Una «terribile memoria» : violenza e guerra antipartigiana nella memorialistica dei combattenti della Repubblica sociale italiana

Through the examination of the memoirs of RSI fighters the article reflects on the perception and representations of the violence perpetrated by Salò armed units, heavily engaged in anti-partisan operation in 1943-45. In particular, the essay analyzes the rhetorical strategies, language styles and features of the veteran litera- ture written in different political periods, highlighting how the changing narratives and removals of civil war violence have contributed over the decades to legitimizing specific political-identity positions or self-absolving rhetoric. [Publisher's text]