Character Relationship Map: Attack and Retreat

Characters

• Sermonti (played by Andrea Checchi) — supporting

  Colonel who led the Italian regiment to the Eastern Front. His troops initial enthusiasm faded due to harsh conditions and stalled offensives. He eventually became a Soviet prisoner of war.

• Collodi (played by Gino Pernice) — supporting

  A Tuscan typesetter among the Italian soldiers who perished due to a comrade thoughtless action.

• sicilian (played by Vincenzo Polizzi) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Sermonti → sicilian (Professional Commander And Soldier) — The Sicilian served under Sermonti during the Eastern Front campaign.

  Sermonti led the Italian regiment, and the Sicilian soldier was among the troops who later retreated and became connected to the colonel's captivity.

• Sermonti → Collodi (Professional Commander And Soldier) — Sermonti commanded the regiment in which Collodi served.

  Sermonti led the Italian regiment sent to the Soviet Union, while Collodi was identified as one of the Italian soldiers within that group.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Collodi → sicilian (Social Fellow Soldiers) — They belong to the same endangered military community.

  Both Collodi and the Sicilian are presented as members of the Italian troops serving in the same campaign on the Eastern Front.

Story Analysis

An Italian regiment's Eastern Front campaign transforms initial enthusiasm into battlefield exhaustion, retreat, captivity, and collective loss.

Plot Progression

1. March Toward the East — Sermonti leads the Italian regiment into the Soviet Union with initial enthusiasm. The vast landscape and worsening weather begin to challenge the troops.
2. Alliance Under Strain — The Italians face hostile local conditions, difficult battles, and mistreatment by German forces. Their relationship with their supposed allies becomes increasingly strained.
3. Morale in Collapse — The stalled offensive near Moscow damages the soldiers' morale. The deaths of Loris and Collodi make the campaign's human cost personal and undeniable.
4. The Don Counteroffensive — After joining the 8th Italian Army, the troops support the second summer offensive. A Soviet counteroffensive forces them to defend the Don River.
5. Retreat and Captivity — The Italian position collapses and the troops retreat. Sermonti and the Sicilian become Soviet prisoners, closing the campaign with defeat and loss.