U.S. Anticipation Arises for Arrival of Military Force in Bolzano on May 4, 1945
In the immediate aftermath of Nazi Germany's surrender in May 1945, Allied forces moved to secure liberated territories, including the city of Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy.
The brief respite that American troops stationed in Trentino and Belluno experienced following the news of the armistice was short-lived. On May 4, 1945, the armistice took effect in Italy, and Army Group C surrendered unconditionally. In the days leading up to this, the headquarters of Army Group C were moved to South Tyrol.
Civilians, soldiers, and officers in Bolzano had been waiting since May 4 for the arrival of the occupying army. Young women and German soldiers were seen on their way to greet the expected Americans, while it was rumoured that partisans and American forces were approaching from several sides of the city.
However, it wasn't until May 5, 1945, that Lt. Col. S. H. White of the liaison mission to the Allied 15th Army Group arrived in Bolzano. German soldiers were seen marching towards a canteen before the arrival of the American troops.
The Allied occupation of Bolzano marked the transition of the city from German to Italian control. South Tyrol, including Bolzano, had been de facto annexed by Nazi Germany as part of Operation Zone of the Alpine Foothills during the war's final phase. After Germany's defeat and the fall of the Nazi regime, Italian rule was quickly restored to the region, and the Allies took control as part of the postwar transition.
The Council of Foreign Ministers officially granted South Tyrol to Italy on September 4, 1945, despite protests from Austrian and local populations. The Allied military occupation of former German-occupied zones in northern Italy, including Bolzano, was part of this broader postwar adjustment.
As the Allied forces moved in, they systematically secured liberated territories, ending the German administration. The occupation involved moving troops into the city to take control from the German forces and begin the process of restoring civil administration and order under Italy.
The feeling of the armistice was described by GI Bill Healey as "a wonderful feeling - almost impossible to describe. Peace." The final days of the war in Bolzano were marked by soldiers waiting for occupying forces, with thousands of German soldiers returning to the German Reich uncontrolled after the armistice. On May 5, 1945, the armies united in Nauders behind the Reschen Pass.
In summary, the Allies occupied Bolzano soon after Nazi Germany's defeat in spring 1945, ousting German control and restoring Italian administration as part of the postwar settlement. This occupation was part of larger Allied zones of occupation and postwar arrangements in northern Italy and Austria.
History recounts that the Allied forces, following their takeover of Bolzano in spring 1945, marked the transition of the city from German to Italian control. Amidst the postwar adjustments in sports venues and facilities, the Stadio Druso Herzog, a prominent sports ground in Bolzano, underwent renovations to accommodate local Italian teams, integrating sports into the city's revitalized culture.
