist and I believe that anyone can have an insight into trends and how the future will play out. No one holds magic cards with all of the answers, but any can have an insight that is valuable and turns out to be correct.

EN: Your book Liberation Day is a pretty dramatic response to government overreach. How did government infrastructure become so bloated in the first place?

EM: Quite the question. It's the slow but steady creep of Leviathan, compounding exponentially over 200 years now. In the case of the Roman Republic and Empire it probably started out slower. Unfortunately, not one has successfully created a system to stop the overreach of government. The Constitution would be amazing, if we only followed it.

EN: Politically speaking, you identify fairly strongly with a Libertarian view. Is this something that is fairly common among young people?

EM: I sure wish it was more common! Most young people vote less than older people. I think most young people largely try not to think about politics.

EN: Looking into the future… Do you think we’ll ever see a successful presidential bid by a third party?

EM: We already have, right? Wasn't Lincoln the first Republican when two other parties were entrenched? I think given a long enough timeframe we will see it. In the current state of affairs, a third party could win because people are disillusioned by the old way and because of new means of reaching the masses. In particular, I think an AI could enable a candidate with low funding to win in the future, as long as he's employing it much better than any of his opponents.

EN: What did you go to college for and how did you take an interest in writing?

EM: Good questions! I went to college for Political Science. I would say I don't have an interest in writing, per se, I just feel compelled to write about certain things that I care about, or ideas that I think up because I'm afraid they could be wasted if I don't publish them.

EN: What do you do for a living now?

EM: I'm helping to market an upcoming game of self-awareness... right now I'm helping to run a referral contest for them. Stock options are available to the top 20 referrers. You can learn more here: https://500bcfoundry.com/ and even sign up and compete if you're so inclined.

I work as a contractor remotely.

EN: Taproots looks intriguing. What is your role in this, other than modeling the benefit of a big incentive?

EM: My role is the referral contest team lead, I'm also helping with their social media, their blog, marketing in general, and just trying to improve their product with ideas and critiques here and there.

The company's goal is to help propel the know thyself and mindfulness movement into the mainstream. The movement is already getting there, but by creating a game that rewards users, we hope to make mindfulness a fun experience that also helps people live better, more self-aware lives.

EN: Thank you for sharing.

* * * *
Related Links
Story of an Instant Millionaire
Wal-Mart Deal Makes Overnight Millionaire Even Richer
Liberation Day @ Amazon

Dogs of War and Liberation Day, Italy

This morning I'd intended to announce that a limited number of giclee prints of my painting Dogs of War are available for purchase. How suitable that this morning I received an email from our friend Mario in Italy noting the significance of this day.

I'll be busy today again, I've a meeting at ten local time and am going to leave home. But today is also a very special day, and it has become a more special day since we got in touch with you and Bud. On April 25, Italy celebrates Liberation Day, the anniversary of the end of WWII. So it's the birthday of our freedom, a feast Bud has contributed in making possible. A kiss to him and you all!!!
Mario

Mario Monasterolo is a historian in Northern Italy's Po Valley region. While researching the end of the war, seeking oral histories and memories of those who lived that experience, Mario discovered my father-in-law's war memoirs, which were published in a book titled And There Shall Be Wars. Wilmer "Bud" Wagner was the second Minnesotan drafted into World War II and on the first transport across "the big pond" to engage the Axis powers. His preparation and service in Northern Ireland, North Africa and Italy makes for a good read, and is an outstanding historical document.

Interestingly enough, though Italy celebrates the 25th as its Liberation Day, for the soldiers in the field it was just another day, as Bud records here.

Wednesday, April 25, 1945
Took a side road, actually it was today that we went through Reggio, and not yesterday. Moved this morning and tonight. Went back to Division Artillery tonight about 10:30.

It wasn't until four days later that the reality of the end hit home. Again, from Bud's diary record And There Shall Be Wars:

Sunday, April 29, 1945
A day I won't forget for awhile. Up at 7:00.
Pulled out at 8:30. Made 172 miles. Cold and windy. Really enjoyed it, though. Thick groves of people lined the road all the way. Many beautiful girls, and well-dressed adults and younger people, all waving and cheering. Some close enough to you hold out their hands to touch yours.
Saw thousands of German prisoners. I counted 35 heavily loaded vehicles with Jerry prisoners, some high ranking officers, also nurses, all standing in their trucks, with Kraut drivers heading north.
We just crossed the Po again today, as wide as the Missouri River. We're at the foot of the Alps; they tower high in the distance, capped with snow, sure glad we don't have to chase Jerry through the Brenner Pass. We'd heard about that place.
We parked in a court yard for the night. Was a hard day, but nice driving on a good road, and made good time. Tom McGee rode with me.

In reflecting on this moment Bud, who turned 90 last summer, recalled for us the shouts of the Italian peoples as the soldiers passed, "Bueno Americano! No Bueno Tedeskie!" For Bud's 90th birthday celebration I painted the 2' x 3' panel above. It was a great day for Italy, and a great day for the families of those young G.I.'s who returned home.

Since making contact with Mario last year, we've grown ever more fond of the region and hope to visit one day. I've got my passport ready anyways.. 

And There Shall Be Wars: World War II Diaries and Memoirs was available for sale from Savage Press. 536 pages. Illustrated with 178 original photos and documents. We still have remainders available for $10 plus S&H. Email ennyman3@gmail.com for details.