Figure 1.--Naples was the most important port in southern Europe and was the first major goal of the Allies when they landed (September 1943). This photo was taken in 1944 in Avellino, a town near Naples. Avellino was well south of the Gustab line and liberated by the Allies at the beginning of the Italin campaign. When this photograph was taken the Allies had pushed north and were posed to enter Rome. There was a military school in Avellino, so the soldier in the photo could be an army officer at the school. Most of the Italian Army had been seized by the Germans at the outset of the Italin campaign. He is strolling with his children. The girl is wearing a white dress and the boy a white short pants outfit. Both children wear sandals.

Much of the Italian Army was disarmed and interned by the Germans immediately after the Armistice (September 8). There was no organized resistance to the Germans. This is in part because when Marshal Badoglio fled Rome, he left the Army without orders. The Navy managed to get most of its ships out of port before the Germans could seize them. The Army, however, largely stayed in their barracks. It is unclear to what extent the Army would have fought if Badoglio had ordered them to do so. Some isolated Italian Army units did resist and when the Germans forced them to surrender, they often executed the srvivors. Most of the Army surrendered to the Germans who disarmed them and transported them to the Reich where they were interned. Thus when the Allies landed and began to move north, Italy was essentially without an army. The Allied Italian campaign aimed at knocking Italy out of the War was immediately confronted with another occupied country. The task of driving north to the Reich was thus for the most part conducted without the Italians. After the fall of Rome (June 4, 1944), there were some Italian units that had been formed and entered the fight in the north. The resistance alo played an important role in the north.

Allied Invasion (September 3-9, 1943)

Armistice (September 8, 1943)

Badoglio announced an armistice with the Allies (September 8). It was in effect a surrender to the Allies. Badoglio knew, however he had much more to fear from the Grmans thn the Allies. Fearing reprisals from the Germans, Badoglio with the King promply fleed Rome to reach Allied lines. The actual Armistice was signed on Malta. Most of the Italian Army was left without orders. A few units managed to stand together. Some went over to the Allies, such as the garrisons of Sardegna and Corsica. Others units stood with the Germans. A virtual Civil occurred within the military and the Fascist Government between pro-Axis cause and pro-Allied forces. The bulk of the Army wanted nothing more to do with the war. The Germans managed to disarm them and ship them north to POW camps in Germany before the Allies could land in force. Fascist Italy was the first Axis partner to fall to the Allies. The Armistice was unusual, because the Allies saw it as surrender, the Italians as an armistace. The most unusual part of it was usually an armistace ends the fighting. For the Italian people it was in many ways just the beginning of the fighting.

Defeated Nation

Italy despite Fascist propaganda had not been prepared for war. It was also not a rich country. There was substantial poverty in Italy before the War. The War reaked havoc on the Italian econmy. Production was diverted to support the war. Conscription adversely affected, both agricultural and indusdtrial production. The British destroyed the Italian merchant marine, cutting Italy off from both petroleum and other raw materials. The Allies by 1943 had begun bombing Italian targets. The Italian people except for Fascist loyalists wanted not part of the War. Unfortunately for the Italian people. worse was to come with Italy becoming a battlefield for the allies and Germans.

NAZIs Seize Control

Hitler was not fooled by the Badoglio's assurances that Italy would continue the War. The NAZIs also treated Italy differently than the Allies, Hitler ordered Italy occupied by the Wehrmacht which quickly moved south. The German move into Italy seriously depleting the country's strategic reserves. Coming on the heels of the defeat at Kursk, the power of the Whermacht was seriously eroding, but still capable of executing an effective delaying action in the rugged teraune of mountaneous Italy. After Badoglio announced the Armistice (September 8), the NAZIs moved quickly to seize control and disband the Italian Army. The NAZIs gave the Italians soldiers the choice of fighting with the Germans or interment. The Italian Army for the most part did not resist the Germans. The NAZIs killed thousands of Italian soldiers who did not fully cooperate at this time. Large numbers were interned and deported to the Reich.

Germans Disarm the Italian Army

Much of the Italian Army was disarmed and interned by the Germans immediately after the Armistice (September 8). There was no organized resistance to the Germans. This is in part because when Marshal Badoglio fled Rome, he left the Army without orders. The Army, however, largely stayed in their barracks. It is unclear to what extent the Army would have fought if Badoglio had ordered them to do so. Some isolated Italian Army units did resist and when the Germans forced them to surrender, they often executed the srvivors. Most of the Army surrendered to the Germans who disarmed them and transported them to the Reich where they were interned.

Italian Navy Surrenders at Malta

The Navy managed to get most of its ships out of port before the Germans could seize them. They headed for Malta where they surrendered to the Allies. This was ironic as Maltahad been one of the major objectives of the Italian Navy in the furious battles withbthe Royal Navy during 1940-41. The Lufwaffe managed to sink a few Italian vessels as they tried to reach Malta. .

Italian Air Force

Italian Campaign

When the Allies landed and began to move north, Italy was essentially without an army. The Allied Italian campaign aimed at knocking Italy out of the War was immediately confronted with another occupied country. The task of driving north to the Reich was thus for the most part conducted without the Italians.

Northern Cmpaign

After the fall of Rome (June 4, 1944), there were some Italian units that had been formed and entered the fighting in the north. The resistance alo played an important role in the north.

Created: 4:20 PM 4/17/2008
Last updated: 4:20 PM 4/17/2008