“Unraveling the Mystery: Why Italy Escaped a Post-War Reckoning for Its Atrocities”
According to Luigi Prosperi, Assistant Professor in Criminal Law, Utrecht University :
âThis provision was the result of a political compromise between the âBig Threeâ: on the one hand, UK and US, that were every day less eager to be involved in tracing and arresting the alleged war criminals, fearing the repercussions in the Italian public opinion; on the other, the Soviet Union, the champion of the Yugoslav governmentâs cause.â
In essence, as of 1947, Moscow was very much willing to bring to justice those responsible for atrocities in Slovenia and Croatia. While the Western Allies were more inclined to secure Italyâs friendship, whatever the cost.
This was similar to what was happening in Germany in the same years. Nazis dealt with, the West decided that the next enemies in Human Wartime Bingo were the Soviets. And as both Germany and Italy bordered countries in Moscowâs sphere of influence and Italy was now home to one of the strongest, if not THE strongest Communist and Socialist Parties in Western Europe, the west needed to keep the current Italian government and public on their side, lest they fall into the Sovietâs lap.
Even with the inclusion of the âsoftening clauseâ, prof Prosperi states that âThe Italian authorities received the draft with scorn. According to the Minister of Justice, Fausto Gullo (of the Italian Communist Party), the clause was at odds with Italian nationalsâ right to liberty, since they would be exposed to every request of surrender, even the most arbitrary.â
