This article is within the scope of WikiProject Italy, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Italy on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.ItalyWikipedia:WikiProject ItalyTemplate:WikiProject ItalyItaly articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Radio, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Radio-related subjects on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.RadioWikipedia:WikiProject RadioTemplate:WikiProject RadioRadio articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Radio Stations, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of radio stations on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Radio StationsWikipedia:WikiProject Radio StationsTemplate:WikiProject Radio StationsRadio station articles
I've just created this little article and was hoping to expand it to cover, in particular, what happened to it after Togliatti returned to Italy in 1944. In researching it further I'm finding a degree of confusion in the sources over stations with "Radio Milano" in the name during WW2. I'm going to set out below what i've found so far for future reference for myself and for anyone else who happens to pass by and is interested to follow up (or who has specialist knowledge).
While it seems clear that Togliatti operated a station from Moscow called "Radio Milano-Libertà", what happened to it after he returned to Italy in 1944 is confused. In particular, there is confusion revolving around what radio station the partisans were using to make the famous liberation statements and proclamations from Milan on and around 25 April 1945:
A few sources refer to Radio Milano Libera e.g. this article in Corriere della Sera says it was on this station that the CLNAI (Pertini?) made the 25 April 1945 proclamation. Is "libera" a typo/mistake or a different station? According to it.wp there's a station from the 70s by that name. Has that caused the confusion?
Others refer to Radio Milano Libertad. In this book, on pages 120/121 it says it was founded by the "Justice and Liberty organisation" and operated from Spain. Which makes sense because of the name. But later on it clearly is referring to the Moscow based station (eg pages 198, 199 etc). Other sources refer to this being based in Spain but also confuse it with the Moscow one or just refer to it with this name but make no reference to it being based in Spain
Then there's references to Pertini's 25 April declaration being made on Radio Milano Liberata eg this article on a RAI website. Is that the name of a radio station, a mistake for Milano-Libertà, or meant to be literally "liberated Radio Milano".
which leads me to another point. Was there a fascist station called "Radio Milano" which the partisans took over and started broadcasting from in April 1945? Certainly, there's this on page 64 of Luisa Quartermaine's book which makes it clear there was a Republican (i.e. fascist) station called Radio Milano. Others refer to "Radio Milano" being the station that the CLNAI broadcasted from on 25 April e.g page 282 of Moseley's book? Is that a shortening of one of the other names or the partisans using the fascist station?
On the other hand other sources say the April 1945 partisan broadcasts were from Radio Milano-Libertà eg this article in La Stampa and other examples: [1], [2], [3], [4]. Is this correct? Is it the Soviet station returning home? is there a new unrelated station with that name? On it.wp there's an article about a partisan station called Radio Libertà that operated from the Piemonte hills at the end of the war. Someone's added a note to the Radio Milano Libertà article on it:wp asking if there's confusion with that station.
