Impact of the Second World War, 1940-43 Flashcards
What was Mussolini’s plan in France?
To invade over the alps using tanks
Why did the invasion of France go so wrong?
Troops were not supplied with appropriate clothing and many died from frostbite, tanks were not suitable for the terrain
What did Italy try to do in Gibraltar?
Launched bombing raids of the base in order to try and take control, however this was unsuccessful
Why did Italy fail in Gibraltar?
The British had naval superiority and Gibraltar had underground bunkers and tunnels that allowed the allies to be safe
What was Mussolini’s plan for Greece?
Planned to invade to prevent German influence, Invaded with 60,000 men, German assistance was later needed causing humiliation
What were some of the reasons for failure in Greece?
British bombers, the Greek army was 300,000 however this was only believed to be 30,000, no clear strategy or co-op between the navy and air force despite Mussolini controlling both
What happened in North Africa?
Wanted to gain more colonies, so invaded Egypt through Libya to get the Suez canal. Defeated by Britain and helped by Germany
Why did Italy fail in North Africa?
Lack of morale, 380,000 soldiers surrendered, miscalculated strength of British as a counter attack caused a mass retreat, the British had better tactics and equipment, Italians were mainly from WW1
What did Italy do in the USSR?
Helped the German campaign by sending 200,000 troops, 85,000 men died
Why did the Italians fail in the USSR?
Lack of proper equipment, Russian winter was too harsh for the Italian soldiers
What were some of the economic issues in Italy during the war?
Lacked raw fuels and materials, imported 1.5 million tonnes of oil from Romania, depended on German coal, USA could produce more aircraft in a week than Italy could in a year
At what percentage was the Italian economy working at during the war and how many people were unemployed?
Only working at around 25%, did not increase GDP, still had tens of thousands of unemployed whereas other countries moved to around 100 percent employment
What were some domestic/social issues in Italy during the war?
Food was rationed at very low levels, only had around 1,000 calories a day, hard to get bread and pasta and soap, shoes and heating in short supply
What event was considered the straw that broke the camels back?
Allied invasion of Sicily, July 1943
What happened in the Allied invasion of Sicily?
Troops landed on the island with little opposition, captured half the island after a week, allied planes bombed Rome and by August the island was captured. Hitler refused to move troops to help
