Benito in America.

[lounge60]

When Mussolini tried to tell the king about the meeting, Victor Emmanuel cut him off and told him that he was being replaced by Marshal Pietro Badoglio.
After Mussolini left the palace, he was arrested by Carabinieri on the king's orders.
Mussolini was moved around the country before being sent to Campo Imperatore, a mountain resort in Abruzzo where he was completely isolated
Only two months after Mussolini had been dismissed and arrested, he was rescued from his prison at the Hotel Campo Imperatore in the Gran Sasso raid by a special Fallschirmjäger unit on 12 September 1943; present was Otto Skorzeny.
The rescue saved Mussolini from being turned over to the Allies, as per the armistice.

But what if the Americans,instead of the Germans,had captured Mussolini?
Where and how,is not important here, we said that in September 1943 Benito Mussolini is taken by Americans.
I think that would be brought in USA (In a prison or in a isolated mansion?we are in 1943,so nothing anachronistic comparasion with Guantanamo).
What next?
Interrogations? Interviews for Life magazine?
And the large Italian community (influential in Presidential elections) how would react?
And after the war?
I see a trial,but with a death sentence or life imprisonment?
And where,in Italy or in America?

 

[LordKalvan]

Taken to America, and kept in some isolated mansion or ranch I'd guess.
No newspaper interviews, probably lots of debriefing (certainly no waterboarding).
When Skorzeny rescued him (don't ask me if he did him any favour, though) Mussolini was already the shadow of the man he was.I believe two or three years isolated in the American wilderness would age him a lot, maybe he'd fall into despondency and might attempt suicide.
The trial may happen or may not happen: the politics of the thing are not the same as the ones that brought the nazi leaders to the trial of Nurnberg, and Benito's health might be too bad to stand trial. If nothing else, Mussolini was deposed by his own people (and btw he'd avoid the farce of the northern republic and the tragedy of the Verona trials).

 

[hfegelein]

There is a slight possibility that he'd live to see the beginning of the cold war. U.S. opinion of Benny, in light of his "Anti-Communist" stance, might change.

 

[eaglesfan101]

There is a slight possibility that he'd live to see the beginning of the cold war. U.S. opinion of Benny, in light of his "Anti-Communist" stance, might change.

No it won't.

 

[Jim Smitty]

But what if the Americans,instead of the Germans,had captured Mussolini?
Where and how,is not important here, we said that in September 1943 Benito Mussolini is taken by Americans.
I think that would be brought in USA (In a prison or in a isolated mansion?we are in 1943,so nothing anachronistic comparasion with Guantanamo).
What next?
Interrogations? Interviews for Life magazine?
And the large Italian community (influential in Presidential elections) how would react?
And after the war?
I see a trial,but with a death sentence or life imprisonment?
And where,in Italy or in America?

By 43 he was a shell of the man he was. Two years in some high scurity prison masion will most likely drive Benito to end his own life.

 

[Hrvatskiwi]

And the large Italian community (influential in Presidential elections) how would react?

the majority of Italian-Americans were from Sicily and Southern Italy, and frankly didn't like Mussolini. They wouldn't like it if he is in a Werhner von Braun situation.

 

[Maponus]

There is a slight possibility that he'd live to see the beginning of the cold war. U.S. opinion of Benny, in light of his "Anti-Communist" stance, might change.

Mussolini actually switched to a 'hard core socialist' stance after he was overthrown.