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enough, smart, determined and ruthless, and they remember the beefy bolognese squadrista
Bonaccorsi. On 26 August 1936 he landed at Palma, calling himself Count Aldo Rossi ("Conde Rossi" or el Conde de Leon y Son Servera for Spanish). Resolutely takes command of the disorganized local nationalist forces, puts together 2.500/3.500 men between soldiers, legionaries of Tercio, volunteers, soldiers of the Guardia Civil and Falange, and deals with strong decision against the Republican forces (6000 to 10,000 men) landed 10 days prior to Manacor, commanded by General Alberto Bayo, a theorist of guerrilla warfare and the future "ideal teacher" of Fidel Castro. With the support of the Italian air force, on 3 September Bonaccorsi defeats the Republicans who begin a disastrous retreat that ended on day 12. After the victory at Manacor, Bonaccorsi appoints himself military commander and inspector general of all the troops, creating the "Dragones de la Muerte". On 20 September with 500 men he landed in Ibiza, camouflaged. He also takes Formentera and Cabrera. Only Minorca remains in the hands of the Reds, protected by a secret agreement between Italy and England. Bonaccorsi then begins the "pacificacion" of Majorca, "cleaning" the island of Marxists. George Bernanos describes the nearly 3,000 executions of communists done by Bonaccorsi's Dragones de la Muerte, but he did not see the early violence (nearly 1,500 nationalists and priests killed in Majorca alone) of the Marxists done before the arrival of Bonaccorsi. In reality, the Bonaccorsi murders were only 700 (or 1500, as reported by the Italian consul in the Balearic islands), but this was enough to create huge complaints from France and England (even if in Majorca the civil war deaths were in percentage only one tenth of those in continental Spain). The diplomatic pressures were such that he was forced to return to Italy on 23 December 1936. Additionally, Mussolini did not like Bonaccorsi boasting that Italy was to remain forever in Majorca
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420:, Bonaccorsi, in a strange mixed jargon of Spanish, Italian and Majorcan dialect, announced the 'Cruzada'... This gigantic brute asserted one day at the table of a distinguished lady of Palma—whilst wiping his fingers on the tablecloth—that he required at least 'one woman per day'. But the particular mission entrusted him was marvelously suited to his gifts: the organizing of terrorism. From that time, every night, gangs of his own recruiting commenced operations in the villages and in the very suburbs of Palma."
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406:: "Of course the new-comer was neither a general nor a count, but an Italian official belonging to the Black Shirts. One morning we saw him disembark his scarlet racing-car. First he called on the military governor appointed by General Goded. A few days later Colonel Ramos Unamuno and his staff, commissioned by General Goded, fell in some doubt and Conde Rossi was placed in charge of the
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In Oneto's opinion, when
Bonaccorsi first arrived on the island, the Italians only supported the possibility of promoting a semi-independent Majorca (under Italian influence) in the event of Republican victory in the Spanish Civil War. But with Franco's victory, they understood that this project of
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The nationalist revolt, suppressed in all of
Catalonia, has happened successfully only in the island of Mallorca, but the Republicans are going to occupy it. The Italian government has a strong interest (not just strategic) in the Balearic Islands. Action is needed urgently. Need someone skilled
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142:, the local newspaper, wrote gratefully in February 1937 as a last salute that "we will forever remember your heroism and will give to our descendants the memory of what you did for us" Furthermore, Bonaccorsi was celebrated in ceremonies by many civilians of Majorca.
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in August 1936, he became known as 'Conde Rossi' ("Count Rossi"), a name derived from his red beard. He was soon able to galvanize
Nationalist forces on the island, leading them in a decisive victory over the Republicans at Manacor.
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in
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praised him in a funeral article, which noted that he was one of the few military commanders who had received medals for combat valor from three countries (Italy, Spain and
Germany).
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The clergy of
Majorca, on the other hand, were very grateful to Bonaccorsi, and the Archbishop of the Balearic Islands, José Miralles y Sbert, often praised him.
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Finally, he was a prisoner of war from 1941 to 1946; after the war he resumed his legal and political activities, and defended German
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as an attorney in 1928, and soon began defending
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Antifascist writers raised much criticism against
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Gilberto Oneto, an Italian journalist, wrote the following about Bonaccorsi and the Italians in Majorca:
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Born in Bologna in 1898, Bonacorsi was a fanatical and idealistic fascist from the first moment he met
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soldier, politician and lawyer. Nicknamed "Conte Rossi", he played a prominent role in organising the
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John F. Coverdale, "I Fascisti alla guerra di Spagna", Editori Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1977; pg 183–193
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as military commander of the "Reparto Speciale Autonomo della Milizia fascista", a 300-man Italian
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wrote a memorandum to his government in which he highlighted the possibility of Italy creating a
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Rosaria Quartararo, Politica fascista nelle Baleari: 1936–1939, Quaderni della FIAP, n. 23, 1977
211:(MSI) in 1958. He died following surgical complications in 1962 in Rome. The Italian newspaper
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Mario Lombardo. "Il crociato in camicia nera", Storia illustrata n°249, agosto 1978, pag 46
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Francisco Franco in 1937 gave him the Grand Cross of Military Merit with Red Decoration.
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Arconovaldi Bonaccorsi received from Franco the "Gran Cruz militar de Espana" in 1937
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He was welcomed and praised again in 1957 by Franco, receiving the Spanish nickname
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as leader of the fascists from Bologna. He graduated from the prestigious
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Bonaccorsi received four medals of honour for combat in 1936 Spain:
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Spanish Grand Cross of Military Merit with Red Decoration
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World War II prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom
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On 14 December 1936 – shortly after Bonaccorsi captured
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His moment of glory came when Mussolini sent him to the
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Perpetrators of political repression in Francoist Spain
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Joseph Massot. "Vida i miracles del Conde Rossi" p. 231
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Joseph Massot. "Vida i miracles del Conde Rossi" p. 229
170:. He never returned to Majorca. Later, he was sent to
136:Grand Cross of Military Merit with Red Decoration
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16:Italian Fascist soldier, politician and lawyer
178:'s dire lack of preparedness in case of war.
174:, where he complained to Mussolini about the
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450:Photo of Bonaccorsi in a Majorca ceremony
551:Italian prisoners of war in World War II
256:Cavaliere dell´Ordine militare di Savoia
586:Italian people of the Spanish Civil War
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181:In 1940 Bonaccorsi participated in the
112:"partial" independence was impossible.
32:(22 August 1898 – 2 July 1962) was an
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495:Editorial Serrador. Barcelona, 1988
368:Photo of the "Dragones de la Muerte"
239:Medaglia d'argento al valor militare
387:, pp. 101–106 Boriswood:London 1938
207:Bonaccorsi was a candidate for the
556:Deaths from surgical complications
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521:Corpo Truppe Volontarie personnel
416:and the ever pistol-armed priest
357:Canosa Romano: Mussolini e Franco
337:Bonaccorsi declaration at Manacor
72:. In 1922 he participated in the
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153:– the British Foreign Secretary
561:Military personnel from Bologna
493:Vida i miracles del Conde Rossi
235:Silver Medal of Military Valor
183:conquest of British Somaliland
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313:Italian occupation of Majorca
430:Bonaccorsi medal from Franco
290:Gran Croce militare spagnola
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273:Croce di Ferro di I classe
40:conquest of the island of
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134:awarded him the Spanish
87:at the beginning of the
303:(blackshirt crusader).
301:Cruzado en camisa negra
252:Military Order of Savoy
209:Italian Social Movement
166:front with the Italian
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221:Medals and decorations
168:Corpo Truppe Volontari
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30:Arconovaldo Bonaccorsi
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117:Dragones de la Muerte
78:Universita di Bologna
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25:Arconovaldo Bonacorsi
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149:with a force of 500
403:A Diary of My Times
384:A Diary of My Times
214:Il Secolo d'Italia
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324:References
52:Biography
38:Falangist
408:Phalange
307:See also
187:commando
413:alcalde
200:during
125:Manacor
93:Majorca
42:Majorca
198:Rhodes
189:unit.
164:Málaga
138:. The
68:after
147:Ibiza
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