Italian Treatment of Soviet POW

[John Kilmartin]

Does anyone have any information on the treatment of Soviet POW in the custody of the Italian government? Were they released after the 1943 armistice in exchange for Italians in Soviet custody? Did the Italians try to recruit Soviet citizens into their armed forces in the same way that they recruited Croats? Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
John K

[Richard Hargreaves]

There's certainly evidence of individual Italian troops shooting/hanging Soviet PoWs immediately after capture both over the winter of 1941-42 and into the following summer. There's also evidence of many Italian soldiers regarding the campaign in the East as a 'crusade against Bolshevism/Judaism', a crusade endorsed to some degree by the Church and the military priests. See Schlemmer, Thomas, Die Italiener an der Ostfront 1942-43: Dokumente zu Mussolinis Krieg gegen die Sowjetunion, pp.40-5.

[John Kilmartin]

Thank you Richard. Is there any mention of recruiting from the prisoner population or using them for work that would fall outside the rules of the Geneva Convention?
Cheers,
John K

[Richard Hargreaves]

Other than pressing the civilian population into service for duties such as laundry and stealing food supplies from them, no, sorry.

[John Kilmartin]

Thanks Richard.

[zaptiè]

there was a cossak cavalry unit in italian Army , the "Gruppo Savoia" with Don and Terek cossaks . It followed Italian army in Italy and after september 1943 joint Cerma cossaks units.