italy second world war

Italia

Italia

The participation of Italy in theSecond WorldWarwas characterized by a complex framework of ideology, politics and diplomacy, in which its military history took place often heavily influenced by external factors. The imperial ambitions of the Fascist regime, which aspired to restore a "Roman Empire" in theMediterranean,soon shattered as poor military planning caused defeatsin GreeceandEastandNorth Africa. Italy quickly became a satellite of Nazi Germany, until in 1943 dictatorBenitoMussoliniwas ousted and arrested by order of KingVictor Emmanuel III, originating a longcivil war. The northern half of the country was occupied by Germans and made acollaborationist puppetstate (withmore than 600,000 soldiers), while the south was governed by monarchist and liberal forces, which fought for the Allied cause in theItalian Co-Belligerent Army(at its height numbering more than 50,000 men), helped by circa350,000partisansof disparate political ideologies that operated all over occupied Italy.Italys EntranceOn June10,1940,Italydeclared war on France and Britain, largely because its Fascist prime minister,Benito Mussolini, had territorial and imperial ambitions of his own. At this time, Britain had already evacuated from Dunkirk, and German troops were moving steadily toward Pariswhich meant it was too late for Italian forces to take a serious part in the battle. Hitler himself observed with annoyance that the Italians were in effect riding on his coattails so as to share in the spoils without having to take part in the dirty work. Nevertheless, Germany and Italy were soon allied together as theAxis Powers, and Italys entrance into the war set off a chain reaction that brought war to much of the Mediterranean region.

Italian Conquests in Africa

Following its war declaration, Italy made its first movesinNorthAfricaand other regions of the southern Mediterranean. On June11,1940, the Italian air force attacked Malta, while, on the same day, British planes carried out a small bombing raid on the Italian colony of Eritrea (in Africa) as well as on the Italian cities of Genoa and Turin. Skirmishes continued in Africa throughout the summer, but the war there did not begin in earnest until August3, when Italian forces invadedBritishSomaliland. This attack marked the opening of theEast Africa campaignand was a total defeat for Britain, which was forced to abandon the area within days.

A second Italian offensive into British-occupiedEgypton September13was a catastrophic failure. Although heavily outnumbered, the British defenders decimated the Italian forces, taking large numbers of prisoners and advancing well into Italian-held territory. This Italian defeat prompted Germany to get involved by sending its best tank divisions under the command of FieldMarshalErwinRommel, Germanys most celebrated commander of mechanized forces.

Greece
The Italian invasion ofGreecebegan on October28,1940, using forces based in Albania. Mussolini began the attack without consulting or even informing Hitler, who was incensed upon hearing the news. Greece, a country of difficult, mountainous terrain, also had a respectable army that fought the Italians doggedly. In November, Greek forces broke through the Italian line and over the next few months were able gradually to push the invaders back to the Albanian border. It was not long before Britain began providing air support in Greeces defense. As in Egypt, Mussolini had bitten off more than his military could chew. Germany, however, bided its time and allowed the Italians to flounder.

Germanys Intervention
By March1941, the situation for the Italians had deteriorated so badly that Hitler was finally forced to step in. This decision raised a new problem, however, in that neutralYugoslaviarefused to grant German forces permission to cross its territory. Therefore, on April6, Germany invaded Yugoslavia using its standard blitzkrieg method. Yugoslavia surrendered on April17, and the German forces quickly moved onward to Greece.
By this time, Britain had forces on the ground in Greece to help the fight against the Germans. The British help was not enough, however, and by the end of April, all British forces had evacuated Greece, and the country fell totally under German control. One more battle broke out when the Luftwaffe struck the British garrison on the island ofCreteon May20. Heavy fighting followed, but by the end of the month, the British again had to evacuate.

Italys Effect on the War
Italys two early campaignsNorth Africa and Greecewere similar in that they both were marked by early success but later became quagmires. In both cases, Germany had to intervene and, as a result, committed forces that were badly needed elsewhere. However, whereas Greece was a relatively short campaign, lasting only a few months, the war in the deserts of North Africa would go on for years. The desert war would become one of the major campaigns of World War II, involving large numbers of forces and dramatic battles. The Italian entrance into the war thus greatly expanded its geographical scope and had significant influence on Germanys decision making.

Erwin Rommel- German field marshal and tank specialist; helped Italian forces in Egypt; was also involved in later North African campaigns

An RAF Airman places a cross, made from the wreckage of an Aircraft, over a grave on December 27, 1940, containing the bodies of five Italian Airmen shot down in the Desert Battle atMersaMatruhon October 31, 1940.http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/ww2_12/s_w05_01227016.jpgA wounded German officer, found in the Egyptian desert during the first two days of a Italian offensive, is guarded by a sentry while awaiting backup, on November 13, 1942.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/ww2_12/s_w24_11130127.jpg
Italian gunners man their light field piece in a field of Tunisian cactus, on March 31, 1943.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/ww2_12/s_w39_30331198.jpg

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italy second world war

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