A. BACKGROUND -70 A.D. to 1922
1. Except for specific instances Jews living
in Italy basically lived unmolested
2. Rome the oldest Jewish community in Europe;
by 100 A.D. about a dozen synagogues in Rome and 100, 000 Jews in Rome;
other communities in north and central Italy
3. In 1400's Italy was considered one of the
best areas in terms of treatment of Jews; about 1500 Jewish population
in Italy peaked at 120,000
4. 16th century religious Reformation brought
distinctive clothing for and restrictions on Jews
5. First "official" ghetto established
in Rome in 1555
6. Jews participated in drive to unify Italy
(Risorgimento); new Italian state outlawed ghettos
7. After unification (1870) Jews assimilated
well into Italian society; occupied high government positions, served in
the army, helped to fight in World War I; mixed freely in every aspect
of Italian society
8. Why did Italy not have the same level of
anti-Semitism as other countries?
a. demography
b. assimilation
c. economics
d. regionalism and humanism
B. FASCISM
1. Mussolini's rise did not disturb Italian
Jews to a great degree; saw him as the savior of Italy for several reasons
2. Jews joined the Fascist ranks and financially
supported the movement; opposed it for political reasons
3. Mussolini spent life vacillating on the
issues of anti-Semitism and Italian Jews; sometimes defended them; other
times acted like an anti-Semite
4. Until 1935, signs of anti-Semitism under
Fascism negligible; Ethiopian War changed everything; Mussolini and Hitler
drew closer; Mussolini wanted to keep up with Hitler and be taken seriously
and believed that anti-Semitism would be one way to do this.
5. On his own, Mussolini decided to initiate
campaign of anti-Semitism in Italy
a. July 1938- "The Defense of the Race"
manifesto issued-Controversial
b. November 1938- Racial laws against Jews
first issued; later measures followed. Removed citizenship, excluded them
armed forces, certain business, forbid intermarriage, etc..
c. laws not welcomed or supported by Italian
people; saw them as Mussolini's attempt to ingratiate himself with Hitler;
many Italian bureaucrats, administrators, high level government officials,
and ordinary ignored the laws and sought to circumvent them.
d. Jews reacted in various ways: shock, disbelief,
acceptance and protest
(Ovazza)
C. THE WAR YEARS 1940-1943
1. Once war began, Jews in Italy subject to
forced labor, arrest, internment camps
2. anti-Semitic violence occurred but Italian
situation never reached that of other nations
3. Germans disgusted with Italian leniency;
constantly demanded that Italians take harsher measures; Italians ignored
Germans; no Italian Jew or Jewish person living
under Italian jurisdiction given over the Germans
4. Italian protection extended to Italian and
non-Italian Jews living in areas under their military occupation
a. France (Lospinoso)
b. Yugoslavia
c. Greece (Castrucci)
5. Why did Italians protect Jews in other nations?
a. anti-German sentiment
b. no belief in anti-Semitism
c. demonstration of Italian power
D. JULY 1943-APRIL 1945
1. Mussolini overthrown in July 1945, new anti-Fascist
government joined with Allies; brought German invasion of Italy
2. Italian protection of Jews in other lands
quickly ended; Germans brought Holocaust machinery to Italy; aided by high
ranking Fascists who were among the most fanatic of Mussolini's followers
3. General population and lower officials continue
to aid Jews in face of severe punishment
4. Germans passed restrictive measures against
Jews and conducted roundups in several Italian cities
a. Rome- October 1943- Jews rounded up and
sent to Auschwitz- Why no strong reaction by the Pope?
b. Jews in cities of northern and central Italy
suffered same fate; many Jews escaped deportation and death because Italians
from all walks of life continued to aid them
c. At least 2000-3000 Jews joined Italian resistance
5. April 1945- Allies liberate Italy; Holocaust
was over; 80-85 percent of Italian Jews had survived. WHY?
a. shorter danger period
b. small number of Jews
c. assimilation
d. Italian refusal to obey laws
e. individual action and friendly population
6. Why did Italians protect Jews?
a. resentment of Germans, Fascists, and war
b. historical lack of anti-Semitism
c. economics and assimilation
d. national and individual character