Once the Allies agreed that the way to enter Europe and invade Germany and Italy was a detour through North Africa, they lost no time beginning the long campaign. The U.S. provided most of the soldiers in these campaigns but carried them out with soldiers and military leaders from Britain and Free France. "Free France" was the name for French soldiers, civilians, and leaders who escaped from the Nazi-imposed government of occupied France to fight with the Allies. Find out how the invasions of North Africa, then the Italian island of Sicily, and then mainland Italy itself were carried out by viewing each tab.
The First Landings
Fighting in Tunisia
On to Sicily
The Invasion of Italy
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This map of the Mediterranean shows southern Europe and North Africa. The Allied plan was to invade North Africa, work their way east, then cross the Mediterranean Sea to the island of Sicily, and go from there to nearby Italy. Operation Torch began on November 8, 1942, with Allied landings on the coasts of Morocco and Algeria, shown on the left of the map. The Allies quickly occupied both nations. See the cities of Oran and Algiers on the coast of Algeria (south of Spain)? That's where the Allies gathered their forces for an invasion of Tunisia.
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See how close Tunisia is to the island of Sicily? The Allies hoped to drive the Axis out of Tunisia, then use its ports to launch an invasion of Sicily, and then use Sicily as a base for invading Italy. British, American, and Free French forces fought the Germans in Tunisia for seven months, from November 1942 to May 1943, in desert conditions that caused great suffering for both soldiers and civilians caught in the war. But at last in the spring of 1943, the Axis armies were finally forced to surrender. Now the Allies could invade Sicily.
Sicily was a small island, but the fight over it was huge. Both the Axis and the Allies knew that if Sicily fell to the Allies, Italy would be invaded. The Allies landed on Sicily's shores on July 9, 1943, and the fighting lasted until August 17. Those six weeks of fighting took over 4,400 Allied lives. Total Axis casualties are less clear, but may be as high as 20,000 with around 100,000 men taken prisoner.
From September 3, 1943, to June 4, 1944, Allied forces fought their way from the west coast of Italy up the "boot" to Rome. The mountainous land was easy for Axis soldiers to hold, firing down on the advancing troops. There were also many rivers for the Allies to cross with all their tanks and trucks and weapons. German forces fought hard to keep the Allies from getting a foothold in Europe, but at last Rome was captured on June 4. After that, the Allies fought for another year for control of northern Italy. The campaign finally ended on May 2, 1945.
In July 1943, as Italy's defenses were being steadily torn apart in the fight against the Allies, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was losing power. Italians blamed him for starting the war in 1939 and for losing it now in 1943. He was officially dismissed by King Victor Emmanuel III and was arrested and imprisoned on July 25, 1943. German soldiers rescued him from prison in September after the new Italian government had declared war on Germany. He set up a puppet government (a government that is controlled by a foreign power) in northern Italy and lived there for two years until he was executed by Italian communists fighting the fascists on April 28, 1945.
You've learned a lot about the Allied war effort in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy that was led by the U.S. Test your knowledge by dragging the correct word or term to fill in each blank in the sentences below.
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Tunisia was the place in North Africa that was closest to the Italian island of Sicily. The Allies fought to capture Tunisia so that they could launch their invasion of Sicily from there.
Tunisia was the place in North Africa that was closest to the Italian island of Sicily. The Allies fought to capture Tunisia so that they could launch their invasion of Sicily from there.
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was the site of the heaviest fighting in North Africa.
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Algiers
Tunisia
Sicily
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Fighting up the "boot" of Italy to Rome was difficult because of the mountains and many rivers. After the initial landings on the west coast, every mile the Allies covered came at a price of many casualties.
Fighting up the "boot" of Italy to Rome was difficult because of the mountains and many rivers. After the initial landings on the west coast, every mile the Allies covered came at a price of many casualties.
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The hardest part of capturing Italy was .
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fighting up the "boot" to Rome
landing on the west coast
battling the weather
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The invasion of North Africa began on November 8, 1942, and Italy was finally entirely under Allied control by May 2, 1945.
The invasion of North Africa began on November 8, 1942, and Italy was finally entirely under Allied control by May 2, 1945.
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From start to finish, the Allied invasion of southern Europe from North Africa took year(s).
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a little over one
two
about two and a half
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Complete
