Tug of War: The Battle for Italy 1943 - 1945 (Pen & Sword Military Classics)

When the Allies invaded mainland Italy in 1943 they intended only a clearing-up operation to knock Italy out of the war, but Hitler ordered the German armies to defend every foot of the country, which they did until May 1945 after a bloody and bitter struggle. The ’Tug of War’ was the mysterious force which causes a war to race out of control, grow into a huge conflict and attract vast numbers of men, tanks, guns and aircraft, which the Allies could ill afford, to reach objectives they had never intended in the first place. The book analyses the main battles of Salerno, Cassino, Anzio, the march on Rome and the characteristics of the soldiers involved and the rivalries of the Allied commanders.