The work of Raffaele Cadorna within the Corps of Volunteers for Freedom in Italy (1944–1945)

Importance. General Raffaele Cadorna Jr. (1889–1973) is one of the most important figures in the Italian resistance movement. In September 1944 he joined the General Command of the Corps of Volunteers for Freedom (CVL), which was the highest military leadership body of the Resistance, as a military adviser and in November 1944 he became the Commander in Chief of the guerrilla army. Despite the important positions held by the General in the leadership of the armed antifascist struggle, neither in the Russian historiography nor in any other one have existed specialized studies dedicated to his participation in the Resistance.

Materials and Methods. The source base of the research includes official documents issued during the period under review by such bodies as the General Command of CVL and the Committee for National Liberation for Northern Italy (CLNAI) as well as sources of personal origin (memoirs of R. Cadorna). Accepted scientific methodology is used generally in the research process; own research is based on such principles as objectivism, historicism and systematicity.

Results and Discussion. The attempt is made to examine the main aspects of Cadorna’s activities as a part of the General Command of CVL; to analyze the main problems that the participants of the Resistance movement faced in the autumn 1944 – spring 1945; to identify ways to solve them proposed by Cadorna (in cooperation with his colleagues from the General Command); to consider problems associated with the consolidation of scattered groups of insurgents in the unified guerrilla army (CVL) and effective management of its operations; to analyze the activities of Cadorna during the national anti-fascist uprising (April 25) and finally show his personal contribution to the victory of the Italian resistance movement.

Conclusion. The activities of General Cadorna as part of the leadership structures of the Italian resistance movement facilitated the consolidation of the anti-fascist forces and was his personal contribution to the victory of the national liberation struggle of the Italian people against the Nazi invaders and their collaborators – Italian fascists.

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