Question

What was the Allies’ purpose in invading Italy and France?

Answer 1

We found Italy an easy target to attack and have surrender to have one less Axis, they were also a gateway into France.

Answer 2

That's partly right. It was more to force a split in Hitler's forces and open up a second front to bleed Germany faster. We wanted to knock Italy out the war since they were Hitler's ally under Mussolini. The D-Day invasion in Normandy swung the door on a second front wide open.

Before the D-Day invasion and Operation Husky (invasion of Sicily), all the Germans had to really worry about was in trying to hold off the Soviets. By attacking Nazi Germany from the West, that further drained whatever forces they had to both defend themselves with and attack the Soviets. It was like a huge squeeze play with everyone ganging up on the Nazis.