Italy's Military During WWII
_ At the outbreak of World War II Italy was badly prepared for battle against more modern adversaries. Italy had no oil production, no aircraft carriers, tanks with inadequate armor, artillery mainly of World War 1 vintage, a navy which could not target shipping at night and inferior aircraft. Mussolini had a vision of reforming the glories of the Roman Empire by regaining the territory surrounding the Mediterranean “mare nostrum”. From the outset of Italy’s intervention in WWII – Italian leadership demonstrated incompetence - 35% of Italian merchant shipping was in hostile shorelines. Italy’s main cities were also immediately bombed. Axis supply lines to Africa were continually hampered by British forces based at Malta denying Italy-German troops vital supplies.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Italy was in not ready for an offensive war. However Mussolini desperately wanted to participate in Hitler’s war and overlooked Italy's military-industrial complex in order to feed his ego. Italian industrial power was a small fraction of that of Britain, France or Germany and was not ready to produce the guns, ammunition, artillery, tanks, and trucks on the scale that was needed. At the beginning of the Italian entry into the war, its forces were equipped more in line with the First World War rather than the Second World War.
Italy's artillery included weapons of the previous century with a horse artillery and many leftovers from World War I. The newer models, while very effective were never made in large enough numbers. Modern tanks were virtually non-existent at the start of Italy's war effort and had more lightly armored vehicles and "tankettes". By the time Italy started producing better tanks and mobile artillery that could compete with the allied weapons it was too late to make a difference.
Towards the end of World War II, when Italy surrendered to the Allies, many Italians ended up fighting the Nazis or each other (fascists v non fascists/partisans). Mussolini himself when he was captured by partisans near the Italian border as he tried to seek refuge in Switzerland shortly before Germany surrendered to the Allies. Italy became an official republic on June 2, 1946 but the battle between right and left wing political ideas has never been resolved.
Italy's World War II was not very fond. The war in the 1940 were met with despair by Mussolini, he wanted to fight the Allies but had no weaponry or skill that was used in the wars of the mid-20th century. Italy's army tried to take control of the Mediterranean in the 1940's but its soldiers lacked confidence and moral making them basically useless in the war. As Italy fought Greece for the Mediterranean, the Greeks were fighting for their homeland and the Italians were just fighting for a place to win a war. The Greeks fought and defeated the Italians. Because of this, the Italians lost even more moral and did not have the will to fight on.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Italy was in not ready for an offensive war. However Mussolini desperately wanted to participate in Hitler’s war and overlooked Italy's military-industrial complex in order to feed his ego. Italian industrial power was a small fraction of that of Britain, France or Germany and was not ready to produce the guns, ammunition, artillery, tanks, and trucks on the scale that was needed. At the beginning of the Italian entry into the war, its forces were equipped more in line with the First World War rather than the Second World War.
Italy's artillery included weapons of the previous century with a horse artillery and many leftovers from World War I. The newer models, while very effective were never made in large enough numbers. Modern tanks were virtually non-existent at the start of Italy's war effort and had more lightly armored vehicles and "tankettes". By the time Italy started producing better tanks and mobile artillery that could compete with the allied weapons it was too late to make a difference.
Towards the end of World War II, when Italy surrendered to the Allies, many Italians ended up fighting the Nazis or each other (fascists v non fascists/partisans). Mussolini himself when he was captured by partisans near the Italian border as he tried to seek refuge in Switzerland shortly before Germany surrendered to the Allies. Italy became an official republic on June 2, 1946 but the battle between right and left wing political ideas has never been resolved.
Italy's World War II was not very fond. The war in the 1940 were met with despair by Mussolini, he wanted to fight the Allies but had no weaponry or skill that was used in the wars of the mid-20th century. Italy's army tried to take control of the Mediterranean in the 1940's but its soldiers lacked confidence and moral making them basically useless in the war. As Italy fought Greece for the Mediterranean, the Greeks were fighting for their homeland and the Italians were just fighting for a place to win a war. The Greeks fought and defeated the Italians. Because of this, the Italians lost even more moral and did not have the will to fight on.