WWII. No bum rap for Italy?

Question:The word Germany still conjures up thoughts of WWII.
Italy was allied with Germany for most of that war yet is barely mentioned. When I think Italy, I think of Pizza! Italy managed to shed off much of that shame in the public eye. How and/or why were they able to do this?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The word Germany still conjures up thoughts of WWII.
Italy was allied with Germany for most of that war yet is barely mentioned. When I think Italy, I think of Pizza! Italy managed to shed off much of that shame in the public eye. How and/or why were they able to do this?

Italian politicians were always good merchants...They traded their alliance with Austro-Ungarian Monarchy in WW1 for that with Brits and Frenchies for territory promised, which they consequently obtained after the Rapallo treaty in 1920...
That was at the beginning of the fascist rule in Italy and peoples of "conquered" nations ( my nation - Slovene was one of them ) suffered unspeakable injustices and terror...
As for the WW2, things were rather different; Italy wasn't all that eager to join Germany, because they knew exactly what was at stake...( after the war Italy lost greater part of the territory unjustly gained with above mentioned Rapallo treaty )
However german leader Adolf Hitler gained such a formidable influence over Benito Mussollini - the Italian fascist leader, that finally Mussollini had very few options but to join Germany...After the war Italian policy was mainly influenced ( and ruled ) by western allies; as they were affraid of communism they persisted that Trieste ( major port in the northern Adriatic sea ) stays in Italy. A border between Italy and former Jugoslavia ( Slovenia is one of its succesors ) wasn't actually defined by 1974, when former Jugoslav communist leader Josip Broz - Tito and Italian president signed Osimo agreement...Currently border between Italy and Slovenia doesn't even exist as we are all part of EU, although one can still observe mighty signs of long term hatred between two nations...We're all Europeans now, and I must say I'm glad I can walk those former trenches together with my Italian neighbour

to start there were no death camps run by the Italians . Second they did switch sides . And third the Italian military was never a serious threat .

This always puzzled me . Fascism was an italian invention , 70% of the I electorate voted for Mussolini compared to 37% Germans voting for Hitler. The difference in attitude in the UK is largely due to the fact that Italy didnt have the capacity to invade britain and the i forces were regarded as a joke.- defeating italy cost the allies v few casualties.