Forgotten Blitzes France and Italy under Allied Air Attack, 1940-1945

France and Italy account for fully one third of all Allied bombs dropped on Europe between 1940 and 1945. Italy received some 370,000 tons of bombs, nearly five times the total dropped on Britain by the Luftwaffe; France, over 570,000, nearly eight times the British figure. In each country, over 55,000 civilians died. Until now, studies of bombing in World War 2 have focused largely on the British and German experiences; few cover France or Italy. Forgotten Blitzes aims to remedy this. It explains the reasons for the Allied offensives, and uses political, social and cultural approaches to explore the challenges faced by states and peoples as the bombs fell. Massive research in local and national archives across three countries, complemented by diaries and personal memoirs, has allowed the authors to build a detailed, comparative picture of the impact of bombing on states, local authorities and individuals.

1 Introduction \ 2 Purpose and politics: the Allies and the bombing of France and Italy \ 3 Preparing for catastrophe, 1930-1940 \ 4 Weak fascists and strong puppets? Governments and bombing, 1940-1945 \ 5 Civilians under the bombs: propaganda, morale, and rumour \ 6 Resistance, bombs and liberation \ 7 Conclusion