dusty boot: africa & italy. why africa? to create a second front for the russians a mass...

Dusty Boot: Africa & Italy

Why Africa?• To create a second

front for the Russians• A mass invasion of

Europe would take too long and did not have the supplies or numbers

• Britain did not want to lose the Suez Canal

Operation of Torch (North African Invasion)

Torch is burning Nov. 1942• General George Patton Jr.

- Landing at Casablanca to capture airport

• “PLAY BALL” • “Unconditional surrender”• Allies capture Tripoli• Tunis capture• Axis surrender in North

Africa, May 1943

Allies land in Italy (Sicily)• Bad news:

– Germany evacuates most of their troops to the mainland

• Good news:– Gained experience in

• Opposed amphibious operations

• Coalition warfare• Mass airborne drops

Losing a toe results in a loss of balance

• U.S. & British forces enter through the toe

• Little resistance as they moved north

• Terrain made things more of a challenge (rivers)

• Field Marshal Kesselring (Germany)– Winter line south of Rome Anzio & Monte

Cassino– Rome fell in June

Italy considered secondary theatre

• Last defensive line was not broken until April 1945

• Turned more into a civil war