Barbarossa In Italy

In April of 1162 Frederick I Hohenstaufen, the German Emperor, destroyed Milan in an attempt to impose his rule on the emerging urban republics of northern Italy. The issues, personalities, and events that led up to this catastrophe are the subjects of this unfinished verse epic written by an anonymous Bergamask shortly after the events. With a vivid eye for the horrors of battle and siege, his knowing portrayal of Frederick's conflicted emotions, and his use of classical figures and dream vision, the "Bergamo Master" shows a respect for his classical antecedents while staying faithful to the modes and personalities of his age. In concise and modern English verse Professor Carson provides the reader with a fresh view of this monumental struggle between imperial authority and an age of cultural revival, local freedoms, and new loyalties.

Barbarossa in Italy presents a concise and modern verse translation of the Carmen de gestis Frederici I imperatoris in Lombardia describing the conflict leading Frederick I Hohenstaufen's destruction of Milan in 1162. The issues, personalities, and events surrounding this catastrophe are the subjects of this unfinished verse epic. With a vivid eye for the horrors of battle and siege, his knowing portrayal of Frederick's conflicted emotions, and his use of classical figures and dream vision, the ""Bergamo Master"" shows a respect for his classical antecedents while staying faithful to the modes.

The Fourth Italian Campaign

Benito Mussolini was an exceptionally hot-headed politician. No wonder then that when reports from various sources began to reach him about the invasion of the Soviet Union planned by Adolf Hitler, in the blink of an eye he made the decision to accompany his friend in this new venture. The news of the enormous successes of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front only reinforced the decision to send representatives of the Italian armed forces to Russia in the form of the Expeditionary Corps (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia; CSIR). It was one of the most disastrous decisions of the Duce, which in time directly contributed to the collapse of the fascist regime, as the number of victims and brutality of the fighting in the east terrified the Italian public opinion, which never looked at war in such a total way as it was in the 3rd Reich or USSR. In early July 1941, three Italian divisions and a Blackshirt Legion began their journey into the unknown. There, soldiers were to fight against a completely unknown opponent, among peoples and ethnicities of the Soviet Union oppressed by red terror and living on the verge of poverty. Italians also quickly understood that their enemy would be the climate, regardless of the season. Nevertheless, they proudly represented their country, and the period discussed in the book was indeed a time of heavy fighting, but also successes, which for Italian troops were so often missing in World War Two. At the same time, the first symptoms of impending catastrophe appeared. CSIR logistics turned out to be ineffective, the enemy's reserves of manpower seemed to be endless, and in terms of the quality and availability of weapons, he quickly began to outperform the Italians. The book covers the first period of Italian involvement on the Eastern Front: CSIR's participation in Operation "Barbarossa" and the Soviet counteroffensive in the winter of 1941/1942. The basis for the decision to increase the Italian participation to the level of an entire army (the 8th Army, commonly known as Armata Italiana in Russia - ARMIR) is also presented. One of the chapters is also devoted to the aviation component, which was subordinated to the command of the CSIR. The book is being illustrated by 8 maps and 97 photographs of the main theme of the work as well as photo album: Operation "Barbarossa" as seen in the Italian press at the time. Table of contents: Maps Introduction I. Fascist Italy And The USSR (1922-1941) II. Mussolini - An Unexpected Crusader III. Formation Of The Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia IV. Army Group "South" In Operation "Barbarossa" V. Workers' And Peasants' Red Army VI. Manoeuvre at Petrykivka VII. Italians in the Donetsk Basin VIII. The Christmas Battle IX. The Last Actions of the Corps X. The decision to form ARMIR XI. Behind the CSIR Lines XII. The Italian Air Corps on the Eastern Front Conclusion Appendix 1 Italian Ranks and Appointments Used Throughout The Book And Their British Equivalents Appendix 2 Biographies Of The High-Ranking Italian Commanders of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Appendix 3 Ordre de Bataille of Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia Bibliography Photo album: Operation "Barbarossa"

Towards the middle of the 12th century, Milan had conquered for herself a powerful supremacy throughout all of Upper Italy, and with the exception of the proud Genoa and the maritime Venetian republic, all the cities of Lombardy acknowledged her sovereignty. Lodi, Pavia, and some few of the neighboring towns, had made bold attempts to assert their rights, but all their efforts were unsuccessful; and had only resulted in riveting more tightly their fetters, while the pride of the Milanese, and a desire for more extended power, increased in proportion to the failing strength of their adversaries... This historical novel of Conrad v. Bolanden plays in the Northern Italy of the 12th century under the reign of the German Emperor Frederic Barbarossa.

"The Deeds of Frederick Barbarossa" is the "official biography" of German king and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I. This historical firsthand account was begun by his maternal uncle, Bishop Otto of Freising, the leading medieval church figure and notable historian, and continued by a less well known cleric, Rahewin. This chronicle is the single most important source for the early reign of Frederick Barbarossa and the most valuable biographical study to come out of the twelfth century. In a letter written to his uncle, Frederick recounted his life and the principal events of his reign. The first of the four books that constitute this account were written by Otto and cover events from 1075 to 1152, from the reign of Henry IV through that of Conrad III. The second book draws heavily on the letter, providing invaluable insight into Frederick's attempts to establish and consolidate the Hohenstaufen empire. The final two books, written by Rahewin, follow the emperor's reign through 1160, during which time Frederick restored order at home, recovered imperial control of Burgundy, and re-created an imperial party in Italy