Brat, the Italian campaign is nothing new to this forum and aspects discussed many times in depth. If you check back you’ll see that.

The Axis had no air superiority over Italy once the war was conducted there, and, the Allies needed bases within ‘effective’ range meaning there was realistic time for engagement once in the target area. A quick look at a basic map, for anyone not familiar with the geography of Italy, will show generally on the Mediterranean side the mountains descend straight into the sea. Landing points for invasion forces where they can move ‘off the beach’ and inland are very limited. On the Adriatic side it’s largely a different matter, often with extensive beaches, a Continental Shelf, and a number of resulting sandbanks.

The ploy of starting at the bottom and moving up was quite secure given the resources committed. The west side was always going to be more formidable and, as happened, the 8th Army on the east had to wait (and eventually go and help) the east to keep the line of advance. If the east continues its advance it just extends the front line to be defended and supplied. Resources were not committed there because the flavour was Normandy and largely Churchill’s desire to storm up Italy and push for Vienna and into Germany was countered by the American insistence to attack through France. What happened then was Italy was used to tie down German resources which otherwise would/could be used in France.

The landings at Nettuno/Anzio were under strength and suffered accordingly. If there had been different thinking and far greater commitment, the east could have been rolled-up leaving a mountain barrier of the Apennines between them and the Axis on the eastern side of them. To prevent resupply of this Axis force, you’d need to cut their northern roads so you’d have to go in around Genoa and fight across, having enemy on both side of you. However, given the natural defensive characteristic of much of Italy, the commitment of resources would be disproportionate to the draw on the enemy, and, what you would have ultimately achieved in comparison to the cost? Effectively all you do is secure the ‘boot’, which increases the threat to Germany but does nothing to harm Germany. It just provides another route by which you can go on to harm Germany, either side of neutral Switzerland!

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