Diacronie. Studi di Storia Contemporanea (Jul 2011)
Aviazione legionaria: il comando politico-strategico e tecnico-militare delle forze aeree impiegate nel conflitto civile spagnolo
Abstract
In the Spanish Civil War 5699 soldiers and more than 700 planes of the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) intervened. This military unit, in order not to put out Italian flags or badges, having regard to the secrecy of the military intervention in a foreign country, was named Legionary Air Force. In my article I will try to highlight the Italian anomalies of the political-strategic highest authorities who led to the decision of intervening in the Spanish conflict, since leaders that had no competent authority took part in the decision of the military intervention, while those who had full powers did not take part in it. Moreover, I will try to underline the heavy oddities related to the employment and the command of the aircraft which was often used according to the old legacy of the land force in order to substitute the artillery or the tanks. Finally, considering the Spanish conflict as a prelude to the Second World War, I will point up how the commitment in Spain led to false instructions in the military domain, maintained in the most challenging world conflict, as well as how the want of war material complained by the Italian duce in 1943 is to ascribe to the Italian limited far-sightedness in its commitment alongside Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
