The Unholy Battle For Rome

In September 1943, the German army marched into Rome and began a nine-month battle for the “Eternal City”. For Hitler, control of Rome was symbolic and of strategic importance because the city was the European partner of Nazi Germany. The allies were steadfast in their control of the city’s holy institutions and her treasures. This documentary presents the battle for Rome and is based on Robert Katz’s provocative book of 2003: ‘The Battle for Rome: The Germans, the Allies, the Partisans, and the Pope, September 1943 – June 1944’. Katz is an American author and playwright living in Tuscany. He researches the history of modern Italy. Katz is known for his claim that fear of communism led to a Faustian alliance between the Vatican and the Nazi occupiers and that the Pope, Pius the 12th, ignored the atrocities being committed and the annihilation of the Jews. Includes interviews with Robert Katz, Jewish survivors, German double agents, Italian resistance fighters, and more.