Questions et enjeux de l'occupation italienne de la France. Années 1940-1943

On June 10 1940 fascist Italy declares war against France and the United Kingdom, beginning military activities on the Italian-French border. With the Battle of the Alps (10-25 June) the 4th Italian army manages to occupy a border portion of French territory whose main city is Menton. The signing of the armistice of Villa Incisa (24 June) creates in Turin the Italian Armistice Commission with France (CIAF) as the main channel of civil and military dialogue between the two countries and place of production of directives dedicated to the occupied area. Following the Allied conquest of North Africa in the first week of November 1942, the Axis powers proceede to invade the southern half of France, allowing Italy to extend its area of interest to the mouths of the Rhone river. The fall of Mussolini and the signing of the armistice of Cassibile let the Italian soldiers to withdraw on September 8 1943 in the Peninsula. During the occupation experience, the complex life of local society is analyzed within the framework of relations between institutions and the various social and political groups of residents. The study takes into consideration the areas of Italian territorial claims, legislation on Italian citizenship, fascist associations on the territory, resistance and counter-propaganda and factions of the official press.