| Plot |
The first part is about war crimes committed during the Italian invasion into Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The emphasis is given to Badoglio's usage of the mustard gas, bombing of the Red Cross operated hospitals and revenge massacres after attempt of assassination of the Italian governor in Ethiopia. The Yugoslav occupation is focused on witnesses of the Rab concentration camp and atrocities of the Croatian village Podhum near Rijeka.
The second part is about the period after Italian capitulation in 1943 and is mostly about American and especially British hypocrisy during this period. Ethiopia, Yugoslavia and Greece requested an extradiction of total 1,200 Italian war criminals (most wanted were Pietro Badoglio, Mario Roatta and Rodolfo Marquis Graziani), provided with full documentation of their acts. Both western allies governments saw in Badoglio's government a guarantee of anti communist post war Italy so they did their best to delay the requests all until 1947 when the Peace Treaty with Italy returned full sovereignty to Italy and sovereign states usually do not extradict their citizens to foreign countries. The only Italian officer prosecuted and executed by the British controlled court was an anti fascist Nicola Bellomo, responsible for the death of a few British prisoners of war.
The documentary cynically ends with Churchill's quote about "the better tomorrow with a new world order."
Italian public television RAI bought a copy of the film but it was never shown to Italian audience because it would significantly change the opinion Italians have about their role during the World War 2. Projections of the documentary are organised in Italy in sessions of organisations with anti fascist orientation. |
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