he was italy's envoy to the holy see starting 7 november 1939, and five months later to nazi germany (where he often met adolf hitler). while there, he was constantly helping out italian workers and consulate staff. as the war progressed and italy needed help, he attempted to solicit material aid from germany but despite assurances little came of it. when the war began to deteriorate for the axis, he wrote communiques and expressed verbally to mussolini that the germans simply saw italy as a buffer state from the encroaching allies and urged the duce to seek peace with the allies while simultaneously assuring the germans that italy was not betraying them. he was urgently called to rome in 1943 by members of the grand council in order to participate in a meeting. it is unclear as to whether he truly realized what was being proposed at the meeting. a member of the grand council of fascism, he supposedly supported dino grandi's coup d'état in july 1943, that led to the fall from power of the italian fascist government after 21 years and the arrest of mussolini. when the wehrmacht occupied italy (see operation achse), alfieri fled to switzerland to save his life.