The Italian Campaign 1943-1944

The “tide” of the war was turning in favour of the Allies: After Dieppe, Canadians waited in GB for their next chance to go into battle The “tide” of the war was turning in favour of the Allies: The Battle of El Alamein (Oct-Nov. 1942) meant the end of German advances in North Africa The Battle of Stalingrad (winter 1943) ended the German advance into the Soviet Union

In July 1943, two Canadian divisions joined the assault on Italy by invading the island of Sicily

British PM Winston Churchill called Italy “the soft underbelly of Europe” Italian soldiers were surrendering in large numbers The government of Benito Mussolini was overthrown and he was executed

The new Italian PM signed an armistice with the Allies German troops flooded into northern Italy so the Allies decided to invade the mainland Canadian, British and American troops began a slow advance up the Italian peninsula Cdns took the town of Ortona – streets too narrow to use tanks Would take almost two years to take all of Italy Took Rome on June 4, 1944 but fighting in Italy would last into 1945