The Impact Of WW2 1940-1943

Question 1

In 1940 was Italy prepared for war

Answer 1

No

Army poorly equipped, undermanned and badly commanded

Little industrial production dued to allied bombing raids

Question 2

War the fascist economy geared towards war

Answer 2

No

Italys GPD directed towards war production never exceeded 25%

Vital war materials not been stockpilled until June 1940

Question 3

Who was Italy reliant on

Answer 3

Germany, for coal due to shortage of oil imports

Many italian factories lacked raw materials

Led to poor rate lf weapon production

Steel production fell in wartime

Question 4

Command structures weakness

Answer 4

Lack of orginisation

Led to lack of coordination with bad results

Question 5

Mussolini weakness

Answer 5

Involved in strategy and command but made ill-informed decsions

He had little experience with war or foreign policy and failed to establish coherent strategy

Question 6

Training weakness

Answer 6

• military training was next to none

Question 7

Poor morale

Answer 7

• army was used to losing by spring 1941
• soldiers badly supplied and equipped
• unenthusiastic about the cause

Question 8

Equiptment weakness

Answer 8

Weapons inadequate

Only enough weapons to arm 1/2 units

Due to lack of planning the artillery often sent to wrong place

Question 9

Supplies weakness

Answer 9

Clothing and food rations inadequate

Question 10

What happened to opposition to mussolini after 1942

Answer 10

It grew.

100,000 workers went on strike for a week in 1943

Question 11

What did workers begin to strike about

Answer 11

Working conditions

Longer working hours, increased bombing on factories

Many factories were at a standstill due to lack of fuel and raw materials

Question 12

What was a reasons for opposition to the fascist regime

L……. S……

Answer 12

Declining living standards

Food shortages and prices shot up

Fascist propaganda fell apart in 1943. People listening to foreign radio

Question 13

What other factors added to the political and social crisis facing the regime in 1943

Answer 13

Returning soldiers spread news of poor condutions

200,000 soldiers killed at stallingrad

Italins opposed brutal methods used in greece and yugoslavia

Question 14

Was italy close to defeat by 1943

Answer 14

Yes

Allied forces landed in Sicily and making rapid advances

Most italians saw muss as the problem

They wanted muss removed and a peace agreement

Even leading fascists agreed

Question 15

Allied invasion of Sicily

Answer 15

1943

British and american soldiers

Drove italian troops from sicily after 38 days of fighting

Undermined the fascist regime. Muss deposed and arrested and italian troops withrew

Question 16

Muss deposed July 1943

Answer 16

Partly cause by the King victor emmanuel iii

Partly caused by opposition within FGC

Question 17

the fascist grand council meeting 1943

Answer 17

• hoped to pressurise members to declare their support
• leafing fascists such as Grandi saw this as an oppertunity to remove muss.
• the king would become head of FGC

Question 18

What happened during the fascist grand council meeting

Answer 18

Council voted 19-7 to support Grandi resolutiob

Question 19

What did muss do following the 1943 FGC meeting

Answer 19

Initially ignored

Then met with king in hope that he would support him

King informed muss that he belived war was lost and that muss had been replaced by Badoglio

Muss then arrested