▁valid ▁military ▁targets ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁railway ▁infrastr ucture ▁of ▁X ativa , ▁the ▁Italian ▁air ▁force ▁part ook ▁in ▁many ▁bomb ings ▁of ▁civil ian ▁targets ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁" weak ening ▁the ▁mor ale ▁of ▁the ▁Red s ". ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁notable ▁bomb ings ▁was ▁the ▁Bomb ing ▁of ▁Barcelona , ▁in ▁which ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁killed , ▁with ▁thousands ▁more ▁being ▁wounded ▁or ▁de h oused . ▁Other ▁cities ▁subject ed ▁to ▁terror ▁bomb ing ▁by ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁included ▁Dur ango , ▁A lic ante , ▁Gran oll ers , ▁and ▁Gu ern ica . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁and ▁American ▁govern ments , ▁fear ful ▁of ▁the ▁post - war ▁Italian ▁Commun ist ▁Party , ▁effectively ▁und erm ined ▁the ▁quest ▁for ▁justice ▁by ▁toler ating ▁the ▁efforts ▁made ▁by ▁Italy ' s ▁top ▁authorities ▁to ▁prevent ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁war ▁crim inals ▁from ▁being ▁extr ad ited ▁and ▁taken ▁to ▁court . ▁F ill ipo ▁F oc ardi , ▁a ▁historian ▁at ▁Rome ' s ▁German ▁Historical ▁Institute , ▁has ▁discovered ▁arch ived ▁documents ▁showing ▁how ▁Italian ▁civil ▁servants ▁were ▁told ▁to ▁avoid ▁extr ad itions . ▁A ▁typical ▁instruction ▁was ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁Italian ▁prime ▁minister , ▁Al cide ▁De ▁Gas per i , ▁reading : ▁" Try ▁to ▁gain ▁time , ▁avoid ▁answering ▁requests ." ▁The ▁den ial ▁of ▁Italian ▁war ▁cr imes ▁was ▁back ed ▁up ▁by ▁the