Italy

Flags 1939–1945

1. …1939
   Kingdom of Italy
2. 1943-09-23
   Kingdom of ItalyKingdom (south)Kingdom of ItalyItalian Social Republic (north; war flag with eagle)
3. 1945-04-29
   Kingdom of Italy
4. simplified version (without arms)

Course of events

1. 23 August 1939

   Neutral / non-belligerent

   Non-belligerent ally of Germany (Pact of Steel, May 1939).

2. 10 June 1940

   Axis powers & allies

   Declared war on France and Britain on 10 June 1940.

3. 8 September 1943

   Divided / contested

   Armistice announced: the Kingdom in the south became an Allied co-belligerent; the north under German occupation and the Italian Social Republic.

4. 2 May 1945

   Liberated

   Surrender of German forces in Italy took effect on 2 May 1945, after the partisan insurrection of late April.

Events involving this country

• 3 Sept 1939Battle of the Atlantic
• 10 May 1940Battle of France
• 10 Jun 1940Italy enters the war: invasion of France
• 10 Jul 1940Battle of Britain
• 30 Aug 1940Second Vienna Award
• 27 Sept 1940Tripartite Pact
• 28 Oct 1940Greco-Italian War
• 11 Nov 1940Battle of Taranto
• 9 Dec 1940Operation Compass
• 6 Apr 1941Invasion of Yugoslavia
• 6 Apr 1941German invasion of Greece
• 10 Apr 1941Siege of Tobruk
• 22 Jun 1941Operation Barbarossa
• 18 Nov 1941Operation Crusader
• 11 Dec 1941Germany and Italy declare war on the United States
• 26 May 1942Battle of Gazala
• 28 Jun 1942Case Blue — German summer offensive 1942
• 17 Jul 1942Battle of Stalingrad
• 23 Oct 1942Second Battle of El Alamein
• 8 Nov 1942Operation Torch
• 17 Nov 1942Tunisian campaign
• 10 Jul 1943Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky)
• 3 Sept 1943Armistice of Cassibile — Italy leaves the Axis
• 9 Sept 1943Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche)
• 13 Oct 1943Italy declares war on Germany
• 17 Jan 1944Battle of Monte Cassino
• 22 Jan 1944Battle of Anzio (Operation Shingle)