page_title: Italian military internees
hierarchical_section_title: Italian military internees
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Überführung italienischer Kriegsinternierter in das Zivilarbeitsverhältni. In einem Lager in Berlin. UBz.: Der erste Spaziergang ins Freie. Nach dem Abzug der Wehrmachtwache wurde das Lagertor entfernt. Die ehemaligen Kriegsinternierten in die Obhut der deutschen Arbeitsfront überführt, geniessen jetzt alle Rechte und Behandlung wie freie ausländische Zivilarbeitskräfte. 20.8.44 Information added by Wikimedia users. * Italiano: Campo di internamento a Berlino per militari italiani catturati dai tedeschi dopo l'Armistizio dell'Otto Settembre 1943. Foto di propaganda di guerra nazista proveniente dal "Deutsches Bundesarchiv", firmata "Schwahn".
context_page_description: "Italian military internees" was the official name given by Germany to the Italian soldiers captured, rounded up and deported in the territories of Nazi Germany in Operation Achse in the days immediately following the World War II armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces.
  After disarmament by the Germans, the Italian soldiers and officers were confronted with the choice to continue fighting as allies of the German army or, otherwise, be sent to detention camps in Germany. Only 10 percent agreed to enroll. The others were considered prisoners of war. Later they were re-designated "military internees" by the Germans, and finally, in the autumn of 1944 until the end of the war, "civilian workers", so they could be subjected to hard labor without protection of the Red Cross.
  The Nazis considered the Italians as traitors and not as prisoners of war. The former Italian soldiers were sent into forced labor in war industries, heavy industry, mining, construction and agriculture. The working conditions were very bad. The Italians were inadequately fed or clothed for the German winter. Many became sick.
context_section_description: "Italian military internees" (Italienische Militärinternierte, IMI) was the official name given by Germany to the Italian soldiers captured, rounded up and deported in the territories of Nazi Germany in Operation Achse in the days immediately following the World War II armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces (September 8, 1943).
  After disarmament by the Germans, the Italian soldiers and officers were confronted with the choice to continue fighting as allies of the German army (either in the armed forces of the Italian Social Republic, the German puppet regime in northern Italy, or in Italian "volunteer" units in the German armed forces) or, otherwise, be sent to detention camps in Germany. Only 10 percent agreed to enroll. The others were considered prisoners of war. Later they were re-designated "military internees" by the Germans (so as to not recognize the rights granted prisoners of war by the Third Geneva Convention), and finally, in the autumn of 1944 until the end of the war, "civilian workers", so they could be subjected to hard labor without protection of the Red Cross.
  The Nazis considered the Italians as traitors and not as prisoners of war. The former Italian soldiers were sent into forced labor in war industries (35.6%), heavy industry (7.1%), mining (28.5%), construction (5.9%) and agriculture (14.3%). The working conditions were very bad. The Italians were inadequately fed or clothed for the German winter. Many became sick.
caption: Prison camp for Italian military after the armistice of September 8, 1943, German propaganda photo
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