Pushing the Axis Back Part 1

• The new campaign's objective centered on diminishing the German military, industrial, and economic systems, simultaneously eroding the morale of the German populace.

Casablanca Conference (January 1943)

• President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill convened in Casablanca, Morocco, to strategize the subsequent phases of the war.
• Roosevelt and Churchill concurred to intensify the bombing of Germany.
• The Allied forces decided to launch an assault on the Axis powers stationed on the island of Sicily.
• Churchill referred to Italy as the "soft underbelly" of Europe, holding the belief that the Italians would withdraw from the conflict should the Allies invade their homeland.

Strategic Bombing

• Between January 1943 and May 1945, the Royal Air Force and the United States Eighth Army Air Force collectively released approximately 53,000 tons (48,230 t) of explosives on German territory each month.
• Prior to the Casablanca Conference, the Allied forces had initiated bombing campaigns against Germany.
• Britain had been dispatching 2 tons of explosives, while America contributed 3 tons.
• These initial figures paled in comparison to the scale of the newly launched, more extensive campaign.

Effects of Bombing

• The bombing imposed a severe oil shortage on Germany.
• The railroad system suffered extensive damage and was wrecked.
• The destruction of numerous aircraft factories within Germany hindered the nation's ability to replenish its combat losses.
• Despite the bombing campaign, Germany's economy remained intact, and German morale was not significantly undermined
• By the time the Allies landed in France, they had achieved complete air dominance, assuring the safety of their troops from aerial bombardment.

Command in Invasion of Sicily

• General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed as the supreme commander overseeing the invasion of Sicily.
• Generals Patton (American) and Bernard Montgomery (British) were entrusted with commanding the ground forces involved in the operation.
• As the bombing campaign against Germany intensified, the planning and preparation for the invasion of Sicily advanced accordingly.

DUKW

• A newly introduced amphibious truck proved invaluable for transporting supplies and artillery to soldiers positioned on the beach.
• The invasion commenced before daybreak on July 10, 1943.
• Despite inclement weather conditions, the Allied troops successfully landed ashore with minimal casualties.

Germans Evacuated

• After securing western Sicily, Patton's troops advanced eastward, executing a series of bold maneuvers around the German defenses.
• Simultaneously, the British forces, led by Montgomery, launched an offensive from the south.
• Eight days after the initial troop landing, American tanks, under the command of General Patton, breached enemy lines, seizing control of the western region of Sicily
• By August 18, German forces had fully evacuated the island.

Italian Government

• King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, along with a contingent of Italian generals, resolved to remove Mussolini from power.
• On July 25, 1943, the King summoned Mussolini to his palace.
• The assault on Sicily precipitated a crisis within the Italian government.
• Subsequently, the King placed Mussolini under arrest and initiated clandestine negotiations with the Allied forces for Italy's surrender.
• On September 8, 1943, the Italian government publicly declared Italy's surrender.

German Counterattack

• German troops swiftly took control of northern Italy, including Rome.
• American forces stationed in Salerno faced an attack
• Mussolini was reinstated into power.
• Despite his initial shock at Italy's surrender, Hitler remained steadfast in his determination to prevent Italy from falling into Allied hands.
• The subsequent day, American troops landed in Salerno.

Town of Cassino

• The terrain surrounding Cassino was characterized by its steepness, barrenness, and rocky composition.
• Instead of directly assaulting Cassino, the Allies opted to establish a landing at Anzio, located behind German lines.
• The German army strategically positioned itself near the heavily fortified town of Cassino to impede the Allied advance.
• Rather than retreating, the German forces encircled the Allied troops stationed near Anzio.

Germans Retreat

• In late May 1944, the Germans were compelled to retreat.
• Within two weeks, the Allied forces successfully captured Rome.
• Nevertheless, combat operations in Italy persisted until May 2, 1945.
• The Allies endured five months of intense struggle to breach the German defenses at Cassino and Anzio.
• The Italian campaign proved to be among the bloodiest conflicts of the war, resulting in over 300,000 casualties for the Allied forces.

Meeting of Allied Leaders

• Prior to the Allied invasion of France, Roosevelt and Churchill convened with Stalin in Tehran, Iran.
• Stalin pledged to initiate a full-scale offensive against the Germans coinciding with the Allied invasion of France in 1944.
• Roosevelt and Stalin reached an agreement to dismantle Germany after the war to prevent it from posing a threat to world peace in the future.

More Agreements

• Stalin also assured that, after Germany's defeat, the Soviet Union would assist the United States in its efforts against Japan.
• Roosevelt's proposal for the establishment of an international organization aimed at maintaining peace following the war was accepted.

The Casablanca Conference in January 1943 saw Roosevelt and Churchill agreeing to intensify the bombing of Germany and attack Sicily. From 1943 to 1945, Allied forces dropped thousands of tons of explosives on Germany monthly, aiming to destroy its military and undermine morale.