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The joint Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre and it planned and led the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, followed in September by the invasion of the Italian mainland and the campaign in Italy until the surrender of the Axis forces in Italy in May 1945.
The main Axis powers were Nazi Germany, the Empire of Japan, and the Kingdom of Italy; while the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and China were the "Big Four" Allied powers. [ 2 ] The countries involved in or affected by World War II are listed alphabetically, with a description of their role in the conflict:
[66] [67] Aware of Italy's material and planning deficiencies leading up to World War II, and believing that Italy's entry into the war on the side of Germany was inevitable, the English blockaded German coal imports from 1 March 1940 in an attempt to bring Italian industry to a standstill. [68]
By the end of World War II, 60% of the Waffen-SS was made up of non-German volunteers from occupied countries. [citation needed] The predominantly Scandinavian 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland along with remnants of French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch volunteers were the last defenders of the Reichstag in Berlin. [274] [275]
This, combined with Western Allied landings in France and Italy, led to a three-front war that depleted Germany's armed forces and resulted in Germany's defeat in 1945. Occupied territories Further information: Areas annexed by Nazi Germany and German-occupied Europe
Germany: Italy Albania: A: After Italy's capitulation to the Allied powers, Germany swiftly invaded both Italy and Italian-controlled territories (such as Albania, an Italian satellite state) to preempt a possible Allied intervention. Operation Achse, German occupation of Albania: 1943-09-09: Iran: Germany: W: Declaration: 1943-10-13: Italy ...
Both countries allied with Germany during World War II (though the Kingdom of Italy left the alliance in 1943, the German-controlled Italian Social Republic joined it the same year), and also allied during the Cold War with the United States.
The Pact of Steel (German: Stahlpakt, Italian: Patto d'Acciaio), formally known as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy (German: Freundschafts- und Bündnispakt zwischen Deutschland und Italien, Italian: Patto di amicizia e di alleanza fra l'Italia e la Germania) was a military and political alliance between Italy and Germany, signed in 1939.