The concise encyclopedia of world war II 2 volumes (greenwood encyclopedias of modern world wars) ( PDFDrive ) 147

Argentina

The Germans had no air cover but were still given a “stand and fight” Haltebefehl
order by Adolf Hitler. The British began with a daring commando assault. They
forced a path around Lake Comacchio from April 9, thence through the Argenta
Gap toward Ferrara. British 8th Army was supported from April 15 by a second
powerful attack made by U.S. 5th Army under Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott.
The main British and American advances were supported by Brazilian and South
African troops, among others. U.S. forces included a unit of Japanese Americans
from the 442d Regimental Combat Team. All Western Allied troops enjoyed overwhelming artillery and air superiority. Truscott shifted the axis of advance to
take advantage of collapsing German positions, even “bouncing” the Po with an
improvised fleet of small boats and river ferries. He broke through the Adige Line
before the bewildered Germans could properly man it. It took just over a week
for the Western Allied armies to link and encircle what was left of Army Group C.
In rapid succession, Bologna, Ferrara, Genoa, Milan, and Venice were liberated.
All German forces in Italy surrendered on April 29, effective at 12:00 hours on
May 2.
ARGENTINA Buenos Aires was home to many Axis agents and sympathizers.
Argentina maintained formal neutrality until just weeks before the end of the war.
That pleased its many citizens of Italian and German descent while still permitting export of large amounts of beef to Britain. Argentina fended off strong efforts
by Washington to force it to enter into hemispheric defense arrangements. While
profiting from trade with the Western Allies, Argentina hosted extensive Axis spy
networks. Part of the governing elite reconsidered neutrality as the tide of war
turned against the Axis. The shift away from the Axis became easier once Italy
signed an armistice, then formally switched sides in September 1943. Argentina
severed relations with Germany and Japan on January 26, 1944. That provoked a
palace coup by General Juan Perón, who was decidedly pro-Axis and also a quasifascist in the mold of Benito Mussolini. The United States, Britain, and other Allied
states recalled their ambassadors and brought great economic pressure against the
junta. Even Perón was finally forced to bend to economic threats and the looming
defeat of the main Axis powers: Argentina declared war on Germany and Japan
on March 27, 1945. The declaration was meaningless and treated as such by all

parties. The United States and Britain recognized the Perón regime on April 7,
but the pro-Axis leanings of the junta led to a rebuff to Argentine hopes to seat a
delegation at the San Francisco conference. Postwar Argentina was a safe haven for
Schutzstaffel (SS) officers, collaborators, and a number of war criminals (including
Josef Mengele). Many escaped justice to enjoy protected exile in Argentina, with aid
from the Vatican or other ratlines.
ARGONAUT

Allied code name for the Yalta conference.

ARGUMENT Code name for the “Big Week” bombing of Germany during the
Combined Bomber Offensive.

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