I bombardamenti sull’Italia nella seconda guerra mondiale : strategia anglo-americana e propaganda alleata rivolta alla popolazione civile

This article considers attacks on Italy in 1940-1945 from the bombers’ perspective, and examines the purposes that Anglo-American bombing was expected to serve. Raids were directed on industry, military and transportation targets, and in support of the ground forces. Moreover, it was expected that bombs would have a big effect on the Italians’ morale, with political rather than simply military consequences. The reaction of the population to air raids was carefully evaluated and discussed by the Allies, who decided to hit civilians living near industrial areas. Propaganda material was dropped on Italian cities in order to encourage the bombed population (and especially women) to revolt against Fascism; this would, in turn, eliminate Italy from the war. Italian morale ceased to be a target after the armistice and the German occupation from September 1943, but Allied raids on industrial targets, now designed solely to wreck productive capacity, continued.