Inauguration of Indian Army Memorial in Italy

Context

Indian Army Chief ManojNaravane will inaugurate the Indian Army Memorial at Cassino in Italy, about 140 km away from Rome.

About the Memorial

• The memorial commemorates over 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the effort to liberate Italy in World War II.
• Apart from this, 900 Indian soldiers were also commemorated on this memorial.
• However, while millions of Indians participated, their efforts are not always recognized.
• The three infantry divisions of the Indian Army took part in the Italian campaign.
  • The men from Punjab, and Indian plains, coped with the extremely hostile conditions experienced in Italy.
  • Even the Gurkhas from Nepal struggled with the heavy and persistent rain and freezing nights in the Italian mountains.
  • All three Divisions performed well in the Italian Campaign and were highly respected by the Allied and Axis commanders alike.

What was India’s involvement in World War II?

• Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had joined Nazi Germany in 1936 and in 1940 it entered WWII (1939-1945) against the Allies.
• But in 1943, Mussolini was overthrown, and instead, Italy declared war on Germany.
• The invasion of Italy by the Allies coincided with an armistice that was made with the Italians.
• Even so, the UK’s National Army Museum notes that for two years during WWII, Italy became one of the war’s most “exhausting campaigns” because they were facing a skilled and resolute enemy.
• In the first half of the 1940s, India was still under the British rule and the Indian Army fought in both the world wars.
• It comprised both Indian and European soldiers.
• Apart from this, there was the East India Company Army that also recruited both Indian and European soldiers and the British Army, which was also present in India.
• Indian Army was the largest volunteer force during WWII, with over 2.5 million (more than 20 lakh) Indians participating. These troops fought the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) as part of the Allies.
• By 1945, the Allies had won, Italy had been liberated, Adolf Hitler was dead and India was barely a couple of years short of independence.