Mussolini's War in the East 1941-1943: The CSIR and ARMIR on the Russian Front. - Paperback

Published 80 years after the "Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia" (CSIR) began combat operations in the Soviet Union, "Mussolini's War in the East 1941-1943" discusses Italy's campaigns in Ukraine and Russia. The first part of the book outlines the causes and motivations for Mussolini to declare war against the USSR on 22 June 1941 and Italy's preparedness to fight a modern, mobile war. It then goes on to discuss the battles the CSIR took part in Operation Barbarossa, from August to the Christmas Battle of 1941. The second part of the book covers Italian participation on Russian Front in 1942 and 1943. It discusses the struggle to survive in the first winter, Italian contributions to the First and Second Battles of Izyum, expansion of Italy's commitment and formation of the Armata Italiana in Russia (ARMIR). The section details the march to the Don River as part of Operation "Blue", the First Defensive Battle of the Don River, the cataclysmic Red Army counter-offensives in December 1942 and January 1943, and the harrowing Italian retreats. "Mussolini's War in the East" also discusses Italian naval operations on the Black Sea and Lake Ladoga, the Italian-sponsored 88th Croat Legion, the Carabinieri, the Blackshirts, the Italian armor, and the contributions of the Regia Aeronautica on the Russian Front. Contains 404 pages, 43 maps, 82 photos, 1,240 footnotes.