Italian immigration to Costa Rica

Abstract

By stipulating in 1936 the agreement called "Rome-Berlin Axis" and signing the "Steel Pact" three years later, the Italian-German military political alliance became an instrument of war: by then Germany had annexed Czechoslovakia and Italy had occupied Albania. When World War II began, Italy, while unprepathed, entered the conflict in June 1940. Forced to send its armies to distant fronts, not having sufficient means to protect its cities and the vast expanse of its coasts, devoid of raw materials and a modern war industry and, moreover, little helped by its ally Germany, Italy could not resist the Anglo-Russian-American bloc. Defeats in Africa and Russia reinforced the Italian people's dissent over the fascist regime, leading to civil war. With the nation occupied by the Germans, resistenza's movement of the partigiani was strengthened; these had begun to be organized since 1942, by the clandestine action of the renewed anti-nazi parties. Fascism collapsed in April 1945.