The Italian Campaign - MR. MYERS · 2020. 3. 14. · 1945 April 21-The Allies slowly advanced toward the Gothic Line, another German defence. On April 9, British forces attacked in

The Italian Campaign1943-1945

By: Ilana Zariski, Ella Gibson, and Samantha Gorski

Background● After defeating the Axis forces in North Africa, the Allies

again moved into the European mainland● British and American forces agreed that an invasion of

Italy would be the next logical step● Their goal was that the invasion of Sicily would lead to the

fall of Mussolini● Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, believed that

they would be attacking "the soft underbelly of Europe" (Axelrod).

Thesis

The Italian Campaign’s key European battles aimed to weaken Axis opposition by gaining control of the Mediterranean and other surrounding territories, effectively securing access to air bases necessary in the aerial fight against the Axis powers, significantly weakening Germany’s power and leading to their defeat in Italy.

Allied Goals of the Invasion of Italy● Expand control over the Mediterranean● Open a second front on the mainland of Europe

○ To relieve pressure on the Soviets○ Provide air bases closer to bombing targets

(Bolte)

Logic Behind Backing● Winston Churchill, British prime minister,

fully backed campaign due to wanting a united front in the Mediterranean

● Americans, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, thought that battles such as Operation Overlord should take precedence

(Axelrod)

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(Popular Culture: 1950s)

Logic Behind Backing Continued...● Joseph Stalin ultimately backed

the campaign with the motivation that the attacks in Italy would distract the Germans from the Soviet front and France

● Overall, Churchill’s logic won over

(Axelrod)

(Popular Culture: 1950s)

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1943July 10-Allies entered Italy on the south coast of Sicily. (Axelrod)

July 22-Axis forces started to evacuate Sicily. This allowed the US forces to move to Palermo. (Axelrod)

July 25-The Fascist Grand Council overthrew Mussolini and was later arrested after being replaced by Maresciallo d'Italia Pietro Badoglio. (Benito)(Bolte)

1943

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1943August 17-Axis troops moved toward the Straits of Messina in order to evacuate to the Italian mainland. The evacuation was complete on August 17. (Axelrod)

September 3-British forces crossed the strait of Messina. British troops planned to land at Taranto and Allied troops moved toward Salerno. (Axelrod)

(Italian Campaign Timeline)

1943

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1943-1944September 8-12-Hitler moves 16 German divisions into Italy, during armistice “distraction”, and takes control over Italy and most of its army and navy. (Bolte)

September 8-Badoglio signs an armistice with the Allied troops. (Benito)

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1943-1944 Continued...September 28-Germans withdrew and established the Gustav Line, a defensive zone in the West. (Axelrod)

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September 12-Mussolini is rescued by German commandos and was then installed as head of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) in northern Italy. (Bolte)

1943-1944

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1944May 11-After three unsuccessful attacks, the Allies attacked between Cassino and the sea. The Allied forces broke through the Gustav Line after a week. (Axelrod)

May 23- June 4-Allies that were in the town of Anzio moved toward Rome instead of stopping the German retreat. The Allied troops arrived in Rome on June 4, while the Germans were able to completely retreat. (Axelrod)

1944

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1945April 21-The Allies slowly advanced toward the Gothic Line, another German defence. On April 9, British forces attacked in the east with American forces in the East. The attacks moved toward Bologna, causing its fall on April 21. (Axelrod)

April 26-The Allies captured Verona.(Axelrod)

April 25-The Fifth army and Eighth army met at Finale nell’Emilia after eliminating the last German forces. (Bolte)

(Brent)

1945

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1945April 28-Mussolini joined the German retreat, but was then captured by Italian officers. Mussolini was executed on April 28. (Axelrod)

April 29-Germans surrendered and agreed to cessation of hostilities on May 2.(Italian Campaign Timeline)

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Successes of the Italian Campaign and Analysis● Allies reconquered the Mediterranean● Reconquered Northwestern Europe● Drew tension away from Soviet and French fronts● Drove Germany out of Italy, successfully weakening

their powerThe overall goal the Allies wanted was to successfully stop the Axis powers (mainly Germany) from reaching the Soviet and French fronts. This goal was accomplished by utilizing all of the different countries in the Allied powers well, to effectively weaken Germany

Works CitedAxelrod, Alan. “Italian Campaign.” Encyclopedia of World War II, Vol. 2, Facts On File, 2013. History Research Center, online.infobase.com/Article/Details/264995?q=Italian Campaign. Accessed 2017.

D'Este, Carlo. Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1988.

"Italian Peninsular Campaign." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2017, worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/309766. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.

Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Vol. 9, Sicily-Salerno-Anzio, January 1943-June 1944. Boston: Little, Brown, 1954.

Smyth, Howard McGraw, and Albert N. Garland. Sicily and the Surrender of Italy. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1965.

"BBC - History - World Wars: Animated Map: The Italian Campaign." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

Bolte, Philip L. "Sicily and Invasion of Italy." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. www.pbs.org/thewar/detail_5212.htm>.

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Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. “World War II on the Italian Front.” Wars in the Early 20th Century (1900 to 1950), Facts On File, 2015. History Research Center, online.infobase.com/Article/Details/207762?q=italian campaign. Accessed 2017.

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N.p., n.d. Web. encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsBw1KQmknV8TyGePHzw-CJh6A5Oijnxgs0-ZrR0DvwEF5OEGhyd8Q0-N5>.

N.p., n.d. Web. www.breguet.com/en/timeline/1864-1969/distinguished-patrons/sir-winston-churchill-7185>.

"Popular Culture: 1950s." Reading Comprehension For ESL Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. readingworkbook.blogspot.co.uk/>.

N.p., n.d. Web. winstonchurchill-quotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Sir%2BWinston%2BS%2BChurchill.jpg>.