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Mussolini: Hitler Should Be Exiled
The dateline is today, not 1938!ROME (AP) - Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini once privately suggested the Vatican consider excommunicating Adolf Hitler, a historian said Saturday, citing a document recently disclosed by the Holy See. Experts were surprised by the document, but noted that Mussoliniâs remark came in April 1938, the year before he sealed a wartime alliance with the Nazi leader. Prof. Emma Fattorini pointed out that Hitler had invaded Austria shortly before Mussoliniâs reported remark. The Italian dictator was worried about his own borders, she said. She speculated that Mussoliniâs aim was ``to weaken Hitler and have more power himself, to do it in a way that the Church would stop Hitler a bit.ââ How many divisions did the Pope have in 1938? The Hitler-Mussolini relationship was always ambivalent, she said. ``They love each other, they hate each other, they study each other,ââ she said. The Vatican document describes an April 10, 1938, meeting between the go-between from the Holy See to Mussolini, the Rev. Pietro Tacchi Venturi, and Pope Pius XI. Tacchi Venturi told the pope about his private talks with Mussolini three days earlier. According to the document, Mussolini had advised the Vatican envoy ``that it would be worthwhile with Hitler to be more forceful, without half-measures; not right away, not immediately, but waiting for the most opportune moment to adopt more forceful measures, for example, excommunication.ââ And this would have stopped Hitler. WWII need not have happened! Why couldnât they negotiate? It was all about the Lebenstraum! Hitler was born into a Catholic family, but did not practice the faith. Thatâs putting it mildly. It was not clear how the Vatican reacted to Mussoliniâs suggestion. Fattorini said the Holy See has not released other documents that would help explain the case. Dennis Mack Smith, the author of a Mussolini biography, said the Italian leader often made casual suggestions of this type, reflecting his initial doubts about Hitler. ``Heâs not too keen on him in 1938,ââ said Mack Smith, the author of a Mussolini biography. ``Hitler actually asked Mussolini for a formal alliance in the course of 1938, but Mussolini doesnât accept this until 1939. Until then, itâs something Hitler wanted, but something Mussolini didnât want. He was trying to keep his distance a bit.ââ Didnât keep it enough! In February, the Vatican opened to researchers archives covering its relations with Germany from 1922-39; many other documents are still secret. The Holy See made the 1922-39 documents available years ahead of schedule in a bid to deflect criticism that it was silent in the face of the Holocaust. Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-27 |
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