Recent revelations in historical research have brought to light five handwritten documents prepared by Benito Mussolini for his meeting with Adolf Hitler in Austria on April 22, 1944. These documents were lost after World War II in 1945 and include critical notes that Mussolini intended to discuss during the meeting. At that time, Italy was deeply divided, facing the consequences of Allied landings that aimed to invade Europe starting from the vulnerable Italian peninsula.

Mussolini was on his way to the Klessheim Castle, near Salzburg, to meet with Hitler, who had annexed Austria in 1938. The agenda was centered around three critical issues for Mussolini's fascist regime: the state of the military forces, the political landscape, and the precarious economic situation of Italy. As the war progressed unfavorably for Italy, Mussolini was increasingly aware of his diminished power, having already been arrested and confined, which heightened the urgency of addressing these issues with his German ally.

The reappearance of these documents could have significant implications for understanding the dynamics between Mussolini and Hitler during this critical period of the war, offering historians new insights into the decisions and strategies pursued by the Italian dictator. It raises questions about how these discussions may have influenced Italy's eventual surrender and the broader context of World War II in Europe, cementing the importance of such documents in the historical narrative of fascist Italy.