Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Introduction: Community, authority and resistance to fascism
- 1 The German revolution defeated and fascism deferred: the servicemen's revolt and social democracy at the end of the First World War, 1918–1920
- 2 Dangerous communities and conservative authority: the judiciary, Nazis and rough people, 1932–1933
- 3 The anti-fascist movement in south-east Lancashire, 1933–1940: the divergent experiences of Manchester and Nelson
- 4 Spain 1936. Resistance and revolution: the flaws in the Front
- 5 The Blueshirts in the Irish Free State, 1932–1935: the nature of socialist republican and governmental opposition
- 6 Town councils of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais region: local power, French power, German power
- 7 Structures of authority in the Greek resistance, 1941–1944
- 8 Nazi Austria: the limits of dissent
- 9 ‘Homosexual’ men in Vienna, 1938
- 10 ‘The years of consent’? Popular attitudes and forms of resistance to Fascism in Italy, 1925–1940
- 11 Saints and heroines: rewriting the history of Italian women in the Resistance
- Notes
- Index
11 - Saints and heroines: rewriting the history of Italian women in the Resistance
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Introduction: Community, authority and resistance to fascism
- 1 The German revolution defeated and fascism deferred: the servicemen's revolt and social democracy at the end of the First World War, 1918–1920
- 2 Dangerous communities and conservative authority: the judiciary, Nazis and rough people, 1932–1933
- 3 The anti-fascist movement in south-east Lancashire, 1933–1940: the divergent experiences of Manchester and Nelson
- 4 Spain 1936. Resistance and revolution: the flaws in the Front
- 5 The Blueshirts in the Irish Free State, 1932–1935: the nature of socialist republican and governmental opposition
- 6 Town councils of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais region: local power, French power, German power
- 7 Structures of authority in the Greek resistance, 1941–1944
- 8 Nazi Austria: the limits of dissent
- 9 ‘Homosexual’ men in Vienna, 1938
- 10 ‘The years of consent’? Popular attitudes and forms of resistance to Fascism in Italy, 1925–1940
- 11 Saints and heroines: rewriting the history of Italian women in the Resistance
- Notes
- Index
Summary
Frida [Malan] … dressed as a country bride, with a handful of confetti (and a different groom each time) used to go round bars in working class areas pretending to celebrate her wedding, in reality contacting union groups.
The story of the much married Frida is but one example of the great variety of roles played by Italian women in the Resistance movement during the Second World War. The stories of their involvement are tales of bravery, humanity, pathos and fear, include acts of courage or simple pity, and are often both moving and inspiring. It is no wonder that many of them have described this as either the most terrible or the most wonderful period of their lives. These were indeed terrifying and exciting times.
Although most of the copious historiography of this formative period of modern Italian history focuses on male activities, many highly courageous women were involved. Accurate statistics do not exist. Women have proved more modest than men in coming forward to claim the diplomas and medals later awarded to partisans, and formation commanders often proved unwilling to propose their names. Written records are scarce, and assumptions about the primacy of the armed aspects of Resistance activities have shaped official figures, making it appear that far fewer women than men played a significant role.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Opposing FascismCommunity, Authority and Resistance in Europe, pp. 180 - 198Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1999