Italy’s government is facing a backlash after it celebrated a major Second World War battle fought under the regime of fascist dictator Mussolini.
The defence ministry said on social media that soldiers at the Battle of El Alamein had “sacrificed their lives for our freedom” and called the conflict “heroic and tragic”.
Paola Chiesa, from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s right-wing Brothers of Italy party, also posted on Facebook that “the Heart of our Nation is today at El Alamein”.
The decisive second battle took place in Egypt in October 1942 and was won by the Allies in under two weeks thanks to a huge effort involving about 190,000 men.
Defeat for the German-led Axis marked the beginning of the end for its ambitions in North Africa.
Thousands of Italians were among those killed or captured in the battle.
Both of Wednesday’s social media posts were widely criticised by Italian politicians, academics and members of the public.
“How you can associate El Alamein with having ‘fought for our freedom’ is beyond my comprehension,” said Mattia Guidi, a politics professor at Siena University.
Politicians from the left-leaning 5-Star Movement said that while the soldiers had fought bravely, it was “inopportune” to say they had fought for freedom.
“They were victims of (Italy’s) colonial and fascist regime,” a statement said.
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Italy sided with the Nazis in the war and was a key member of the Axis alongside Japan.
Prime Minister Meloni’s party traces its roots to the Italian Social Movement (MSI), formed in 1946 as a direct heir of Mussolini’s infamous blackshirts.
Mrs Meloni has previously been forced to defend criticism over nostalgia for the fascist era from some members of her party and has insisted she’s against all forms of totalitarianism.