29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) The new Italian Social Republic was founded on 23 September 1943 under dictator Benito Mussolini. On 2 October 1943, Heinrich Himmler and Gottlob Berger devised the "Programm zur Aufstellung der italienischen Milizeinheiten durch die Waffen-SS" ("Program for the deployment of Italian militia forces by the Waffen-SS") which was approved by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. In October 1943, 15,000 volunteers started training at Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen, but 9,000 of them were unsuitable and released for training in police units, the Black Brigades or for labor. On 23 November 1943, 13 Miliz-Battalions pledged their loyalty before being moved to "SS-Ausbildungsstab Italien". The
Arnaldo Mussolini Arnaldo Mussolini Arnaldo Mussolini (January 11, 1885 – December 21, 1931) was an Italian journalist and politician. He was the brother of Italy's Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, and a Fascist himself. Arnaldo Mussolini was born at Dovia di Predappio. A graduate of the agricultural school at Cesena in 1909, he married Augusta Bondanini who bore him three children: Sandro Italico Mussolini, Vito Mussolini and Rosina Mussolini. He was a teacher and commune secretary with the Italian Socialist Party in Predappio until 1914. Before devoting himself to teaching in his hometown, Arnaldo Mussolini was a professor of agriculture from 1908 to