But throughout World War II, the biggest headache for the Germans was Italy's failure to live up to expectations.*.*
Mussolini's entry into the war and France's rapid surrender further aggravated the difficult situation of the British war of resistance. The spearhead of the German and Italian fascist army's offensive was now mainly directed at Great Britain and its colonies. On September 13, the main force of the Italian army began
In the long-awaited operation, they crossed the Egyptian border and advanced. Their army had a total of 6 infantry divisions and 8 tank battalions. The British covering troops included 3 battalions of infantry, 1 battalion of tanks, 3 artillery squadrons, 2
Armored convoy. They were ordered to fight while retreating. Due to their quality and ability to adapt to the desert, they were suitable for this method of warfare.
The Italian army started its attack by violently bombarding the British position near the border market in Sulum. When the smoke and dust disappeared, the British army saw the fascist army's formation was extremely neat. In front of the position, they were neatly arranged front, back, left and right.
Behind the motorcycle troops were light tanks and several rows of motorcycles. In the words of a British colonel, the scene was like "a birthday celebration held at Long Valley in Aldershot." Facing such a majestic formation,
The British 3rd Coldstream Guards slowly retreated, while the British artillery pounded the numerous targets so magnanimously placed before them.
Further south, Mussolini ordered two columns to move into the vast desert south of the long mountain range that ran parallel to the coast and could only be crossed at Halvaia, the "crater of hell."
This place played a role in every subsequent battle of the British army.
Each Italian column had hundreds of vehicles, as well as tanks and anti-tank guns. The artillery was in the front, and the infantry on trucks was in the center. The British called this formation that the Italian army frequently used "stabbing".
In the face of this huge team, the British troops retreated, taking advantage of every opportunity to attack this group of fascist enemies who acted erratically and hesitated. Graziani later explained that he decided at the last moment to change his plan and not to attack in the desert.
Encirclement movement, and "concentrate all my troops on the left wing, so as to reach Sidi Barani quickly along the coast." Therefore, this huge Italian team slowly followed two parallel routes along the coast road.
Advance. They attack with infantry on trucks in batches of 50 vehicles each.
Over the course of four days, the Coldstream Guards deftly retreated from Sullum to interconnected positions, inflicting heavy losses on the Italians as they retreated.
On September 17th, the Italian army arrived in Sidi Barani. In this battle, the British army suffered 40 casualties, while the Italian army's casualties were 10 times that of the British army, and 150 vehicles were destroyed. Here,
The Italian army's communication line was extended by 60 miles. They stopped and planned to stay here for three months. They were constantly attacked by small British mobile units and encountered serious difficulties in replenishing supplies. Ciano said Musso
Rini was "ecstatic at first. He had taken full responsibility for the attack and was proud to say that he had done the right thing." However, after a few months, his enthusiasm gradually disappeared.
However, Churchill did not take the situation lightly. He estimated that within two or three months, Mussolini would launch a larger-scale attack in an attempt to occupy the Egyptian Delta.
In addition, the German army may appear on the African battlefield at any time!
Just as Mussolini was preparing to launch a larger-scale offensive, there was a certain degree of relaxation on the Western Front. Hitler's "Sea Lion Plan" to attack Britain was basically going bankrupt. The relaxation on the Western Front provided the basis for the British army to take more aggressive measures in the Middle East.
Strong action created conditions. Churchill was ready to focus more energy on dealing with Mussolini. Strong reinforcements and large amounts of military supplies were continuously transported from the Mediterranean to General Wavell's headquarters. Two tank regiments had arrived in the desert
.Commander Maitland, now known as the "Nile Army".
General Wilson spoke highly of the power of the "Matilda" tank.
By this time, the British army's defensive position in Matruh Port had been greatly consolidated, and the staff and planners in the Middle East Command had begun to prepare some new plans. Obviously, their next important task was to get help from Britain and India.
Deploy troops to strengthen British forces in the Middle East, especially in the deserts of West Africa.
At this time, Secretary of War Eden came to inspect North Africa and arrived in Cairo on October 15. He and General Wavell and Maitland, who commanded the Desert Corps.
General Wilson conducted a thorough discussion. They were confident of repelling Mussolini's attack.
General Wilson estimated that the maximum force that Italy could use to attack Matruh Port would not exceed three divisions. The limiting factor was supplies, especially water and transportation. For the Italian offensive, he had the 7th Armored Division and the new
The transferred tank regiment, the 4th Indian Division, the Matruh Port garrison consisting of 5 infantry battalions, 1 machine gun battalion and 1st artillery team, the 16th British Brigade and the New Zealand Brigade have already started from Palestine.
Arrive. An Australian brigade is stationed west of Alexandria. Another Australian brigade is also moving there!
In addition, there is a Polish brigade.//
Eden's report to Prime Minister Churchill stated that General Wilson believed that the concentration of these forces was sufficient to meet the Italian threat and defeat the enemy if the air force was guaranteed to give full support.
Eden also said that his previously suggested plan to create a flooded area to prevent enemy attacks has been implemented and anti-tank obstacles have been set up.
If Italy stood still, they planned to strike preemptively and take the initiative. Churchill was deeply encouraged after reading Minister Eden's report. Now what the British Prime Minister was thinking about was eager to go on the offensive in the desert areas of West Africa.
Just when Mussolini was preparing to attack Egypt with great fanfare, news suddenly came from Berlin that Hitler was going to invade Romania, which made the "leader" very angry.
Although this little friend of Hitler is powerless, his ambition for the Balkans is as crazy as Hitler's. The Italian dictator has been coveting Romania and Yugoslavia for a long time. Now I heard that Hitler entered Romania without any prior notice.
He was so angry that he shouted loudly: "Hitler is a ghost fox who always forces others to accept the fait accompli. This time I will give him a little color. Soon, he will see the headline of "I Occupy Greece" in the newspaper.
Already."
Greece is located at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula, in the eastern Mediterranean. It borders Albania to the northwest, Yugoslavia to the north, Bulgaria and Turkey to the northeast, and faces the sea on three sides: east, south, and west. The coastline is long and winding, with many peninsulas and islands. Its strategic position is very important.
.Occupying Greece will not only offset the "glorious victory" of his partners to a certain extent, but also control the Mediterranean and strive for hegemony in Africa, which is of special significance. This high-minded fascist Caesar became more and more proud as he thought about it.
Determined to do one thing and never stop doing the other.
On the morning of October 15, 1940, Mussolini secretly held an Italian military summit at the Palazzo Venezia. At the meeting, he was eloquent, pointing to a large military map, and talked about the importance of Greece's status and its impact on fascist Italy.
Use value.
He said: "The purpose of this meeting is to explain my decision to launch an attack on Greece. First of all, this action has both a maritime purpose and a territorial purpose in nature. The territorial purpose is to occupy southern Albania.
the whole coast of the Ionian Islands, including Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and Corfu, and the possession of Salonika. When we have achieved these ends, we will be in the Mediterranean and
The situation of the British confrontation has changed. Secondly, we must completely occupy Greece to make it incapacitated and ensure that under any circumstances, it will be within our political and economic scope."
After Mussolini clarified the purpose and intention of this campaign, he made further arrangements for the date and requirements for the war.
"Decided to take action on the 26th of this month!" he said decisively: "My opinion is that it cannot be delayed for an hour. Long before we entered the war and before the conflict began, I went through months of careful consideration, and now
This action has been considered maturely.”
Mussolini then further analyzed and explained the favorable conditions for the war and the situation in neighboring countries. "I do not expect that there will be any problems in the north." He said: "Yugoslavia will remain silent due to various interests.
There will be no trouble for Turkey, especially since Germany is already established in Romania and Bulgaria has grown in strength. Bulgaria can play a role in our competition and I will take the necessary steps to take advantage of the current situation.
A unique opportunity to realize its ambition to covet Macedonia and obtain an outlet to the sea¨"
On October 22, Mussolini decided again to launch a raid on Greece on October 28. He wrote a letter to Hitler on the same day, but deliberately dated the letter on October 19 to hint at the action he planned to take.
, but was vague about the exact nature and date of the action. Ciano wrote in his diary of that day that Mussolini was worried that the "Führer" might order him to stop. Hitler and Ribbentrop held talks in France
When they returned home by special train, they heard about Mussolini's plan to attack Greece. Following the order of the "Führer", the Nazi Foreign Minister stopped at the first station after entering Germany and called Ciano in Rome to advocate
A meeting of Axis leaders was convened immediately. Mussolini proposed a meeting in Florence on October 28, and when his German guest stepped off the train that morning, Mussolini greeted him cheerfully: "Führer
, we are marching! The victorious Italian army has crossed the Greek-Albanian border at dawn today!"
Mussolini wanted to kill two birds with one stone. One day, he entered the city of Athens as a victor and not long after that, he entered Cairo with a triumphant song. He knew that Egypt and Iraq were the most important crude oil suppliers to the United Kingdom, so Egypt's occupation was real.
It was of greater significance than the occupation of London. At the same time, the occupation of Greece did not mean that the occupation of Egypt had been abandoned. For the New Roman Empire, attacking Greece seemed to be effortless. Mussolini believed that Greece at that time was isolated
Helpless, because Turkey declared itself a "non-belligerent", and although Britain was allied with Greece, it was busy with defense operations in Africa and Britain and would not provide more assistance to Greece. At the same time, Mussolini also received
Intelligence says Greek resistance points to
The sun can be destroyed. Therefore, this dictator becomes even more confident.
Before dawn on October 28, the Italian minister in Athens sent an ultimatum to the Greek Prime Minister General Metaxas. Mussolini demanded that the entire territory of Greece be opened to Italian troops. At the same time, Italian troops stationed in Albania also moved from several locations.
Invasion of Greece. The Greek army was by no means unprepared on the border, so the Greek government rejected the Italian ultimatum. Since then, a brutal war of aggression broke out on Greek soil.
In the port of Nabu Bakdos, Greek destroyers and submarines were bombarded by the Italian air force from time to time. In the Mediterranean, various Greek ships were also repeatedly assassinated by Italian submarines. A Greek ship anchored in the port of Dinos
The cruiser was also suddenly attacked by Italian torpedoes
Fortunately, most of the people went to the shore church to participate in the Assumption Ceremony. Otherwise, I don’t know how many people would have died!
In fact, before the invasion, Mussolini received a stern warning that the Italian army's attack on Greece would be met with resolute resistance. However, Mussolini ignored this and believed that Greece's resistance would not be too fierce.
And it wouldn’t drag on too long. At that time, Visconti, the commander of the Italian army stationed in Albania.
General Plaska, Lieutenant Governor Frankisg.
General Iacomoni and Foreign Minister Ciano both actively discouraged Mussolini from entering Greece early in order to give Hitler a decisive blow.
There were rumors in Rome at that time that Ciano and Iacomoni strongly advocated attacking Greece not so much to prevent German power in the Balkans, but rather to expand the power of fascist Italy in the Balkans.
At that time, the chiefs of staff of Italy's army, navy and air force had a different attitude. They all fearfully advised Mussolini that the season had turned to autumn, and there were many difficulties in carrying out mountain operations. However, Mussolini
Solini still went his own way. Even for the trustworthy intelligence department, because they continued to show the expected resistance of the Greek army in numbers and advocated the Italian army to be vigilant and advance slowly, Mussolini felt that they were excessively pessimistic. Therefore,
He was repeatedly criticized. Marshal Badoglio, Chief of Army General Staff, repeatedly told Ciano to make Mussolini give up the idea of invading Greece.
He once said:
"The troops currently stationed in Albania alone are not enough. At the same time, Brebesa is a shoal and the navy cannot land. If our attack fails to win immediately, the war will be prolonged, and Italy is already feeling exhausted.
Resources will be gone.
If my advice is still false and Italy still does not give up attacking Greece, I will have no choice but to resign."
Originally, Marshal Graziani's cowardice in Egypt had made Mussolini restless. Now Badoglio threatened him with resignation, which made him furious. Mussolini's voice was fierce.
Said: "I will come to Greece to see the shameful face of our army who are afraid of the Greeks!"
If Badoglio had submitted his resignation at that time, Mussolini would have approved it without hesitation in his rage. In fact, Badoglio not only did not submit his resignation, but also no longer expressed any concern for Mussolini.
Rini's words made him think twice about invading Greece.
In this regard, Mussolini, as he had done in the past, ignored all objections and, with the support of a group of minions, rashly launched this criminal and shameful war.
When Hitler heard that Mussolini had "successfully marched into Greece", he became furious. He believed that this was not a good time. Taking such rash actions against a tenacious enemy would disrupt his plans in the Balkans.
!
As he later wrote to Mussolini: "I rushed to Florence hoping to prevent this action, but I arrived too late."
The Nazi leader still managed to suppress his anger. Hitler was extremely angry when he returned home that afternoon. In the past week, he had lost three times: once in Handay, once in Montua, and this time in Florence.
These tiring long journeys were a recurring theme in his angrily scoldings of ungrateful and unreliable friends, axis partners, and "deceitful Frenchmen."
As the front extended, the scale of the war became larger and larger. Hitler really felt that he was overwhelmed and stretched. Therefore, he tried every means to collect cannon fodder. The first thing he thought of was Franco, the partner he and Mussolini had helped.
But this treacherous fox follows the wind and refuses to enter the water easily.
Throughout the war, his policies were completely "selfish and ruthless". He never considered how to repay Hitler and Mussolini for their aid.
This vicious tyrant only wanted to save his country's exhausted state machine from another war. The long-term civil war killed 1 million Spaniards and became impoverished. The high prices and hard years left this desolate peninsula without a trace.
angry.
"Spain can no longer be easily involved in war without complete assurance." This dictator used this attitude to understand and cope with the huge turmoil that shocked the world at that time.
The sudden fall of France and the possible collapse or destruction of Britain greatly surprised Franco. In June, he expressed his readiness to join the ranks of the fascist victors and share the spoils. Partly because of his unsatisfied desire, and partly because of
With his shrewdness, he clearly pointed out that Spain's demands were high. However, at this time, Hitler felt that there was no need to win over allies.
Like Franco, he estimated that the major hostilities would end in a few weeks or even days before Britain would sue for peace.
Therefore, he was not very interested in Madrid's aggressive approach.
By August, the situation had changed. Britain would fight on, and the war was likely to be long.
Since Britain had contemptuously rejected Hitler's peace proposal of July 19, Hitler began to look for allies. In addition to the dictator whom he had aided in the past and who had recently expressed his intention to side with him, Hitler began to look for allies.
Who else could I turn to?
However, Franco also raised his asking price for the same reason.
On August 8, the German ambassador in Madrid told Berlin that Franco demanded: first of all, a guarantee that Gibraltar, French Morocco and part of Algeria, including Oran, would be transferred to Spain, and that certain territories of the Spanish African colonies should be expanded.
.
In addition, appropriate military and economic assistance was also needed, because Spain only had enough food for eight months. Finally, Franco believed that Spain could not join the war until the Germans landed in Britain, "in order to avoid entering the war prematurely and delaying the war.
It made Spain intolerable and in some cases became the source of endangering the current regime." At the same time, Franco sent a letter to Mussolini, reiterating his demands and asking for his support.
Mussolini wrote back on August 25, advising the commander-in-chief "not to stay outside European history."
Hitler felt troubled because Franco's demands were too high, so he put it aside for the time being.
In September, it appeared that Great Britain could withstand the German air offensive.
The transfer of 50 American destroyers made a very deep impression on European countries. Spain felt that the United States was gradually heading towards war. Therefore, Franco and Spain adopted various demanding policies and made it clear that their requests must be agreed to in advance.
The two German and Italian leaders discussed this, and they agreed that the main goal at that time was to defeat Britain. The only question was: how to defeat Britain? When to defeat it?
Mussolini said: "Either the war ends before spring, or it will be postponed until next year." He believed that the latter was more likely, so he must make effective use of Spain's card.
Ribbentrop believed that if Spain declared war, it would be a new heavy blow to Britain.
As Spain became increasingly indifferent and greedy, Hitler's desire to win their support became stronger and stronger.
On October 4, in order to persuade Spain to join the war, Hitler and Mussolini held a meeting. They believed that Franco's demands were too high and his pace was too slow. If Spain's demands were agreed to, there might be two direct consequences: the British occupation of Canary
The Spanish bases in the archipelago and the French colonies in North Africa joined de Gaulle's movement. This would force the Axis countries to greatly expand the scope of their operations. In order to persuade Franco, the Führer decided to take action himself.
On October 23, Hitler traveled to Handay on the border of France and Spain to meet with the Spanish dictator.
Not only did Franco not take pride in Hitler's condescension, but, according to Hitler to Mussolini, he made "demands extremely disproportionate to his strength."
Spain demanded revision of the boundaries of the Pyrenees, the cession of French Catalonia, the cession of Algeria from Oran to Cape Blanco, and almost all of Morocco. The talks were conducted through an interpreter and lasted nine hours.
as long as.
The two sides only reached a vague protocol and made arrangements for military negotiations. Later, Hitler angrily said to Mussolini in Florence:
"I would rather pull out three or four teeth than have to negotiate like this again!"