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27-538: The Franco-Italian Armistice , or Armistice of Villa Incisa , signed on 24 June 1940, in effect from 25 June, ended the brief Italian invasion of France during the Second World War . On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on France while the latter was already on the verge of defeat in its war with Germany . After the fall of Paris on 14 June, the French requested an armistice from Germany and, realising that

54-486: A good document in hand". The armistice established a modest demilitarised zone 50 km (31 mi) deep on the French side of the border, thus eliminating the Alpine Line. The actual Italian occupation zone was no more than what had been occupied up to the armistice. It contained 832 km (321 sq mi) and 28,500 inhabitants, which included the city of Menton and its 21,700 inhabitants. Italy retained

81-829: A volunteer in Regio Esercito , he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Artillery and Engineers, subsequently attending Scuola di applicazione di artiglieria in Turin . He was appointed second lieutenant of the Engineers in August 1911. He was assigned to the dirigibles Battalion and with it he took part in the Italian-Turkish war of 1910–1911. He participated in the First World War in the rank of captain of

108-582: The Accademia Aeronautica and head of the secretariat of the Commander General of Regia Aeronautica. In 1926 he commanded the airship Wing, in 1928 he was promoted to colonel, from 1 January to 30 May 1928 he commanded the 21st Wing and until 1929 he was chief of staff of the 2nd Territorial Air Zone (2a Zona Aerea Territoriale). Between 1931 and 1932 he commanded the 1st Air Bombardment Brigade (1ª Brigata Aerea da Bombardamento). He

135-911: The DB 601 , the German engine of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, under license from Daimler-Benz, at the Alfa Romeo factory in Milan. This engine, mounted on the Macchi C.200 with a completely redesigned fuselage but unchanged wings and tail, gave rise to the Macchi C 202, whose prototype first took off in Lonate Pozzolo on 10 August 1940. This biographical article related to the Italian military

162-582: The "Protocols of the Armistice Conditions between France and Italy" were officially published in Rome. It was his view that it was not German pressure that led him to back down. Indeed, Hitler had wanted the Italians to claim even more territory from the defeated French. Pietro Badoglio , however, had warned Mussolini that a larger occupation of southern France would require fifteen divisions. On

189-588: The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, because he was blamed for having delayed the delivery of new aircraft and therefore disobeyed higher orders (14 November 1941). Put on leave on 15 August 1945, he retired in May 1954. General Pricolo had the insight to start the development of torpedo bombers, which was long opposed by the top leadership of the Air Force and Navy, convinced that it was an "expensive toy". He took to heart

216-521: The Engineers, obtained in September 1915. He obtained the airship pilot's license in December 1915, and that of commander in August 1917. During the war he took part in more than sixty missions on board of various airships. For his courage he was decorated with two silver and two bronze medals. Immediately after the war he was assigned command of the airship Norge , he was also made second-in-command of

243-547: The Germans would not allow them to continue the war against their Italian allies, also sent an armistice request to Italy, whose forces had not yet advanced. Fearing that the war would end before Italy had achieved any of its aims, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini ordered a full-scale invasion across the Alps to begin on 21 June. The Franco-German armistice was signed on the evening of the 22 June, but would not come into force until

270-531: The Italians occupied most of southeastern France and Corsica and invaded Tunisia . On 17 June, the day after he transmitted a formal request for an armistice to the German government, French Foreign Minister Paul Baudoin handed to the Papal nuncio Valerio Valeri a note that said: "The French government, headed by Marshal Pétain, requests that the Holy See transmit to the Italian government as quickly as possible

297-578: The Italians signed their own armistice. Their troops having advanced only a few kilometres, the Italians abandoned their major war aims and signed the armistice on 24 June. It came into effect early the next morning. It established a small occupation zone and an Italian Armistice Commission with France ( Commissione Italiana d'Armistizio con la Francia , CIAF) in Turin to oversee French compliance. Armistice commissions were also established for French North Africa and French Somaliland . The armistice remained in force until November 1942, when during Case Anton

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324-741: The Regia Aeronautica, whose aircraft, although numerous, were technically unable to compete with the German Messerschmitt Bf 109s and the British Supermarine Spitfires . The big problem to be solved was the engine, because the Fiat A.38 engine did not provide the required power. In January 1940, Pricolo decided to cancel the Fiat A.38 engine project, and ordered the creation of assembly lines to produce

351-475: The Via Cassia. It lasted only twenty-five minutes, during which Roatta read out Italy's proposed terms, Huntziger requested a recess to confer with his government and Ciano adjourned the meeting until the next day. During the adjournment, Hitler informed Mussolini that he thought the Italian demands too light, and he proposed linking up the German and Italian occupation zones. Roatta convinced Mussolini that it

378-593: The allies off against each other; they "flattered the Germans [and] belittled the Italian war effort". Unlike the Franco-German armistice talks, the Franco-Italian negotiations would be genuine. At 1500 hours on 23 June, the French delegation, headed by General Charles Huntziger , who had signed the German armistice the previous day, landed in Rome aboard three German aircraft. The French negotiators were

405-442: The basis for lasting relations between our two countries in the interest of Europe and of civilization." Badoglio responded, "I hope France will have a resurgence; it is a great nation with a great history, and I am certain that it will have a great future. From one soldier to another, I sincerely hope so." Mussolini remarked that the agreement was "more a political than a military armistice after only fifteen days of war—but it gives us

432-429: The clause calling for the repatriation to Italy of political refugees (like the socialist Pietro Nenni ). Badoglio consulted Mussolini, he agreed. After signing, Huntziger said to Badoglio, "Marshal, in the present, infinitely painful circumstances, the French delegation is comforted by the sincere hope that the peace which will follow shortly will allow France to begin the task of reconstruction and renewal and will create

459-492: The evening of 21 June, Ambassador Dino Alfieri in Berlin transmitted the German armistice terms to Rome. According to Ciano, "under these [mild] conditions, Mussolini is not prepared to make territorial demands ... and [will] wait for the peace conference to make all our formal demands." He added that Mussolini wished to delay the meeting with the French in the hopes that General Gambara would take Nice. The French had tried to play

486-768: The fickleness of the Italian general Pricolo". In the month of November, when the situation on the Libyan front deteriorated due to the British offensive , the new fighter MC. 202 began to arrive from production lines. While the High Command demanded all the planes that are available to be brought to the front, Pricolo ordered the MC 202s to remain in the warehouses, so as not to send them into combat with untrained personnel and without sand filters. This decision, even though motivated by technical reasons, undermined Pricolo in his post of

513-548: The naval bases of Toulon, Bizerte, Ajaccio and Oran were also to be demilitarised. Italian invasion of France Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 547012780 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:44:24 GMT Francesco Pricolo In 1909 he enlisted as

540-579: The note it has also transmitted through the Spanish ambassador to the German government. It also requests that he convey to the Italian government its desire to find together the basis of a lasting peace between the two countries." That same morning, Mussolini received word from Hitler that France had asked Germany for an armistice, and he went to meet Hitler at Munich, charging General Roatta, Admiral Raffaele de Courten and Air Brigadier Egisto Perino with drafting Italy's demands. Ciano wrote in his diary about

567-604: The ridiculous demand some of his staff suggested: the entire French fleet, all its colonies, all its locomotives, the Mona Lisa . The final list of demands actually presented to the French were mild. Italy dropped its claims to the Rhône Valley , Corsica , Tunisia , and French Somaliland . According to Romain Rainero, Mussolini still clung to the goals laid out in his meeting with Hitler on 18 June as late as 21 June, when

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594-788: The right to interfere in French territory as far as the Rhône, but it did not occupy this area until after the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942. In addition, demilitarised zones were established in the French colonies in Africa. Italy was granted the right to use the port of Djibouti in French Somaliland with all its equipment, along with the French section of the Djibouti–Addis Ababa railway . More importantly,

621-621: The same who had met with the Germans: Huntziger, General Maurice Parisot, a peacetime friend of Badoglio's, General Jean Bergeret, Admiral Maurice Le Luc, Charles Rochat of the Foreign Ministry and Léon Nöel, former ambassador to Poland. Italy was represented by Badoglio, Cavagnari, Ciano, Roatta and Francesco Pricolo . The first meeting of the two delegations took place at 1930 hours at the Villa Incisa all'Olgiata on

648-562: The transformation of the SM 79 into a torpedo bomber version, and did everything he could to persuade the managers of the Whitehead factory in Fiume to cancel a German order of submarine torpedoes and to instead produce 80 torpedoes to mount on these airplanes, making SM 79 torpedo bombers operational in August 1940. Pricolo also worked to build the Macchi C. 202 , which was intended to modernize

675-517: Was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Regia Aeronautica between December 1932 and October 1933, when he was assigned to command the 2nd Territorial Air Zone (Z.A.T.), in July 1938 he became commander of the 2nd Air Corps (2ª Squadra aerea). On 10 November 1939 he became undersecretary of state and chief of staff of the Air Force. He commanded the Italian air forces in the first 18 months of the war until 15 November 1941, when he had to leave office both because he

702-491: Was in serious conflict with General Cavallero and because he was not liked by the Germans who held him responsible for the disappointing Italian air operations. In a report in Berlin of 8 October 1941, Rommel insisted that Albert Kesselring be sent to Italy as commander of the German forces in the Mediterranean, and plans made for the conquest of Malta and Bizerte, Rommel further added: "Warn Comando Supremo against

729-419: Was too late to change the demands. At 1915 hours on 24 June, at the Villa Incisa, after receiving his government's permission, General Huntziger signed the armistice on behalf of the French and Marshal Badoglio for the Italians signed the armistice. Both armistices came into effect at thirty-five minutes past midnight (0035 hours) on 25 June. Just minutes before the signing, Huntziger had asked Badoglio to strike

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