Un’altra Resistenza. La diplomazia italiana dopo l’8 settembre 1943

September 8, 1943 marked a dramatic turning point for Italy. While the country was in chaos, Italian diplomats abroad were caught up in an unexpected storm. Unaware of the proclamation of the armistice, they were suddenly left alone and at the mercy of events that would indelibly mark their lives. This book, the result of in-depth archival research, reveals for the first time the stories of these brave men and their families. Ambassadors, Consuls, and other employees of our diplomatic missions faced a terrible dilemma: join the Italian Social Republic or suffer imprisonment and deportation to Germany, Japan, and the Axis vassal states from the Balkans to the Far East. Most chose loyalty to the King and the legitimate Government, but their decision led them into a hell of violence and deprivation. Interned in concentration camps, often in inhumane conditions, they suffered torture and humiliation. Some did not survive. The pages of this volume take us on an emotional journey through their memories, retracing their suffering, their hopes and their tenacious resistance. A story of courage and dignity, until now unknown, but also a collective tragedy that has profoundly affected our history