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Italian Fascist War Crimes in Ethiopia 127
Sir Robert thereupon conceded that Badoglio, as commander on the front
where the alleged crimes were committed, was more likely to be responsible
than a distant commander, i.e., Graziani. Withdrawing his earlier opposition he
stated that he was “agreeable” to listing Badoglio for the bombing of Red Cross
hospitals and ambulances, as well as for the use of poison-gas.
Discussion then turned to the Ethiopian charge that Badoglio had been
responsible for the bombing of “undefended places,” i.e., attacks on the civilian
population. Leijonhufvud argued that such attacks resembled those on Re d
C ross units and we re “repeated all over the country behind the Ethiopian
armies.” He cited the book Voli sulle ambe by Mussolini’s son, Vittorio, describing
his pleasure in bombing Ethiopian huts. Seve ral members of the commission,
h oweve r, argued that, because of the war’s guerrilla chara c t e r, civilians might be
p resumed to have given support to combatants, and that responsibility for criminal
action in this area would be difficult to establish. 6 4 The committee, howeve r,
a g reed to list Badoglio as a potential war criminal “for the use of poisonous gases
and for the bombardment of Red Cross hospitals and ambulances.”
Graziani, Lessona, and Cerulli
Discussion then turned to the case of Graziani, which Leijonhufvud described
as “the key to all the other cases,” except that of Badoglio. A “close study” of the
G raziani case, he declared, “gave an explanation of the whole Italian policy of systematic
terrorism.” In support of this he produced evidence of Graziani’s selfadmitted
“intention to execute all Amharas,” and cited a telegram from Gra z i a n i
to General Nasi, in which he had written, “Keep in mind also that I have alre a d y
aimed at the total destruction of Abyssinian chiefs and notables and that this
should be carried out completely in your territories.”
Members of the committee then discussed whether the accused should be
considered as potentially guilty of genocide, but concluded that the charge of
mass murder was more appropriate.
Leijonhufvud then asked the committee to list Graziani for pillage, on
account of the systematic plundering of Addis Ababa, during the Graziani
Massacre of February 1937, and subsequently of Däbrä Libanos monastery, and
the deliberate bombing of Red Cross units. To this the committee, after discussion,
agreed.