Italy.

This is coolbert:

There are many disagreements among the "experts" regarding the events of the Second World War [WW2]. For as many questions asked, there are as many answers as there are "experts".

There is one question regarding WW2 for which, I believe, the "experts" would give a unanimous answer. That question would be:

"The armed forces of which country gave the poorest performance in WW2???"

Without question, the answer the "experts" would give, loudly and unanimously, would be, ITALY!!

That this would be so came as somewhat of a surprise during the war years!!

In the years prior to the outbreak of WW2, the Italians DID impress militarily in a number of areas.

The Italians DID have a modern airforce [Regina Aeronautica].

The Italians DID have a modern navy [Supermarina] with considerable abilities.

The Italians did have combat experience from their "conquest" of Ethiopia and from a successful counter-insurgency in Libya.

The Italian military was able to carry out military operations away from their home base. Italian leadership DID display a casual brutality by using saturation bombing and poison gas against spear-carrying Ethiopians. This display of casual brutality is indicative of an aggressive nature, NOT passivity.

[One might argue that fighting camel-riding Senussi tribesmen in Libya or spear-carrying Ethiopians had the opposite effect from creating a combat ready force. When you fight weak opponents, you tend to become weak, when you fight strong opponents, you tend to become stronger.]

[Suvorov states that contrary to popular belief, the Italians DID have good equipment during the war. Italian weapons designers were respected by Red Army intelligence [GRU] as being innovative and imaginative weapons designers.]

However, during the war, the Italian effort, for whatever reason or combination of reasons was downright poor, even shameful to very shameful almost across the board!!

Time after time during the war, the Italians were administered defeats. Sometimes defeats inflicted by numerically inferior foes.

Among these defeats were:

Albania. Italian forces invading were administered a sound beating by the Greek army.

Taranto. The Italian navy had it's major vessels put out of action or damaged IN PORT by eleven British torpedo carrying bi-planes. [A Pearl Harbor type attack.]

Cape Mattapan. The Italian navy suffered a humiliating defeat.

[Defeat at Mattapan was administered by the British navy. The British in particular had extreme contempt for the Italians. British newsreel announcer voices dripped with sarcasm when describing Italian military efforts. Churchill described Mussolini as acting "jackal like".]

The North African desert. Repeated Italian defeats against British opponents that were often numerically inferior.

Malta. An inability of the Italian air force [Regina Aeronautica], bolstered by Luftwaffe units, to reduce the garrison.

Sicily. An unwillingness and inability to defend from allied invasion. Italian forces had to be supplanted by German units.

Final capitulation. Italian forces throw in the towel. German reaction was reinforcement and continuation of the war in Italy, Italian army or no Italian army.

Why the poor performance of the Italian military in WW2. Poor morale? Poor leadership? Poor quality of personnel??

I just cannot say.

But are the experts right? Absolutely.

coolbert.