On 25 April 1945, at 2pm, the insurrection that would liberate Milan from fascist rule officially began.

The date and time had been declared two days earlier, the same day that rail workers in the city declared an indefinite strike. The next day, local GAPs (Patriotic Action Groups) attacked fascist barracks in the city in broad daylight.

By the evening of 25 April, Milan’s main public buildings, radio station, newspaper and military offices were all occupied by partisans. Despite a few fascist holdouts, the city was under full partisan control by April 27 with the Allies arriving in the city two days later.