The 8th Army had broken through this line by September, but deteriorating weather slowed operations to a crawl. However, a German counter-attack during the winter was repulsed.
In the winter and spring of , extensive partisan activity took place behind the German lines in northern Italy. But many locals backed the Allies and the pro-Allied Italian government in Rome.
As a result, the struggle here took on the characteristics of a civil war. Allied special forces and commandos provided direction and arms to the partisans, sabotaging lines of supply and communication, and pinpointing targets for air strikes. But the Germans, along with Italian fascists, carried out many reprisals against civilians suspected of supporting the partisans and Allies.
The front remained largely static until 9 April , when British forces attacked in the east. This was followed five days later by an American assault in the west. Cutting through enemy resistance, the attacks converged on Bologna, which fell on 21 April. Mussolini, who had earlier been rescued from Italian captivity by German commandos, retreated north with the Germans and their ISR allies.
But he was captured by partisans and executed on 28 April The following day, the Germans in Italy surrendered to the Allies. The Italian campaign had come to be seen by the Allies as a massive holding attack. It would force the Germans to keep a high proportion of their strength in the Mediterranean theatre and make the task of Allied forces elsewhere easier. This strategy was always controversial.
It could equally be argued that the Germans were tying down Allied forces, which might have been better employed elsewhere. Yet, for most of the last 14 months of the war, the Germans deployed more divisions in Italy than the Allies.
This was despite the fact that the Allies were the attacking force. German casualties for the Italian campaign were around ,, while those of the Allies totalled , Second World War Europe s. The grim struggle that rolled back and forth across the North African desert from to resulted in the first major Allied victory of the Second World War. D-Day, 6 June , marked the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy, the greatest amphibious operation in history.
D-Day enabled the Allies to establish a foothold on the beaches of Normandy. But they still faced the task of breaking out, pushing the Germans back and liberating France. During , the Allies endured months of fighting against a determined enemy. This bloody struggle eventually ended in the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
In the Axis powers invaded Yugoslavia and Greece. British and Commonwealth intervention and evacuation followed before a vicious partisan conflict began. During the Second World War, Britain created a range of special units who undertook a variety of daring operations against the Axis Powers.
The bravery and commitment of these forces has become the stuff of legend. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Be the first to hear about our latest events, exhibitions and offers. Simply enter your email address below to start receiving our monthly email newsletter. To find out more about how we collect, store and use your personal information, read our Privacy Policy.
National Army Museum 10am - 5. Toggle navigation. Second World War The battle for Italy For almost two years during the Second World War , the Allies fought an attritional campaign in Italy against a resolute and skilful enemy. View this object. British troops moving through a smoke screen towards Monastery Hill at Cassino, A soft underbelly? Map of Italy, A Sherman tank moving down to the River Sangro, November Allied disagreement However, the Americans were not convinced.
Tough old gut Although the Allied attack on Italy made the Italians surrender and tied down German strength, it did not lead to the strategic results the British had hoped for. Using a 4. Using a Vickers machine gun, Italy, Rough terrain The Germans fought doggedly in terrain crossed by rivers and mountains well suited for defence. Crossing the River Melfa, Italy, May Gurkha wounded being evacuated by mule, Italy, Indian soldiers patrolling an Italian mountain trail, Infantry and tanks moving along a track, May Holding the enemy Yet, the achievements of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean were by no means inconsiderable.
Take the Allied invasion of Italy in September About everything that could go wrong, did. A military operation that aimed high suddenly collapsed, and optimistic prospects for success gave way to desperate attempts to stave off catastrophe. All the omens seemed favorable. The Allies had just successfully overrun Sicily and were dominant on land, sea, and in the air.
German armies were bleeding to death in the Soviet Union. An internal revolt in Italy had overthrown Mussolini, and the new Italian government of Marshal Pietro Badoglio was putting out peace feelers.
The Allies wanted to take advantage. Sadly, not one of these rosy assumptions was true. While the Italians tried to time their surrender to the moment of the Allied landing, it was easier said than done. The news came as a bolt out of the blue to the Italian army, with commanders and men alike completely in the dark and without clear orders. One party did have clear orders, however: the Germans.
Clark landed near Salerno, miles up the western coast of the Italian boot. He was as confused as anyone, therefore, when his troops ran into searing fire from the moment they hit the beach. Despite Allied air superiority across Italy, it took Allied soldiers four grueling battles over several months to break through heavily fortified Monte Cassino and the Gustav Line. However, in a controversial and little-understood decision, U. General Mark Clark contravened his orders by moving northwest to capture Rome instead of cutting off the German soldiers retreating from Cassino.
His decision allowed a sizable German army to escape and possibly squandered an opportunity for a quick resolution of the grinding Italian Campaign. Six Allied divisions were removed from Italy to support landings in southern France.
Further Allied advances in Italy were slow and hampered by heavy autumn rains. The Allied High Command ordered that priority be given to pinning down as many German divisions as possible for the duration of the war, rather than pressing the Italian offensive further. Allied soldiers had pushed across the Po Valley in northern Italy when German forces in Italy finally surrendered on May 2, , two days after the collapse of Berlin.
The Allied campaign in Italy, launched with some optimism after the Allied victory in North Africa in , turned into a brutal, protracted, and costly slog. American casualties at Anzio alone were 59, The difficult combat at places like Monte Cassino pushed many soldiers to their breaking point. After the Italian fascist regime fell from power and was replaced by a new government friendly to the Allies, the battle for Italy became an extended bloodletting between tenacious Allied troops and steadfast German forces.
It ended only when the war in Europe ended. By then, more than , U. German casualties totaled around , But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. In March , during World War I , British and French forces launched an ill-fated naval attack on Turkish forces in the Dardanelles in northwestern Turkey, hoping to take control of the strategically vital strait separating Europe from Asia.
The failure of the Toward the end of the 14th century A.
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