Historical "goof"

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 2001)

I just saw the film and thought it splendidly photographed, wonderfully acted and telling a poignant story.
I detected a historical error, however, which may or may not have appeared in the novel (which I haven't read).
The turning of the Italian soldiers upon the Germans is described as occurring upon Mussolini's surrender after the fall of Rome (which would have been in June of 1944). Mussolini never surrendered to the Allies. He had resigned in 1943 to be succeeded by Pietro Badoglio who surrendered to the Allies in September of 1943, whereupon the Germans moved into all parts of Italian occupied Europe not yet occupied by the Allies. As I mentioned, Rome did not fall until June 5, 1944, one day before D-Day.
The battle between the Germans and the Italians could therefore not have taken place upon the fall of Rome, nor was the Italian surrender to the Allies by Mussolini.