As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Appeals by both his wife and the West German government to release him were denied by Italian authorities. By early 1944, Kappler was the highest representative of the Reich Security Main Office in Rome and answered directly to both the military governorship, under Luftwaffe General Kurt Mlzer, as well as the SS chain of command under the Higher SS and Police Leader of Italy, SS-Obergruppenfhrer Karl Wolff. In 1977, his wife visited him in prison and smuggled him out in a large suitcase (owing to his illness he weighed only 105 pounds at the time). He was intelligent earning a scholarship to a teacher training college. She defended these donations on the grounds that she had spent her entire savings to try and secure her husbands release and to care for him while he was a prisoner. They deposed Mussolini and freed all Allied POWs. Where is Herbert Kappler buried? Kappler and his first wife divorced while Kappler was serving his sentence; later, he was married again to Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with Kappler . In 1935, as part of Germany's rearming programs, Kappler was called up to serve in the Wehrmacht. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 10 (UPI) The family of Herbert Kappler, a former Nazi SS colonel, withheld plans for his funeral today to prevent pro- and antiNazi demonstrators from appearing at the rites. Herbert Kappler joined the Nazi Party on 1 August 1931 and joined the SS in 1933. At his trial in 1948, after six hours, the head of the five-judge military tribunal gravely pronounced the stiffest sentence he could give under Italian law: "life imprisonment, including four years solitary confinement, for repeated and premeditated murder.. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. David Alvarez and Robert A. Graham, S.J. In 1977 he escaped from a Rome Prison hidden in a laundry basket, and was spirited away to Germany, by his recently wedded wife, whom he had married in Prison in 1972. (1997), Military history of Italy during World War II, "An Italian doctor explains "Syndrome K", the fake disease he invented to save Jews from the Nazis", "Weitere Grber nicht mehr namenlos (neues deutschland)", "La vedova di Kappler a Trento per il culto del Simonino", "Erich Priebke, Nazi Who Carried Out Massacre of 335 Italians, Dies at 100", "Nazi funeral that's forcing Italy to face its past", "Kappler's escape MEETING WITH Hon. He next attended a technical college and spent seven semesters studying electrical engineering. Meanwhile, the West German government has denied German press reports that it has secretly reached agreement with the Italian government on a means of ending the Kappler controversy. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. In 1975, he was diagnosed with cancer. By 1943, the Italians had suffered a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Allied powers. Giuseppe worked as a salesclerk at an interior decoration store in Rome. Paradoxically, after the war Kappler and O'Flaherty would become friends of sorts.[2]. Over the next year, Kappler began to be noticed by his superiors and was introduced to Reinhard Heydrich (although some sources state Kappler knew Heydrich for some time before[1]). The Monsignor decided to help. [6][7][10][13], Kappler was arrested by British authorities in 1945, turned over to the Italian government in 1947, and tried the following year. He was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannfhrer (lieutenant colonel) on September 12 and quickly assumed his new duties operating out of the Italian capital. Statis. He later remarried Anneliese Kappler, a nurse with whom he had carried on a lengthy correspondence, in a prison wedding ceremony in 1972. In 1968 she visited him for the first time in the fortress of Gaeta. This page was last changed on 26 July 2021, at 19:26. Appeals by both his wife and the West German government to release him were denied by Italian authorities, but earned him a transfer to a hospital. As the authorities refused to release him, in 1977, Anneliese carried Kappler out of prison in a large suitcase (he weighed less than one hundred five pounds at the time). Hugh became a scratch golfer meaning he was quite good. By early 1944, Kappler was the highest representative of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Main Security Office) in Rome and answered directly to both the military governorship, under Luftwaffe Major General Kurt Mlzer, as well as the SS chain of command under the Supreme SS and Police Leader of Italy, SS-Obergruppenfhrer Karl Wolff. Walter Ciszek as a fellow political prisoner in the Gulag complex located 300km above the Arctic Circle and known as Norillag. In practice, refusal to obey orders during war is not possible. She declined to give details of the escape, saying these would appear in a mass-circulation magazine this week. [citation needed] Amazingly, the Irishman agreed to go and see a man who had plotted to kidnap him and at one stage wanted to murder him. [18], In the 1973 feature film Massacre in Rome, which deals with the Ardeatine massacre, Kappler was portrayed by actor Richard Burton. During Kappler's probationary period, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, meaning that Kappler did not have the "honor" of full SS membership prior to the Nazis' assumption of power. He rose to the rank of SS-Obersturmbannfhrer and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre as well as dealing with Vatican City over its neutrality. 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By 1929, he was a certified electrician, still living in Stuttgart. Since the marriage had remained childless, the couple adopted a boy from a Lebensborn home. Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Irmgard was born on December 9 1908. Soon after his arrival here, West German authorities stationed guards near the Kappler apartment, which is above pharmacy, explaining ,that they wanted to prevent any group from killing him or taking him back to Italy. At the same time, he became a stormtrooper in the Sturmabteilung (SA) and served as an SA-Mann from August 1, 1931 to December 1, 1932. Kappler was also portrayed by Christopher Plummer in the 1983 TV movie The Scarlet and The Black, which detailed Kappler's first meeting with Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty. Kappler's first action as head of German security forces in Rome was to help plan the rescue of Benito Mussolini by the SS special forces, a feat which was accomplished by Otto Skorzeny. Now he was practically in charge of Rome as. from the Jews of Rome, which Kappler later alleged was an attempt to prevent the deportations.[3][8][9]. Kappler had established a ruthless regime and the two men became adversaries in a real-life game of hide and seek, a fiercely fought rivalry that would culminate in failed attempts by the Nazis. During his childhood, Kappler witnessed World War I, and came of age in the Weimar Republic during the 1920s. It was later performed live under the name Kingfishers Catch Fire.[21]. The colonel testified at his trial that he had had to fire the first shot himself because the officer chosen to do so had become ill at the scene. Kappler prison photo -Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Other One month ago 0 answers 1 views. Kappler was responsible for many cruel deeds in Rome as well as the massacre at The Ardeatine Caves, which were personally supervised by Kappler. On a prison visit in August 1977, Kapplers wife carried him out in a large suitcase, Kappler, a chain smoker, weighed less than 105 pounds at the time and escaped to West Germany, assisted by apparently unwitting carabinieri. Kappler was never discharged and technically held this rank during World War II, although by that time Kappler was an active full-time SS member and exempt from further military service. Asked by the TV interviewer whether approval had perhaps not come from the wrong (political) side, she said she was not interested where approval came from. Fortunately, they did not storm the Vatican because of its unique status. See the article in its original context from. Following the armistice between Italy and the Allies on September 8, 1943, the German military occupied Rome and Kappler was appointed as Chief of the Security Police and Security Service (Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) for all SS and Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units deployed in Rome. Kurtna, who was always loyal to the USSR, only started to also spy for Nazi Germany in 1943 because his new handler, Kappler, repeatedly threatened to otherwise send Kurtna and his wife to a concentration camp. He served as head of German police and security services (Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre.[1][2]. By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org, Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923. Without hesitation, O'Flaherty took up Kappler's invitation and in prison the two men chatted over coffee. In 1937, Kappler graduated from the Fhrerschule der Sicherheitspolizei (Leadership School of the Security Police) in Berlin as a Kriminalkommissar (criminal commissioner). As they already had so many enemies, the last thing they wanted was to alienate the worlds entire Catholic population by violating the Popes domain. ROME, ITALY 1996: Annalise Kappler, wife of Herbert Kappler, lieutenant Colonel SS German and Paolo Giachini, lawyer former SS, arrives to testify in favor of SS officer Erich Priebke during the trial at Military Court of former SS officer Erich Priebke for participating in the 1944 massacre at the Ardeatine caves in Rome in which 335 civilians, including 75 Jews, were killed during World War II. . In 1934, O'Flaherty received the title of Monsignor. He escaped from prison shortly before his death in West Germany in 1978. Fritz was born on February 23 1876. Germany was furious at the betrayal and retaliated by invading Italy. Impressed with his abilities, he was appointed to the Holy See; the Vaticans governing body. Herbert Kappler (23 September 1907 - 9 February 1978) was a key German SS functionary and war criminal during the Nazi era. Six months after his escape, Kappler died at home in Soltau, on February 9, 1978, aged 70. Kappler was also in Stuttgart during the Night of the Long Knives, but was at this time too junior in the SS to significantly participate. Herbert Kappler passed away in 1978 after Anneliese broke him out of prison when he was . It was a large and prestigious establishment, owned by an uncle. Anyone can read what you share. Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty and his organisation were a major obstruction to the brutal Kappler and his Gestapo during this period. He later arranged the deportation of a further 993 Roman Jews, nearly all of whom also died in the gas chambers. Contents This function has been disabled for WW2 Gravestone. Shortly after his birth O'Flaherty's parents moved to Killarney, Ireland, and made a home on a golf course where James O'Flaherty worked as a steward. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 9 (Reuters)Herbert Kappler; a_convicted Nazi war criminal, died of stomach cancer here today, six months after- a daring escape from a Rome military hospital. Kappler was posted to Rome as head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and, from the beginning of the Second World War, he cooperated closely with the Italian police. Kappler's second in command in Rome, SS-Captain Erich Priebke, did manage to escape and it was not until 1996 that Priebke would face justice. Germany was furious at the betrayal and retaliated by invading Italy. Kappler was also never affiliated with the Waffen-SS and spent the war performing "behind the lines" police and security duty. The reports suggested that Bonn would place Kappler in a German hospital under strict police guard and the Italian government would find this a politically palatable solution to the row over his escape. He had served 30 years of a life term imposed by an Italian military tribunal in 1948 for the reprisal killing during World War II of 335 hostages, including 57 Jews. [17], Six months after his escape, Kappler died at home in Soltau, on 9 February 1978, aged 70. During those same years, Kurtna covertly spied for the Soviet Union, with devastating results for the many underground priests and faithful whose names he passed to the NKVD. Kappler and his first wife divorced while Kappler was serving his sentence, but he was married again to Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with Kappler before marrying him in a prison wedding ceremony in 1972. The radio play was first broadcast on 30 November 2006 on UK BBC Radio 4. He was only obeying orders.. In 1934, OFlaherty was appointedMonsignor; a title for high-ranking clergy members who have provided valuable service to the church. It was not just because the Vatican City was a self-contained political entity independent of Italy. OFlaherty did not just hide POWs. 1,007 were shipped to Auschwitz. Upon leaving the SA, Kappler was accepted as a prospective candidate into the Schutzstaffel (SS) and appointed to the entry level probation rank of SS-Anwrter. iie. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Comment * what is insensible water loss. Anneliese Kappler, wife of the former Rome Gestapo chief, Herbert Kappler and organizer of his controversial escape from a Rome military prison to West Germany, denied last night that any official German authority or any group had aided in the escape attempt. [1][4][5][6][7], Kappler was immediately put in charge of implementing the Holocaust in Italy in both Rome and Lazio;[4] in his first action, 1,023 Roman Jews were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz; where only 16 survived. and later turned over to the Italian government in 1947. [10], In 1975, at the age of sixty-eight, Kappler was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Photos:Kappler -United States War Department, Public domainvia Wikimedia Commons. Source: Dutch National Archives, The Hague. [19], Kappler was portrayed by Christopher Plummer in the 1983 TV film The Scarlet and The Black, which detailed Kappler's first meeting with Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty. He was a man of many faces who used his talent at disguise to help thousands of people escape from the Nazis. [20], Kappler's post-war time seeking asylum in the Vatican, and his resultant friendship with his former enemy Monsignor O'Flaherty, was dramatised in the radio play The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican by Robin Glendinning. Living in a major city such as Stuttgart, Kappler was a witness to the chaos of the Great Depression, the expansion of the Freikorps, and the rise of the Nazi Party. [citation needed] In 1938, during the Anschluss, he supervised the mass deportations of Austrias Jews to concentration camps. In these measures, Kappler came into direct conflict with the Vatican, which was highly suspected of harboring Allied fugitives and escaped prisoners, even though the Vatican under Pope Pius XII was technically neutral. In his first action, 1,023 Italian Jews were deported, of whom only 16 survived. Herbert Kappler (23 September 1907 9 February 1978) was the head of German police and security services (Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) in Rome during World War II. Kappler's second in command in Rome, SS-Captain Erich Priebke, managed to escape to Argentina and was not extradited to Italy to face trial over his own role in the Ardeatine Caves Massacre until 1996. Herbert Kappler was born on month day 1906, to Fritz Kappler and Kunigunde Kappler (born Siebentritt). One of the most notorious actions Kappler undertook while in Rome was the organization of the Ardeatine massacre where over three hundred Italian civilians were killed on 24-03-1944 in collective punishment for an attack by resistance fighters against an SS formation in Rome. "First a great fear, then a great calm, an enormous lucidity. By early 1944, Kappler was the highest representative of the Reich Security Main Office in Rome and answered directly to both the military governorship, under Luftwaffe General Kurt Maelzer, as well as the SS chain of command under the Higher SS and Police Leader of Italy, SS-Obergruppenfhrer Karl Wolff. This set the stage for further advancement and Kappler was commissioned a Gestapo officer, with the rank of SS-Untersturmfhrer (second lieutenant), on November 9, 1938 (the traditional anniversary of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch). To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Over the years, the two developed a strange friendship. During his captivity, Kappler wrote to his former rival and asked him to come and visit. The date of the Ardeatine massacre, March 24, 1944, became a national day of mourning in Italy, and the killings are still recalled with outrage. Mr. Kappler, who died yesterday, was serving a life term for ordering the 1944 reprisal killing of 335 Italians when his wife, Anneliese, helped him escape from a prison hospital in Rome six months ago. An SS officer, he had been an adviser to Italy's fascist police. He served as the Vaticans diplomat to Egypt, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Czechoslovakia. what happened to herbert kappler's first wife. You got lucky! They deposed Mussolini and freed all Allied POWs. Kappler and his first wife divorced while Kappler was serving his sentence, but he was married again to Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with Kappler before marrying him in a prison wedding ceremony in 1972. . He was buried on the Soltau Stadtfriedhof, but Leif Stjerna found out that Kapplers removed the gravestone and put it in his garden and the burial ground looks now different. As Nazi police chief in Rome, he ordered the executions in 1944 after a midtown bombing attack by partisans killed 32 SS men. Kappler's main activities during this period involved suppressing resistance groups, rounding up "enemies of the state", and enforcing anti-Jewish measures, conducting Jewish ghetto raids, and deportations to extermination camps. Kappler's post-war time seeking asylum in the Vatican, and his resultant friendship with his former enemy Monsignor O'Flaherty, was dramatised in the radio play The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican by Robin Glendinning. [1] [2] Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. ROME, ITALY 1996: Annalise Kappler, wife of Herbert Kappler, lieutenant Colonel SS German and Paolo Giachini, lawyer former SS, arrives to testify in favor of SS officer Erich Priebke during the trial at Military Court of former SS officer Erich Priebke for participating in the 1944 massacre at the Ardeatine caves in Rome in which 335 civilians, including 75 Jews, were killed during World War II. Despite this O'Flaherty assisted in helping members of Kapplers family in escaping from Rome at Liberation. His Nazi Party membership number was 594,899. In 1975 Kappler was diagnosed with cancer, but requests for his release were refused. Priebke's commanding officer, Col. Herbert Kappler, was put on trial in postwar Rome; in 1948 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Ardeatine Caves atrocity, but his wife eventually. In 1947, Kappler was tried by an Italian military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment in the military prison of Gaeta. Despite this O'Flaherty assisted in helping members of Kapplers family in escaping from Rome at Liberation. Kappler organized the Ardeatine massacre, in which 335 Italian civilians were killed on March 24, 1944, as a reprisal for an attack by resistance fighters that had resulted in the deaths of 33 men of the SS Police garrison in Rome. She lowered him out a fourthfloor window with a mountainclimbing harness, hid him in a box and drove to West Germay. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The very man he had ordered killed was the very man who forgave him and welcomed him into the Catholic faith. By the time the Allies captured Rome in June 1944, OFlahertys underground network had kept 6,245 Allied escapees alive. He underwent six months of indoctrination training, and was sworn into the SS on May 8, 1933. While there, he asked to speak to the Monsignor and was probably surprised when OFlaherty agreed. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. [14][15], In 1948, Kappler was tried by an Italian Army military tribunal and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Gaeta military prison. In January 1936, he was assigned to duty at the Gestapo main office in Stuttgart. Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library, 1998 - 2023 American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Mr. Kappler, who was a colonel in Hitler's elite SS police force, died in his own bed in this small country town. Herbert Kappler (23 September 1907 - 9 February 1978) was the head of German police and security services ( Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) in Rome during World War II. The Italians unsuccessfully demanded that Kappler be returned, but the West Germany authorities refused to extradite him and did not prosecute Kappler for any further war crimes, reportedly due to his ill health. Kapplers second in command in Rome, SS-Captain. After his sentencing (which upheld his lifetime conviction), Kappler went ahead with the conversion. One of the most notorious actions Kappler undertook while in Rome was the organization of the Ardeatine massacre where 335 Italian civilians were killed on March 24, 1944 in collective punishment for an attack by resistance fighters against the SS Police Regiment Bozen in Rome. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Gaeta military prison. From 1939 to 1940, he was briefly deployed to Poland and participated in various Einsatzgruppen actions before serving a further tour as a uniformed Gestapo officer in occupied Belgium where he acted to suppress resistance. The film was filled with the Catholic faith of his wife, Maria von Trapp, and their family. At the same time, he became a stormtrooper in the Sturmabteilung . The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. iie was 70 years old. She smuggled him into West Germany by car. [citation needed] In 1938, during the Anschluss, he supervised the mass deportations of Austrian Jews as part of the Holocaust in Austria.[3]. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Arrest and Later Life. In mid 1935, Kappler applied for transfer to the full-time SS and submitted an application to join the Sicherheitspolizei (Security Police) or SiPo. iie was 70 years old. Kappler came into direct conflict with the Vatican, as the Germans had strong suspicions that it was harboring Allied fugitives and escaped prisoners, even though the Vatican under Pope Pius XII was technically neutral. Herbert Kappler joined the Nazi Party on August 1, 1931 at the age of twenty three. What happened to Herbert Kappler? [9][13] Kappler's first wife divorced him while he was serving his sentence. Kappler died on 09-02-1978, at home in Soltau at the age of 70. Upon the outbreak of World War II, in September 1939, Kappler was serving as an SS-Hauptsturmfhrer (captain) out of the Stuttgart Gestapo main office. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Italy demanded his extradition, but .West Germany said this was impossible under its Constitution. What happened to Herbert Kapplers first wife? Kappler was arrested by British authorities in 1945, turned over to the Italian government in 1947, and tried the following year by an Italian military tribunal. He was raised in Killarney where his father was a steward on a golf course where the family lived. He died of cancer in 1978, never having been returned to Prison. In 1937, Kappler graduated from the Fhrerschule der Sicherheitspolizei (Leadership School of the Security Police) in Berlin as a Kriminalkommissar (criminal commissioner). The Italians unsuccessfully demanded that Kappler be returned, but the West Germany authorities refused to extradite him and did not prosecute Kappler for any further war crimes, reportedly due to his ill health. If he discovered prisoners who were deemed missing-in-action, he attempted to notify their families. SOLTAU, West Germany, Feb. 9 (Reuters)Herbert Kappler; a_convicted Nazi war criminal, died of stomach cancer here today, six months after- a daring escape from a Rome military hospital. In the 1973 feature film Massacre in Rome, which deals with the Ardeatine massacre, Kappler was portrayed by actor Richard Burton. Kunigunde was born on August 21 1882. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. During his teenage years Hugh was a talented student and golfer . Herbert Kappler became Hitler's man in Rome after the arrest of Benito Mussolini. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "An Italian doctor explains "Syndrome K", the fake disease he invented to save Jews from the Nazis", https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Herbert_Kappler&oldid=7681127, German military personnel of World War II, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Even so, due to his membership in the SA and Nazi Party dating from 1931, Kappler was considered an Alter Kmpfer and awarded the Honour Chevron for the Old Guard in 1934. Hugh O'Flaherty was born to James and Margaret O'Flaherty in Lisrobin, Kiskeam, County Cork, Ireland, on February 28, 1898. The two lived at an address on Tbingern, Kurzestrasse 15, before later moving to an apartment listed at Stuttgart-Degerloch, Reutlingerstrasse 98. A particularly detested adversary of Kappler's was Irish Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty of the Sacred Congregation De Propaganda Fide. He rose to the rank of SS- Obersturmbannfhrer and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre as well as dealing with Vatican City over its neutrality. Kappler and his first wife divorced while he was serving his sentence. This website makes use of cookies to ensure that the website works properly. In the 1973 feature film Massacre in Rome, which deals with the Ardeatine massacre, Kappler was portrayed by actor Richard Burton. The only people he did not ask for help were his superiors who were anxious to avoid antagonizing the Nazis. It was also because the Republic of Ireland was neutral during the war. Mr. Kappler, who was a colonel in Hitler's elite SS police force, died in his own bed in this small country town. Ironically, Kurtna's Soviet masters failed to appreciate or reward his loyalty. After serving as an SS-Anwrter from December 1932 to May 1933, Kappler was appointed an SS-Mann and assigned the SS membership number 55,211. Retrieved from Wikimedia . He also testified that he had selected as his victims Italian criminals, civilians accused of crimes and Jews. He mingled with Victor Emmanuel III, the King of Italy and he also became friendly with Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini; the founder of Italian Fascism. He later married Anneliese Kappler, a nurse who had carried on a lengthy correspondence with him, before marrying him at a prison ceremony in 1972. He served as head of German police and security services ( Sicherheitspolizei and SD) in Rome during the Second World War and was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre. In 1937, Kappler graduated from the Fhrerschule der Sicherheitspolizei (Leadership School of the Security Police) in Berlin as a Kriminalkommissar (criminal commissioner). Towards the end of 1934, on September 29, he married Leonore Janns who was the same age as Kappler (27 at the time) and came from the city of Heilbronn. Vittorio Lattanzio resigned from his position as Minister of Defense in the aftermath of the escape. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It did not take the Nazis long to realize that OFlaherty was behind the disappearing people. Obersturmbannfhrer Herbert Kappler in 1946; By 1943, the Italians had suffered a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Allied powers. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Kappler was convicted to life imprisonment by an Italian military tribunal after WWII and served life imprisonment in an Italian prison. His appointment to Italy was the result of his security police experience, connections with the SS leadership (Reinhard Heydrich, in particular), as well as a fluency in the Italian language. As Rome fell to Allied forces, Kappler unsuccessfully tried to seek refuge in the Vatican, but he was arrested by British authorities in 1945 and later turned over to the Italian government in 1947. While serving his sentence in prison, Herbert Kappler divorced his first wife and married his nurse, Anneliese, in 1972. Of Benito Mussolini paradoxically, after the arrest of Benito Mussolini December to... Was not just because the Vatican because of its unique status these would appear in a mass-circulation this. 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