Editing History of San Marino (section)

===World War II===
[[File:The Inauguration of New Regents For San Marino, Italy, 1 October 1944 TR2386.jpg|thumb|180px|Guards of the Council speaking to [[British Army]] troops in October 1944]]

San Marino was mostly uninvolved in the Second World War. In September 1940, press reports claimed that it had to have declared war on the [[United Kingdom]] in support of Italy;<ref>{{cite magazine
 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,764742,00.html
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203031150/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,764742,00.html
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=December 3, 2007
 |title=Southern Theatre: San Marino In
 |magazine=[[Time magazine]]
 |date=30 September 1940
 |access-date=2009-08-12}}</ref> however, this was later denied by the Sammarinese government.<ref name="Papers-292">{{cite book|author=United States Department of State|title=Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1944. Europe (Volume IV)|publisher=United States Department of State|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/FRUS/FRUS-idx?type=header&id=FRUS.FRUS1944v04&isize=M|page=292}}</ref> On 26 June 1944, San Marino was bombed by four waves of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] bombers under the belief that San Marino had been occupied by German forces and was being used to amass stores and ammunition. The Sammarinese government declared on the same day that no military installations or equipment were located on its territory, and that no belligerent forces had been allowed to enter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, Europe, Volume IV |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1944v04/pg_290 |website=Office of the Historian |publisher=(U.S.) Department of State |access-date=29 May 2022 |pages=290–291 |date=4 July 1944}}</ref>

San Marino's hope to escape further involvement was shattered on 27 July 1944 when Major Gunther, commander of the German forces in [[Forlì]], delivered a letter from German headquarters in [[Ferrara]] to San Marino's government declaring that the country's sovereignty could not be respected if, in view of military requirements, the necessity of transit of troops and vehicles arose. The communiqué, however, underlined that wherever possible occupation would be avoided.<ref name="storiaxxisecolo.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.storiaxxisecolo.it/fascismo/fascismo1c.htm |title=Fascismo a San Marino |publisher=Storiaxxisecolo.it |access-date=2014-05-24}}</ref> Such fears were confirmed when on 30 July a German medical corps colonel presented himself with an order for the requisition of two public buildings for the establishment of a military hospital. On the following day, 31 July 1944, in view of the likely invasion by German forces, the state sent three letters of protest: one to [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], German Foreign Minister, one to [[Adolf Hitler]] and one to [[Benito Mussolini]],<ref name="storiaxxisecolo.it"/> the latter delivered by a delegation to [[Serafino Mazzolini]], a high-ranking diplomat in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Demanding to meet Mussolini with the intention to ask that its neutrality be respected, the following day Mazzolini took them to see Mussolini, who promised to contact the German authorities and intervene in favour of San Marino's request.<ref>{{cite book|title=Mussolini e il diplomatico: la vita e i diari di Serafino Mazzolini, un monarchico a Salò|publisher=Rubbettino Editore|date = 2005 |first1 = Gianni |last1 = Rossi|isbn = 9788849812084|page = 494}}</ref>

San Marino was a refuge for over {{gaps|100|000}} civilians<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanmarino-info.com/storia.htm |title=Storia di San Marino |publisher=Sanmarino-info.com |access-date=2014-05-24 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919044843/http://www.sanmarino-info.com/storia.htm |archive-date=2012-09-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who sought safety on the passing of Allied forces over the [[Gothic Line]]<ref name="sanmarinosite.com"/> during the [[Battle of Rimini (1944)|Battle of Rimini]], an enormous effort of relief by the inhabitants of a country that at that time counted only 15,000 people.<ref name="storiaxxisecolo.it"/> Despite all this, German forces invaded San Marino on 13 September 1944.<ref>{{cite news |title = Nazis Invade San Marino | last = Packard | first = Reynolds | work = The Philadelphia Inquirer |date = September 14, 1944 |page = 2}}</ref> The Germans and Allies clashed on San Marino's soil from 17 September to 20 September at the [[Battle of San Marino]]; Allied troops occupied San Marino after that, but stayed only for two months before leaving.