Italian Campaign

A Dictionary of World History

Italian Campaign (July 1943–May 1945) The World War II military campaign in which Allied troops liberated Italy. Following the NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGNS, MONTGOMERY and PATTON prepared British and US troops to invade Sicily. The landing was launched (July 1943) from Malta, and by the end of the month both the island's principal cities, Palermo and Catania, were captured: on the mainland MUSSOLINI was deposed and arrested. The German army under KESSELRING was withdrawn from Sicily and British and US forces landed in southern Italy (September 1943). An armistice was signed, ending hostilities between the Anglo-American forces and those of the new government of BADOGLIO. A third surprise Allied landing on the “heel” of Italy captured the two ports of Taranto and Brindisi, and on 13 October 1943 Italy declared war on Germany. A large and well-organized partisan force now harassed the Germans, but reinforcements successfully reached Kesselring, who took a stand at Monte Cassino (late 1943), site of the ancient monastery of St Benedict. The Allies decided to by-pass this, landing 50,000 men at Anzio (January 1944), south of Rome, while also bombing the monastery, which was finally captured (May 1944) by Polish troops. Rome fell (June 1944), and Florence was captured after bitter fighting (August 1944). The Germans consolidated in the River Po valley and fought a hard battle through the autumn of 1944. In April 1945 the Allied armies launched their final attacks, and on 2 May ALEXANDER accepted the surrender of the whole German army group serving in northern Italy and southern Austria.

Find more facts and information related to the .
© A Dictionary of World History 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000.

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	German Army Seeks to Repair Image After Soldiers' Extremist Acts ; ...extremism have damaged the reputation of the German army and embarrassed efforts by Chancellor...individuals to drag the standing of the German army through the mud," said Defense Minister...prejudices. But neo-Nazi incidents in the German army have not been confined to soldiers ... Read more
	The German Army: Operations And Transformation ; ...after the end of the World War II, a new German army was established in the free Western...determinants and key factors that shape the German army. Approximately 6,500 male and female...has characterized the history of the German army over the past decades. This is for good... Read more
	Clinton honors veterans of bloody Italian campaign. (Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers) ; ...silver-haired American boys of the Italian campaign. They saw Sicily, Salerno and Anzio...a much grander invasion, but the Italian campaign helped make it possible by keeping...tight formation. And the boys from the Italian campaign, dressed in sport coats and ties... Read more
	Battle for the Ruhr: The German Army's Final Defeat in the West.(Book review) ; Battle for the Ruhr: The German Army's Final Defeat in the West. By...Zumbro examines the final months of German Army Group B and graphically portrays...published Battle for the Ruhr: The German Army's Final Defeat in the West. The... Read more
	Frontline frauleins; German army trains 150 women for combat after equality ruling. ; ...fanatic, had been turned away by the German army. Instead of admitting defeat, she fought...allow frontline woman. Since then, the German army has been hurriedly changing dormitories...future the first woman general in the German army.' In Britain, the Ministry of Defence... Read more
	Ludendorff's own story; August 1914 - November 1918; the Great War from the Siege of Liege to the signing of the Armistice as viewed from the grand headquarters of the German army. (reprint, 1918).(Brief article)(Book review) ; ...the Armistice as viewed from the grand headquarters of the German army. (reprint, 1918) Ludendorff, Erich von. Scholar's Bookshelf...account by Ludendorff, who was a Quartermaster-General of the German Army during World War I. He recounts in detail the war from this... Read more
	German army regroups.(Technology Watch)(Brief Article) ; ...reorganize its army, say U.S. military observers. Since World War II, the German army has been structured and equipped to provide homeland defense and disaster assistance. German Army 2020, an internal planning document leaked to the Pentagon, outlines... Read more
	Hitler's African Victims: The German Army Massacres of Black French Soldiers in 1940.(Book review) ; Hitler's African Victims The German Army Massacres of Black French Soldiers in...campaign against France in 1940, the German army massacred several thousand black POWs...the debates on the Nazification of the German army during World War II and places them... Read more
	EADS commands [euro]23 M German army contract.(INTERNATIONAL REPORT)(European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V.) ; EADS is to supply the German army with software valued at [euro]23 M for its modern army command...strength while satisfying both the new NATO requirements and the German army's extended range of missions. The new system will be introduced... Read more
	Disobedience and Conspiracy in the German Army, 1918-1945.(Book Review) ; DISOBEDIENCE AND CONSPIRACY IN THE GERMAN ARMY, 1918-1945, Robert B. Kane, McFarland & Co., Jefferson...259 pages, $45.00. In Disobedience and Conspiracy in the German Army, 1918-1945, Robert B. Kane investigates why some German military... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	Italian Campaign Italian Campaign (World War II) (1943–...responded by disarming all Italian troops in the area which...head of the newly created Italian Social Republic (of Sal...Brindisi. On 13 October 1943 the Italian government officially declared... Read more
	Italian campaign Italian campaign (see Maps 53–5). This period...CIGS), General Brooke . The aim of an Italian campaign was to distract German forces from...the operational level, the aim of the Italian campaign was never clearly stated. All planners... Read more
	World War II, The Surrender of the Italian Army World War II, The Surrender of the Italian Army █ JUDSON KNIGHT The Allied victory in Italy, beginning with the surrender of the Italian government in 1943 and continuing through the conclusion...various units engaged in psychological warfare, and the Italian partisans who fought to regain control of ... Read more
	East African campaign East African campaign (see Map 27). Soon...on 10 June 1940, Italian forces, which had...the Western Desert campaigns when they defeated the Tenth Italian Army at Sidi Barrani...decisive battle of the campaign. Italian losses included... Read more
	Dodecanese Islands campaign Dodecanese Islands campaign, fought on and amongst this group of Italian islands in the Aegean Sea...being part of the group. The Italians had an air base on Rhodes...persuade the 30,000-strong Italian garrison to round up the...the Germans attacked the Italians who immediately ... Read more

See all related entries