Napoli - City of the Damned

• Documentary

Episode overview

When thinking of devastated cities in the World War II, Naples is often forgotten, but when it was liberated by the Allies it was on its last legs, with 200,000 homeless and no power, transport, food or running water. The Allies quickly brought food to the starving population and medicine to the sick, but this led to the creation of a huge black market involving almost the entire population as Naples became a city of vice, crime and chaos. When the war ended, alarmed by Soviet support for the Italian communist parties, the Allies responded with their own propaganda. Combined with the Marshall Plan, this became a covert effort by the Americans to swing the elections. After great political and ideological struggle, the 1948 elections were won by the Christian Democrats, a result that may not have been truly fair. The CIA were pleased with the result and recommended that the US should continue with the covert manipulation of political outcomes in foreign countries.

70 minutes