Antonio Gramsci Battalion
Encyclopedia
The Antonio Gramsci Battalion was formed on 9 November 1943 from captured Italian
soldiers who wished to continue the war by resisting Nazi German
forces in Albania
. In the beginning its forces amounted to 137 men who chose their own leaders: Terzilio Cardinali
(commander
), Alfredo d'Angelo (political commisar), Giuseppe Monti (vice commander) and Dominico Bogatai (vice comisar). One Albanian partisan
, Sami Kotherja, was also appointed to battalion
command. The battalion was composed of two companies.
Their first battle against the Germans took place on 15 of November 1943 in Berat
. After the capitulation of Italy the city of Berat was under the control of the Albanian partisans. Italian forces were not used to partisan tactics and while German forces attacked the city, the battalion forces remained static in their positions giving the Germans the opportunity to encircle them. After five hours of fierce fighting, they managed to break through German lines with great losses. The Germans executed the wounded and the prisoners they could take from the battalion.
After this battle the effectives were filled with other Italians which wanted to fight against Germans. During 1943-1944, the Antonio Gramsci Battalion remained an integral part of Partisan First Shock Brigade, which was considered a corp d'elite of partisan army. It participated in all of the major battles that this partisan unit was involved in. Its commander, Terzilio Cardinali, was killed in action on July 8, 1944, during fights in the Diber region. The battalion took also part in the operations for the liberation of Tirana
in November 1944.
After the liberation of Albania, the battalion was elevated to the rank of a brigade
, composed from other Italian fighters who were dispersed in other partisan units. Later on it was elevated in the rank of the division with the same name. In May 1945, in mutual agreement with the Italian government, its forces were repatriated to Italy with a military honor ceremony.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
soldiers who wished to continue the war by resisting Nazi German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. In the beginning its forces amounted to 137 men who chose their own leaders: Terzilio Cardinali
Terzilio Cardinali
Terzilio Cardinali was an Italian fighter known for his role in Albanian resistance.He was born on July 25, 1913 in Terranuova Bracciolini. A baker by profession, as an anti-fascist he participated in clashes with Benito Mussolini's Fascist gangs in his youth. When Italy capitulated on September...
(commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
), Alfredo d'Angelo (political commisar), Giuseppe Monti (vice commander) and Dominico Bogatai (vice comisar). One Albanian partisan
Partisan
-Political matters:*Partisan In politics, partisan literally means organized into political parties. The expression "partisan politics" usually refers to fervent, sometimes militant, support of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea...
, Sami Kotherja, was also appointed to battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
command. The battalion was composed of two companies.
Their first battle against the Germans took place on 15 of November 1943 in Berat
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
. After the capitulation of Italy the city of Berat was under the control of the Albanian partisans. Italian forces were not used to partisan tactics and while German forces attacked the city, the battalion forces remained static in their positions giving the Germans the opportunity to encircle them. After five hours of fierce fighting, they managed to break through German lines with great losses. The Germans executed the wounded and the prisoners they could take from the battalion.
After this battle the effectives were filled with other Italians which wanted to fight against Germans. During 1943-1944, the Antonio Gramsci Battalion remained an integral part of Partisan First Shock Brigade, which was considered a corp d'elite of partisan army. It participated in all of the major battles that this partisan unit was involved in. Its commander, Terzilio Cardinali, was killed in action on July 8, 1944, during fights in the Diber region. The battalion took also part in the operations for the liberation of Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
in November 1944.
After the liberation of Albania, the battalion was elevated to the rank of a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, composed from other Italian fighters who were dispersed in other partisan units. Later on it was elevated in the rank of the division with the same name. In May 1945, in mutual agreement with the Italian government, its forces were repatriated to Italy with a military honor ceremony.