What was the impact of the decision to enter WWII on the Nazi's side Flashcards
1
Q
Failures in France, North Africa and the Meditteranean
What concept was Italy’s decision to enter WWII based on?
A
- A parallel war.
- Italy would concentrate on the Meditteranean and North Afirca while Germany concentrates on North, Central and Eastern Europe.
- Successful campaigns at first successful, but it later failed.
2
Q
Failures
Invasion of France
A
- June 17th 1940 = France requested an armistice with Germany, even before Italian invasion.
- June 18 = Mussolini outlined his demands to Hitler for countries like Corsica, Somalia and Cyprus. However, Hitler didn’t wish to punish France too harshly that they deflects to Britain whilst Mussolini didn’t wish to push Italian claims that they would have to fight.
- June 20 = Italy advanced into the French alps for Mussolini’s territorial gains.
3
Q
Why was the invasion of France a failure?
A
- Revealed massive issues with the Italian army.
- Unsuitable clothing, tanks for the terrain and no bombs for the airforce to destroy French fortification.
- Slow advance - captured 13 unimportant villages and lost 631 men, many from frostbite.
- French Govt signed an armistice on June 22 = press claimed the victory was because of Italian intervention, but in reality to save the army from further embarassment.
- Failed to achieve his aims of a short war with big spoils at little cost.
4
Q
Faulures of France, North Africa and Med
Consequence of partial demilitarisation regarding Britain
A
- July 7 = Hitler stated he’d discuss territorial claims after Britain’s defeat. Mussolini’s partial dembolisation (believing the war was virtually over) was a serious miscalculation.
- Italian troops in Libya were ordered to attack British positions in late October - some early successes, but simply a tactical retreat with British counterattacks.
- Jan 1941 = 30k better equipped British troops defeated 250k Italians. Lost Eritea, Somalia and Abyssina and nearly 380k taken prison by May.
- EFFECT = a great blow to fascist propaganda of a militant nation prepared to die for Mussolini.
5
Q
Assistance of German Squads in North Africa
A
- Feb 1941 = German reinforcements sent helped halt British advances with some early victories after the El-Alamein defeat.
- May 1943 = German-Italian Axis surrendered in North Africa, losing Libya and Allies prepared to invade Italy via Tunisa.
- Ended the parallel war concept = Germany engaged in areas where Hitler hoped Italy would do the fighting.
6
Q
Failure to gain the Mediterranian
A
- Despite being Mussolini’s dominant focus throughout his dictatorship, his strategy was confusing and inadequate with no consistent plan.
- Failed to have any aircraft carriers attack key British positions (Malta, Gilbraltar or Alexandra).
- No coordination between the airforce and the navy (latter crippled by a British airattack in November 1940).
7
Q
Overall failures in Mussolini’s attempt to have a parallel war
A
Regardless of fascist propaganda proclaiming the Italian military’s greatness under fascism, it proved completely inadequate for the requirements of WWII - failed to achieve any of the aims set out in Mussolini’s ‘parallel war’.
8
Q
Disaster in Greece
When and why did Italy invade?
A
- Oct 28th, 1940 from its base Albania.
- Initially not a focus in its territorial claims - shaped by Italy’s progress in WWII and part of the power game between Mussolini and Hitler.
- Hitler refutted Italian aims in Yugoslavia by occupying Romanian oil fields and didn’t tell Mussolini who had postponed the event - regarded the attack as an encroachment on Italy’s sphere of influence in the Balkans, and advanced plans for an invasion of Greece.
9
Q
Why was the invasion into Greece bad?
A
- Assumed that Greece only had 30k troops, attacking with 60k when the actual army had 300k.
- No coordination of the airforce and the navy.
- Poor date choice because of the poor weather conditions.
- Greece managed to launch a counter-attack, taking 1/4 of Albania and defeating Italy.
- 1/2 million soldiers were deployed, 32k killed and 100k wounded.
- After 6 months - called Germany who humilated Italy by defeating Greece within weeks.
10
Q
Impact of the invasion into Greece on fascism and Mussolini’s reputation
A
Given adminstration over Greece but dealt a blow:
- Dictatorship appeared weaker than Greece (a non European great power).
- Undermined people’s faith in fascism.
- Confirmed Italy’s subservience to Germany
- Ended their belief in a parallel war.
11
Q
War economy
What did Mussolini blame for military defeats?
A
On the weaknesses of Italians not transformed into fascists. However, it was really because of the inadequate economy, lack of military preparation and poor leadership from Mussolini.
12
Q
War Economy
1) Leadership
Was positions did Mussolini hold?
A
- Mussolini’s concentration of power hampered Italy’s military effectiveness (headed 5 ministries, holding positions like the Minister of War, Minister of the Navy and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces).
- Made all major decisions, often w/o consultation with military experts - leaving Rome meant the govt would shut down.
- Couldn’t distinguish between trivial points and major decisions. Bored by detailed discussions and would call meetings with the military leaders to give vague instructions on how to improve war productions.
- Failed to coordinate the navy, army and air force or transform the economy to fulfil the prioritises of Italy’s economy.
13
Q
War economy
2) Poor state of the military
A
- Equipment only for 35/75 divisions: no vehicles for the mechanised fighting in Africa and british attacks destroyed 1/4 of the artillery supplied.
- Outdated air force compared to the British Spitfires with no long-range bombers to attack British positions in Egypt or Gibraltar.
- Poor conditions like WWI = Language problems between the officers and peasant conscripts, unsure why they were fighting so far from home. Low morale and food rations (many soldiers taken prisoner by the British in Africa).
- Outdated tactics - still used 19th century charges against enemy positions, which by WWII were virtually suicidal.
14
Q
War Economy
3) Economy
A
- Inadequate for war = estimated by Germany to be operating at 25% of its potential and was the only country whose GDP didn’t increase (1940-42).
- Lacked fuel and raw materials (imported 1.5 million tonnes of oil from Romania and 1 million tonnes of German coal a month).
- Produced outdated military equipment, low armoured vehicle production (Fiat and Spa produced 2550 a month in 1941 compared to 4883 in 1938) and low steel production.
- Production improved in 1942 but set back by the Allied bombing of industrial cities.
15
Q
War economy
Living standards
A
- Unemployment persisted whilst other countries’ had almost 100% employment.
- Poor coordination of food supplies - rations of 1000 calories per day for adults.
- By 1943, the military situation and domestic difficulties brought fascism to a critical point.
