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WW2 Italy: Why Churchill Was Wrong About Europe’s Soft Underbelly | Battlefield | War Stories

War Stories

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Witness the brutal challenges faced by Allied troops in harsh conditions, strategic decisions, and the impact on both sides of the Italian Campaign. From the grueling battles to the shifting leadership, explore why this often-overlooked campaign tied down German forces and reshaped the war's course.

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20 Comments

@slightlyconfused876 2 years ago

Look at a map of Italy, there are more mountains than Churchill had hangovers. It was never going to be a soft target. Another of Churchill's Dardanelles moments.

@DASfinn 2 years ago (edited)

You can summarize the allied Italian campaign as overestimating our forces abilities which led to under preparation and underestimating the enemy. The Italians weren't as inadequate as they're always portrayed... even in this documentary. Being Under equipped was their biggest challenge. But they're not the French lol.

@RafaelSantos-pi8py 2 years ago

The simple fact is that the western allies were not ready for an invasion of France in 1943. No air superiority over the Luftwaffe, not enough ships or troop transports in England, the battle of the Atlantic still wasn't won and the U-boats not dealt with, not enough supplies stockpiled, not enough troops , planes, vehicles were available.
The logical step was continuing operations in the Mediterranean sea where they already had forces fresh from a victory in North Africa and the obvious target was Italy, starting with Sicily.

@marshaprice8226 2 years ago

Most informative about a part of the war that I haven’t heard much about. I hope there will be another documentary about the next phase of the Italian conflict.

@mzamroni 2 years ago

he was wrong about gallipoli too

@scottjoseph9578 2 years ago

Mark "Cretin" Clark. John "No Guts" Lucas.

@brettcurtis5710 2 years ago

The Allied 5th and 8th Armies were some of the most diverse armies ever put into the field - from US, French and British to Indians, Nepalese, New Zealanders both Pakeha and Maori, Poles, South Africans, Moroccan and Algerian and even Brazilians.

@benjaminlinehan 1 year ago

By the way, British were never keen to engage with the Germans on a level playing field

@TheStrategos392 2 years ago

He wasn’t wrong about the underbelly. He just got the soft part wrong.

@fredtflail 2 years ago

It sure did tie up a lot of German troops that could have been used in France and Russia.

@Jayjay-qe6um 2 years ago

It is estimated that between September 1943 and April 1945, 60,000--70,000 Allied and 38,805--50,660 German soldiers died in Italy. The number of Allied casualties was about 330,000 and German figure (excluding those involved in the final surrender) was over 330,000.

@jerrylou9285 2 years ago

Oversimplified:

@jeffelzey 2 years ago

He ignored the soft Apennines

@peterk2455 2 years ago

Can anyone point out where in his speeches, or his writing, Churchill called Italy
the soft underbelly'?

@bunk95 2 years ago

Why would that woman respond that way to fake offers of practice?

@ronaldlucas5360 2 years ago

Nice video

@tombrunila2695 1 year ago

Lucas and Clark botched Operation Shingle, the landing at Anzio. The landing was unopposed, but general Lucas decided he had to get reinforcements before advancing unopposed inland. This allowed the Germans to move a strong force to contain the beachhead. Lucas was later replaced with Truscott who managed to bust out. The Clark ordered him to turn toward Rome, instead of attacking inland and cut off the Germans!