Was the invasion of Italy a must during WWII?

In Casablanca, Morocco, in January 1943, Allied leaders decided to use their massive military resources in the Mediterranean to launch an invasion of Italy, which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the “soft underbelly of Europe. read more

Some say yes, some no. My Analysis requires first a question to you: do you interpret the invasion of Sicily as an invasion of Italy. Given Sicily both then and now is identified as part of Italy, then the answer is yes. read more

In the final push to defeat the Axis powers of Italy and Germany during World War II (1939-45), the U.S. and Great Britain, the leading Allied powers, planned to invade Italy. Beyond their goal of crushing Italian Axis forces, the Allies wanted to draw German troops away from the main Allied advance through Nazi-occupied northern Europe to Berlin, Germany. read more

The Allied invasion of Italy took place September 3-16, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945). Having driven German and Italian troops from North Africa and Sicily, the Allies decided to invade Italy in September 1943. read more