The first nuclei of what later became the Republican Army, they were not established after the proclamation of the Social Republic, much less by imposition by the Germans, but they arose spontaneously in the hours immediately following the spread of the news that the armistice had been signed.
How many soldiers were there in those moments of absurd blindness of the commanders, they decided freely, in complete autonomy to refuse capitulation without a fight and to take the courageous and tragic decision not to accept change head on?
Certainly all the militia battalions rebelled, except one. The sailors of the Decima Flottiglia Mas refused the dishonor, the Nembo paratroopers stationed in Sardinia and Southern Italy, the submariners based in Bordeaux, which we will talk about later and numerous other departments, including the army located inside and outside the Italian borders. However, it was not just entire departments led by officers who made this difficult choice, but often single young people who, in complete autonomy, by the thousands, they showed up one by one at the German commands asking to be welcomed as volunteers so as not to pass weapons and baggage with the enemy.
When Mussolini proclaimed the Italian Social Republic, found himself already ready for the most total obedience at least 180.000 men (186.000 according to Battistelli and Molinari in the essay “the Armed Forces of the RSI) which were the basis for the new army even before Marshal Graziani, appointed Minister of Defense, gave rise to the reorganization of the Armed Forces with soldiers trained in Germany (12000 between officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers chosen from the tens of thousands who had asked to join the RSI)and with the class's call to arms 1924 e 1925.
A small parenthesis, contrary to what is repeated to underline the imposition that was made on young people to present themselves to arms, it must be said that the response was instead enthusiastic against all expectations. Official data were never released after the war, for obvious reasons, Pisanò says from in-depth research done that the resistance did not overcome the 5 percent.
Here is the testimony taken from the general's book, well-known scholar of military matters, Emilio Canevari “Graziani told me”: The turnout of recruits was enormous, unprecedentedly there were almost no draft dodgers, while the Carabinieri almost no longer exist, it certainly couldn't be said that the turnout in the districts had been determined by fear of sanctions.(…)in first place was Emilia col 98 (I say ninety-eight) percent of those presented. This is perhaps not the best indication of the favor with which the constitution of the new government was welcomed by the people?”
By the end of 1944 others had presented themselves for enlistment 350.000.
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source – https://www.ereticamente.net/2015/03/gli-uomini-che-scelsero-lonore.html