On social media, the defense ministry referred to the Battle of El Alamein as “heroic and tragic” and stated that soldiers had “sacrificed their lives for our freedom.”
That “the Heart of our Nation is today at El Alamein” was another Facebook remark made by Paola Chiesa, a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party.
With a massive effort involving over 190,000 men, the Allies won the pivotal second battle in October 1942 in Egypt in less than two weeks.
The German-led Axis’ defeat signaled the start of the end for its aspirations in the North.
The conflict claimed the lives of or captured thousands of Italians.
Italian lawmakers, scholars, and the general public harshly criticized both of Wednesday’s social media remarks.
“How you can associate El Alamein with having ‘fought for our freedom’ is beyond my comprehension,” Siena University politics professor Mattia Guidi stated.
The soldiers had battled valiantly, but it was “inopportune” to claim they had fought for freedom, according to politicians from the left-leaning 5-Star Movement.
