Failures in France, North Africa, the Mediterranean

Question 1

1940

Answer 1

Italy’s entry into war based on concept of ‘parallel war’; Italian would concentrate on Mediterranean basin and hinterland and northern Africa; Germans would concentrate on north, east and central Europe

Question 2

17 June 1940

Answer 2

France requested armistice with Germany even before Italians attacked French territory

Question 3

18 June 1940

Answer 3

Mussolini met with Hitler and set out Italy’s demands for Corsica, Savoy, Nice, Tunisia etc
Hitler said he did not want to punish France too harshly; French troops may defect to Britain; Mussolini afraid of pushing Italian claims without Italians doing any fighting

Question 4

20 June 1940

Answer 4

Italian troops advanced into French Alps; revealed that troops lacked proper clothing and bombs; Mussolini insisted on tanks but were insufficient for terrain
Italians captured 13 unimportant villages, 631 Italians died

Question 5

22 June 1940

Answer 5

French government signed armistice with Germany; Italian papers claimed Italy’s intervention helped France decide on the armistice
Mussolini wanted short war that would provide benefits with little cost

Question 6

7 July 1940

Answer 6

Ciano met with Hitler; he said Italy could not gain territorial benefits until Britain defeated
Mussolini ordered temporary demobilisation of Italian troops; believed war was almost over

Question 7

October 1940

Answer 7

Italian forces in Libya attacked Britain positions; had success crossing towards Suez Canal but this was tactical British retreat

Question 8

December 1940

Answer 8

British counter attack; Italians into mass retreat.

Question 9

1941

Answer 9

Italian force of 250,000 defeated by 30,000 better equipped British

Question 10

May 1941

Answer 10

Italy lost Eritrea, Somalia and Abyssinia
380,000 Italian troops surrendered and taken prisoner; countered fascist propaganda which detailed transformation of Italy into a military nation willing to die il Duce
British advance into Libra halted by German troops under command of General Erwin Rommel
Signalled end of parallel war concept; Germany had to engage in areas where Hitler hoped Italians would do
the fighting

Question 11

October 1942

Answer 11

Rommel’s forces in retreat after defeat

Question 12

May 1943

Answer 12

German-Italian Axis surrendered in North Africa; Libya was lost and Allies preparing for invasion of Italy from Tunisia

Question 13

May 1943; strategy

Answer 13

Mediterranean: Italian strategy proved confusing and inadequate
Mussolini had no consistent strategy for attacking key British positions in Mediterranean
British bases in Malta, Gibraltar or Alexandria faced no sustained attack

Question 14

poor coordination

Answer 14

Italian navy crippled by British air attack on November 1940
Poor coordination between air force and navy (July 1940: air force bombed its own ships)
1943: Italy failed to achieve any of the aims of the parallel war
Army was inadequate for requirements of WW2