Armistice of Cassibile
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 between Italy and the US and UK during World War II. It was made public five days later.
| The armistice of the Italian state to the Allies | |
|---|---|
From left to right: Kenneth Strong, Giuseppe Castellano, Walter Bedell Smith, and Franco Montanari in Cassibile. | |
| Type | Capitulation |
| Signed | 3 September 1943 |
| Location | Cassibile, Italy |
| Condition | Signed |
| Signatories | |
| Parties | |
| Ratifiers |
|
It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigade General Giuseppe Castellano for Italy at a conference of generals from both sides in an Allied military camp at Cassibile, in Sicily, which had recently been occupied by the Allies. The armistice was approved by both Italian King Victor Emmanuel III and Marshal Badoglio, who was the Prime Minister of Italy at the time.
Germany responded by attacking Italian forces in Italy (8–19 September), southern France and the Balkans, and freeing Benito Mussolini (12 September). The Italian forces were defeated in the north and centre of the country, with most of Italy being occupied by German troops, who established a puppet state, the Italian Social Republic still led by Mussolini. The king, the Italian government and most of the Navy fled to southern Italy under the protection of the Allies. An Italian resistance movement emerged in German-occupied Italy.