4th Bersaglieri reenactment unit
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Welcome to the 4th Bersaglieri WWII reenactor's home page. We are a non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization who's goal is to preserve the memory of the Italian soldier's involvement in WWII through reenactment and living history displays. The Italian Bersaglieri ( pronounced: Ber-sa-li-eri ) are a type of light infantry reconnaissance troop originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army and are still in use today in Italy. They were known for their speed, mobility, and use of hit and run tactics. These "elite" troops fought on both sides after the 1943 armistice. Though we have chosen to focus our research on the Axis aligned Bersaglieri of the late war RSI (Italian Social Republic), our unit strives to research and portray the Bersaglieri from all theaters and phases of the second world war.
We are NOT neo-Nazis and NO anti-Semitic or racial defamation will be tolerated. Furthermore, we are not a militia group and do not have any anti-government or anti-American ideals. We will only engage in as little military training as is needed to perform our role on reenactment mock battle fields. We are laymen historians looking to research and recreate the Italian Bersaglieri for public display and educational purposes only.
So, why reenact Italian? The Italian involvement in WWII has been an under-appreciated subject for 65 years. Perhaps its because they were viewed as weak or without resolve due to their surrender in 1943 and subsequent switching of sides. One can see why this might have made them unpopular with both sides. However, their absence from popular WWII media is in my opinion a travesty of justice. I have seen numerous WWII films and documentaries that focus on North Africa or even the Italian campaign, but fail to show or even mention the Italian soldier. The truth is that Rommel was a great general, but Germany had less than 10,000 men stationed in all of North Africa..........there were over 2 Million Italians! Who do you think fought and won Rommel's battles?! The Italians in Africa were also fighting a colonial war with the natives that would put Britain's Zulu war to shame.
The Italian people were not without bravery or resolve. The last Italian soldiers surrendered in 1945 in Japan......after Germany. They stayed until the end of the fight.
However, Italy did have its short comings. Many of their soldiers were conscripts, ordinary men and women with a great love of their motherland, but very little training or equipment.
Italy was primarily an agricultural society and lacked the minerals and resources needed to participate in an industrialized war. Many Italian soldiers were fielded with captured French, British, Russian equipment and arms, placed in static positions, and told to hold their ground with no radios and no re-enforcements. Brave soldatos, out of rifle ammunition, grabbed grenades and threw their bodies against oncoming Allied tanks to slow their advance.
After the fall of Afrika and Italian holdings in China to Allied forces, Italy's fate was sealed. They would however fight a brutally stubborn defensive campaign on the Italian mainland until May 1945. American and British forces paid for every inch of soil with blood.
Near the wars end, those Italian soldiers of the RSI were some of the most elite fighting men of WWII. They held defensive positions that were assaulted time and time again and never taken. Yet sadly, nearly all were assassinated post war by mafia and vigilanti groups.
Italians were stationed in every theater of war. The Italians were in Africa, Greece, France, Sicily, Albania, Yugoslavia, the Balkans, Russia, China and Japan.
There were Italians in Normandy on D-Day, there were Italians at Stalingrad, there were even Italian soldiers in Japan who surrendered with that country in 1945.
Help me preserve the memory of these brave but forgotten soldiers.
AVANTI ITALIA !!!
<span id="cdSiteSeal1"><script type="text/javascript" src="//tracedseals.starfieldtech.com/siteseal/get?scriptId=cdSiteSeal1&cdSealType=Seal1&sealId=55e4ye7y7mb73ee1f0fcf30a264f6c2ppy7mb7355e4ye7d8628bfd357006a13a"></script></span>Welcome to the 4th Bersaglieri WWII
reenactor's home page. We are a non-profit, non-religious,
non-political organization who's goal is to preserve the memory of the
Italian soldier's involvement in WWII through reenactment and living
history displays. The Italian Bersaglieri ( pronounced: Ber-sa-li-eri )
are a type of light infantry reconnaissance troop originally created by
General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the
Piedmontese Army and are still in use today in Italy. They were known
for their speed, mobility, and use of hit and run tactics. These
"elite" troops fought on both sides after the 1943 armistice. Though we
have chosen to focus our research on the Axis aligned Bersaglieri of
the late war RSI (Italian Social Republic), our unit strives to
research and portray the Bersaglieri from all theaters and phases of
the second world war. Bersaglieri ItaWelcome to the 4th Bersaglieri WWII
reenactor's home page. We are a non-profit, non-religious,
non-political organization who's goal is to preserve the memory of the
Italian soldier's involvement in WWII through reenactment and living
history displays. The Italian Bersaglieri ( pronounced: Ber-sa-li-eri )
are a type of light infantry reconnaissance troop originally created by
General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the
Piedmontese Army and are still in use today in Italy. They were known
for their speed, mobility, and use of hit and run tactics. These
"elite" troops fought on both sides after the 1943 armistice. Though we
have chosen to focus our research on the Axis aligned Bersaglieri of
the late war RSI (Italian Social Republic), our unit strives to
research and portray the Bersaglieri from all theaters and phases of
the second world war. Bersaglielian WWII reenacting historians.Welcome to the 4th Bersaglieri WWII
reenactor's home page. We are a non-profit, non-religious,
non-political organization who's goal is to preserve the memory of the
Italian soldier's involvement in WWII through reenactment and living
history displays. The Italian Bersaglieri ( pronounced: Ber-sa-li-eri )
are a type of light infantry reconnaissance troop originally created by
General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the
Piedmontese Army and are still in use today in Italy. They were known
for their speed, mobility, and use of hit and run tactics. These
"elite" troops fought on both sides after the 1943 armistice. Though we
have chosen to focus our research on the Axis aligned Bersaglieri of
the late war RSI (Italian Social Republic), our unit strives to
research and portray the Bersaglieri from all theaters and phases of
the second world war. Bersaglie
