Italian-occupied Corsica refers to the military (and administrative) occupation by the Kingdom of Italy of the island of Corsica during the Second World War, from November 1942 to September 1943. After an initial period of increased control over the island, by early spring 1943 the had begun to occupy the hinterland. In the aftermath of the Armistice of Cassibile, the Italian capitulation to the Allies, some Italian units sided with German troops sent to replace the Italian garrison and some defected to the and Free French Forces. Background Operation Torch On 8 November 1942, the western Allies landed in North Africa in Operation Torch. The Germans implemented a contingency plan, Case Anton to occupy the the part of France not occupied in 1940. The plan included (11 November) an Italian occupation of the French island of Corsica and mainland France up to the Rhone. The Italian occupation of Corsica had been strongly promoted by Italian irredentism by the Fascist regime. Italian occupation Italian garrison The 20th Infantry Division "Friuli", of VII Corps () made an unopposed landing on Corsica. The absence of Corsican resistance and a desire to avoid problems with the Vichy French limited the Italian recruitment of Corsicans, except for a labour battalion in March 1943. The Corsican population initially showed some support for the Italians, partly as a consequence of irredentist propaganda. The VII Corps garrison eventually comprised the 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" and 44th Infantry Division "Cremona", the 225th Coastal Division and the 226th Coastal Division, a battalion of Alpini and an armoured battalion. The garrison was commanded by Umberto Mondino until the end of December 1942, when Giacomo Carboni took over until March 1943, followed by Giovanni Magli until September 1943. The initial occupation force of 30,000 Italian troops rose to just under 85,000 men, a huge number relative to the Corsican population of 220,000. Collaboration Some Corsican military officers collaborated with Italy, including Major Pantalacci (ret.) and his son Antonio, Colonel Mondielli, Colonel Simon Petru Cristofini and Marta Renucci, his wife, the first Corsican female journalist. Cristofini collaborated early in 1943 and (as head of the Ajaccio troops) helped the Italian Army to repress the , before the Italian Armistice in September 1943. He worked with the Corsican writer Petru Giovacchini, who was named as the potential Governor of Corsica, if Italy annexed the island. In the first months of 1943 the irredentists, under