In January 1943 at Casablanca, Roosevelt and Churchill decided
to force Italy out of the war. A landing in Sicily in July 1 943
cleared the east-west route across the Mediterranean. The island
was captured within a month, but the German troops escaped.
It was obvious that Italy had exhausted her resources. She had
lost her empire. Her navy had been immobilized in its bases and
was vulnerable to air attack. She could not withstand invasion.
Industrial production had fallen by thirty-five per cent, while
currency in circulation had trebled. Fascism had become increasingly
unpopular as the Duce's physical and intellectual
powers declined. Mussolini was not overthrown by his enemies,
however, but by his supporters. On 24 July the Fascist Grand
Council voted to 'restore the constitution'. In effect it dismissed
Mussolini and restored absolute powers to the king. Victor
Emanuel, with a few army chiefs, had resolved that Italy should
stop fighting and reverse her alliances.
He deposed Mussolini and then overcautiously ordered his
arrest and imprisonment.
Marshal Badoglio was appointed head of the government.
While assuring the Germans that he would remain faithful to the
Axis, he opened secret negotiations with the Allies which ended
with Italy's unconditional surrender on 3 September 1 943, made
public on 8 September.
The surrender caused great confusion in Italy. The Allied
troops under General Eisenhower's command did not penetrate
north oi Naples, and Germans who had been prepared for Italy
to defect, immediately occupied northern and central Italy,
including Rome.
Without great difficulty they disarmed the Italian troops in
Italy and in the other occupied territories. But the Italian fleet
escaped and surrendered to the Allies. The King and Badoglio
fled to Brindisi where they attempted to ingratiate themselves
with the Allies. As they lacked power, however, the Allies regarded
them as enemies and the occupied territories were placed
under martial law.
Two new factors changed the situation. First Mussolini was
released by SS parachutists. With his remaining supporters, he
formed a Fascist republic at Salo in the north. He executed his
son-in-law Ciano for having deserted him on 24 July.
Second, anti- fascism surfaced throughout Italy. Exiles returning
to Italy formed a new clandestine resistance movement,
which fought both the Germans and the fascists. But they also
fought the King and Badoglio, whom the Allies had accepted
into their camp so as to keep a rein on them.
Civil war ensued. In the liberated zone Badoglio quelled it by
rallying the communists and admitting the leaders of the resistance
into the Bonomi government; but in the sectors occupied
by the Germans a full-scale war raged.
A battle for position was fought from the south, northwards
along the peninsula. The terrain was compartmentalized by
mountains. It favoured defensive operations and cancelled out
the Allied superiority in tanks and planes. The region around
Monte Cassino witnessed particularly bitter fighting. The Allies,
including a French expeditionary force under Juin, landed at
Anzio in January 1944. They did not reach Rome until 4june,
or Ravenna until December. The Italian surrender opened the
way for Corsica to be liberated. In September 1943, French
assault batallions were landed. They took the island in a combined
operation with resistance fighters.