Question

Was Italy actually weak during WWII?

I've heard that Winston Churchill described Italy as "Europe's soft underbelly". Is there any truth to this?

Answer 1

The "soft underbelly" was and attempt to persuade the Americans out of a direct attack on Northern France in 1942 or 1943.

Explanation:

The Italian were significantly lacking in heavy industry necessary to create mechanized forces like the Germans had so a lot of their Army was "leg" infantry. It was at a disadvantage against the mechanized British forces and ran into difficulty in North Africa and Ethiopia.

The Italian Navy was a significant force and a worry for the British before the Italian surrender in 1943.

The Italian Air Force was small and had mixed successes in the Mediterranean, North Africa and Russia. It contributed small forces to the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain, the air raids from Syria and the bombing of Gibraltar, Malta and other raids.

Italian Campaign turned out to be a tough slog for the Allies. The Mountainous terrain being in favor of defense. The British were perhaps thinking in World War 1 terms where the collapse of Austria-Hungary allowed a route for the Italians and the British Forces in Greece to advance to Germany if they were so inclined. This more than any other reason caused the German General Staff to sue for Peace.

The Italian surrender was a significant loss for the Nazis and possibly worth the time and effort it took.

The Anti-Communists in Britain were in favor of an attack into Central Europe as it would potentially block the Soviets in the area that they eventually occupied. Understandably Stalin lobbied for an attack in Northern France.

The Americans eventually realized that an Invasion of France was a difficult undertaking and wasn't a good idea right away. Churchill's influence on FDR was an important factor. They turned their attention to North Africa, then Italy and the Air War against Germany.