Cephalonia: a non-shared History
The armistice of 8th September 1943 causes the disintegration of the Italian army. In
Athens, the Commander of Italian troops in Greece, in contravention of the provisions
of Rome, signs the surrender to the Nazis on 9th September. In Chephalonia, the commander
of the garrison tries to obtain repatriation of the Acqui division without bloodshed.
His behavior is ambiguous but, forced by the attitude of the troops and the order
to resist from Rome, he opposes the German requests. After seven days of fighting, the
Acqui division surrenders and, following the order given by Hitler in person, the Germans
begin shooting the soldiers and most of the officers, including the Commander.
Once the war is over, an operation is organized to defend the Commander’s memory from
the accusation of excessive surrender to the enemy and serious errors in conducting the
fight. Investigations and court proceedings follow, which provide material for a distorted
reconstruction of the events that took place on the island. The article examines the causes
of these manipulations.
