Uscire dalla catastrofe. La città di Napoli fra guerra aerea e occupazione alleata

Abstract

This article is a first reading in local key historical conjuncture of World War II and especially of the material and moral effects arising from the bombing of villages on a large scale. The process of customs clearance of air raids against the population in terms of a legitimate weapon of war sank their roots from the need to break the “chain of solidarity” that tied the home front to soldiers involved in the fighting. The outbreak of world war coincided with a strong weld between the planning of air strikes on a large scale and the refinement of principles of psychological warfare. During the first phase of the conflict, southern cities were hard hit by the British bombing campaigns that would follow shortly after the American ones. For its strategic position and the role played by the harbour, Naples suffered a series of devastating attacks, with serious damage to the whole urban building and in particular to the artistic heritage. With the arrival of the Allied armies in the city and the early end of hostilities wartime Neapolitan population opened a new phase in its history, not coincided however with an immediate improvement of their living conditions. The housing problem was at the same time the first emergency to deal with and a challenge exacerbated by parallel requisitions set in motion by the new occupying forces.

Keywords

• Naples
• World War II
• aerial warfare
• bombing
• post-war reconstruction
• Napoli
• Seconda guerra mondiale
• guerra aerea
• bombardamento
• ricostruzione