Forty-Five Days: The Fall of Mussolini and Italy's Reckoning with Fascism

An account of the extraordinary period between July 25, 1943, when Mussolini's deposal was announced, and September 8, 1943, when the Italian state disintegrated, told through the voices of ordinary peopleAt 10:47 PM on July 25, 1943, Italians were suddenly compelled to confront Fascism as the past.An extraordinary radio broadcast announced to the nation that Benito Mussolini had been removed from office.Moments later, millions took to the streets in celebration, smashing statues, burning Fascist Party cards, chanting and singing, and beating anyone in a black shirt.Mussolini's regime of two decades seemed to have melted away in a matter of hours.For the next forty-five days, Italians experienced an intermezzo marked by extreme emotions, unstable values and relationships, and potent debates over their society's past, present, and future.Forty-Five Days explores the immediate aftermath of the Italian Fascist regime, from the fall of Mussolini on July 25th to the Armistice of September 8