During the Second World War the Allies contacted all of the main partisan movements in Europe in order to supply them with weapons, organise them, and coordinate their actions against Nazi forces. The Americans and the British set up secret structures for promoting guerrilla warfare and information-gathering, and sent agents into German-occupied territories. Managing relationships with the resistance movements posed political and military challenges for the Allies and often caused bitter conflicts within the Anglo-American camp, as well as sharp historiographical controversies in the post-war period. This book offers an account of the policies adopted by the Allies toward the Italian Resistance and the activities performed by the secret services behind enemy lines in order to establish contacts with partisan groups. Special attention has been devoted to selected contentious aspects, including the alleged discrimination against left-wing groups, the strong competition within the Allied camp, the deals struck between the US secret services and the Italian Communist Party, and General Alexander's November 1944 proclamation.

Tommaso Piffer holds a doctorate in Political History of the Contemporary Era earned at the University of Bologna.