“To Bury the Dead and to Feed the Living”: Allied Military Government in Sicily, 1943

“To bury the dead and to feed the living” Allied Military Government in Sicily, 1943 Cindy Brown “It was also obvious, to the early planners, that many strategic and tactical events and conditions could not possibly be anticipated – a situation which made all phases of CA/MG more difficult to estimate, operate and maintain.”1 n the 70 years since Allied soldiers Unprecedented in scope and its Abstract: This article examines the landed on the island of Sicily multi-national nature,3 AMG was I little-known Allied effort to provide many accounts have been published for the needs of the Sicilian civilian a complex organization intended about the genesis and conduct of the population during Operation Husky. to restore peace and stability to a campaign. Few, however, consider Allied Military Government (AMG) population ravaged by war and the effect the intense military was created in January 1943 to twenty years of Fascism. The cost of support the strategic aim of knocking operations had on the Sicilian Italy out of the war by creating the planning and execution of Allied people and the measures taken by and maintaining a benevolent Military Government in Sicily was the Allies to reduce the impact on atmosphere on the island. The duty significant, drawing on the already civilians. In fact, the few references to of civil affairs officers was to relieve limited resources available for the Allied Military Government (AMG) the fighting troops from the challenge secondary effort in the Mediterranean. of delivering humanitarian aid or highlight the role the Allies played dealing with a hostile population. It was also a dangerous assignment in re-introducing known mafiosi Despite some mishaps and missteps for the civil affairs officers who often back into the Sicilian social and on the part of planners, civil affairs worked close to the front lines. In political landscape after Mussolini made a significant contribution to the the end, the effort devoted to AMG was reportedly successful in his success of Operation Husky. paid off. Although Allied Armies campaign to rid the country of the were entering enemy territory, the crime organization.2 It is true that civil problem of delivering humanitarian population accepted Allied soldiers as affairs officers were forced, due to a aid or dealing with a possibly hostile liberators. This was fortunate for civil lack of resources, to rely on existing, population. These measures, despite affairs officers as the implementation anti-Fascist administrators which mishaps and some underestimations, of military government in Sicily was opened the door for certain unsavory made a significant contribution to a trial run for the organization that individuals to seize opportunities the success of Operation Husky. For would soon have to be developed in and positions of power. The scenario the longer term, AMG allowed for France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. emerged out of necessity, however, the rehabilitation of the apparatus of Many lessons learned in Sicily were and should not discount the impact the Sicilian government, and other integrated into plans for future AMG had on the health and welfare infrastructure essential to deliver the operations. of the civilian population during basic necessities of day to day life; This article looks at the planning, and after the Sicilian campaign. these underpinnings of civil society application, and then briefly considers The elaborate AMG administrative had been degraded by decades of the follow on operations and lessons structure was designed to facilitate Fascist mismanagement even before learned from the Sicily operation. Allied operations on the island by the severe damage resulting from the Allied Military Government in relieving fighting troops from the military operations. Sicily was predominantly staffed © Canadian Military History, Volume 22, Number 3, Summer 2013, pp.35-48. 35 by American and British soldiers. combat troops from “the necessity of force, seven reinforced divisions and Although the Canadian Army providing for civil administration.” elements of two airborne divisions, only played an ad hoc role in the The second objective was “to restore would be welcomed as liberators by military governance of Sicily, the law and order and normal conditions the Sicilians. The German presence function carried out by civil affairs among the civil population as soon as throughout Italy meant the German officers was still required in their possible.”4 All of this was in support army could seize control of factories area of operations, as the article will of the overall Allied goal of knocking and workers and disarm soldiers at demonstrate. In the absence of civil Italy out of the war. There were a the first sign of an Allied invasion.6 affairs contingents in the Canadian number of indications that the Italian This fact weighed heavily on the sector, Canadian regiments were people were tiring of the Fascist-led minds of Allied planners who required to fulfill the role. war and Allied planners believed that understood that the threat posed by The plan for Allied Military the population would be “responsive the well-placed and strong German Government of Sicily was born to a just, efficient, and disinterested forces could deter Italian cooperation. at the Casablanca conference in administration.” Planners thought Much of the planning for AMG was mid-January when the decision that the best course of action was to based on the best available evidence was made to return to German- inform Sicilians that the Allied attack and a great number of assumptions occupied Europe via the Italian was intended to deliver them from about what a campaign on the island island, leaving less than six months the Fascist regime and “to restore of Sicily might bring. to define the organization and recruit Italy as a free nation.”5 In spite Despite the uncertainty about the and train personnel. The objective of intelligence that indicated that Sicilian reaction, the Allies planned for the military governance of Sicily Italians were tired of war, planners for the best case scenario. Although was first and foremost to relieve could not be certain that Allied the debate at Casablanca wavered Officers of the London Metropolitan Police were recruited to mentor the Italian Carabinieri in occupied Sicily. Italian Carabinieri worked with civil affairs officers to maintain peace in the towns and villages of Sicily. Canadian War Museum 19890223-135 Canadian War 36 Library and Archives Canada e000945235 Library and Archives Sicilian children. between the choices of direct or experience in military government or of their civil affairs officers from the indirect Allied control in Sicily, the with the military in general. large Italian-American population, lack of personnel necessitated plans The planned structure for military many of whom still had connections for a system of indirect control. Under governance in Sicily included six to Italy. Italian-Americans of recent this system, civil affairs officers administrative divisions. These origin had language skills and were appointed to oversee and divisions, legal, finance, civilian knowledge of Italian culture which advise on the administration of large supply, public health, public safety, proved infinitely valuable.11 In June territories. Civil affairs officers were and enemy property, accounted for and July 1943 approximately 300 responsible for determining if existing all facets of civilian life. Providing the soldiers participated in training administrators, including mayors, expertise for this diverse organization programs but the learning curve prefects, and even teachers, were was no small feat. Once the decision was steep as very few had prior suitable to remain in their posts. It was made to invade Sicily, the military experience. Two-week civil was expected that the majority of the Allies had less than six months to affairs courses were held in North existing Italian administration would recruit and train enough civil affairs Africa to provide personnel with remain intact. When possible, willing officers to staff AMG. From the instruction in the Italian language, anti-fascists would be appointed to outset, AMG was a fully integrated a basic understanding of military positions of authority in the provincial multinational Allied effort9 which government with particular emphasis administration.7 The decision to allowed for both the British and the on the situation in Sicily and Italy, implement indirect rule still had a Americans to draw on their own specific knowledge related to the heavy personnel requirement: the experience and expertise.10 The divisions of expertise, and physical operation required 400 civil affairs British had a number of personnel training.12 The two-week training officers, approximately one for every who had prior military government program was designed to be 10,000 Sicilians.8 Many of these civil experience in North Africa while comprehensive, but such a short affairs officers had little to no prior the Americans recruited a number course could hardly prepare these 37 civil affairs officers to enter hostile government and describing how it force, the Carabinieri, technically territory and assume control of civil worked; they created military courts part of the Italian Armed forces but administration. to try war crimes and ensured existing traditionally loyal to the monarchy The structure created for military civilian courts functioned properly.13 and not the Fascist head of state.15 governance in Sicily was based

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