An Italian newspaper has come under fire after it distributed free copies of an annotated version of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Milan daily Il Giornale offered the book for free to whoever bought the newspaper and first instalment of William Shirer's `'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."
The newspaper is currently publishing volumes exploring Third Reich history.
Italy’s prime minister Matteo Renzi described the newspaper as “squalid” but the owners defended the decision by arguing that reading the book is the "true antidote to the toxins of national socialism."
Editor Alessandro Sallusti stressed the version available to readers included critical commentary by an Italian professor of contemporary history.
Mr Sallusti added he wanted to make people understand "where and why absolute evil was born".
However, he acknowledged that protests over the publication were "legitimate" and even "understandable."
One Jewish community leader, Renzo Gattegna, expressed outrage at the promotion and described it as `'indecent" of Il Giornale to publish Hitler’s writings.
Hitler wrote the book, which translates as "My Struggle", in 1924 while he was in prison for a failed coup against the new German Republic.
Additional reporting by Reuters
