Italian Spring Offensive
Encyclopedia
The Italian Spring Offensive, also known as the Primavera Offensive, was a military conflict of the Greco-Italian War
that lasted from 9 to 16 March 1941. This offensive was the last Italian
attempt of the war to defeat the Greek
forces that had already advanced deep into Albanian
territory. The opening of the offensive was personally supervised by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
himself, but ended a week later in complete failure.
was in full swing, Fascist Italy
declared war upon Greece. The Italian units unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate from Albania into northwestern Greece. They were soon pushed back and the Greek army launched a counter attack deep into Albanian territory.
In February 1941, intensive preparations to strengthen the Italian front line began. By the end of the month, the 15 Italian
divisions fighting in Albania had been reinforced by an additional 10. In order to raise the morale of the soldiers, Benito Mussolini
ordered the units to be accompanied by the most aggressive fascist cadres, and also by government ministers and high ranking officials.
and started with the heavy bombardment of the Greek
positions by the Italian artillery and aircraft. The assaults were carried by 11 infantry divisions as well as the 131st Centauro Armoured Division
.
This was mainly directed against the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 11th, 15t and 17th divisions of the Greek Army, and was followed by repeated infantry assaults. Intense conflicts occurred between the rivers Osum
and Vjosë
, an area dominated by the Trebeshinë
heights. On 14 March, Italian General Ugo Cavallero
, seeing that the attacks were unable to break through the Greek lines, advised Mussolini to stop the offensive. Fierce fighting occurred on a height codenamed "731", which was unsuccessfully assaulted by the Italians at least 18 times. On the other hand the Greek forces implemented a strategy of active defense, which included prepared and improvised counter-attacks when the Italians approached their lines and systematic exploitation of terrain potentials. Moreover, a decisive factor for the final Italian defeat was that Greek artillery couldn't be neutralized by the Italians, as well as the morale of the Greek troops.
could no longer expect any appreciable support from their Italian allies when they marched against Greece, since Greek forces were only ten miles away from the strategic port of Vlore. With the German intervention and the subsequent capitulation of Greece in April 1941, the sector around height "731" was proclaimed a holy area by the Italians and a monument was erected by them, due to the heavy casualties they suffered.
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
that lasted from 9 to 16 March 1941. This offensive was the last Italian
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
attempt of the war to defeat the Greek
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
forces that had already advanced deep into Albanian
Albania under Italy
The Albanian Kingdom existed as a protectorate of the Kingdom of Italy. It was practically a union between Italy and Albania, officially led by Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III and its government: Albania was led by Italian governors, after being militarily occupied by Italy, from 1939 until 1943...
territory. The opening of the offensive was personally supervised by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
himself, but ended a week later in complete failure.
Background
On 28 October 1940, while World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was in full swing, Fascist Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
declared war upon Greece. The Italian units unsuccessfully tried to infiltrate from Albania into northwestern Greece. They were soon pushed back and the Greek army launched a counter attack deep into Albanian territory.
In February 1941, intensive preparations to strengthen the Italian front line began. By the end of the month, the 15 Italian
Royal Italian Army
The Regio Esercito was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946...
divisions fighting in Albania had been reinforced by an additional 10. In order to raise the morale of the soldiers, Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
ordered the units to be accompanied by the most aggressive fascist cadres, and also by government ministers and high ranking officials.
Conflict
The operation was to be directed and observed by Mussolini himself, who arrived in Tirana on 2 March 1941, while Italian radio announced that the dictator himself would personally lead the Italian attack. This was launched on 9 March, under General Carlo GelosoCarlo Geloso
Carlo Geloso , was an Italian military officer who rose to the rank of General, commanding the Italian occupation army in Greece during the Second World War....
and started with the heavy bombardment of the Greek
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
positions by the Italian artillery and aircraft. The assaults were carried by 11 infantry divisions as well as the 131st Centauro Armoured Division
131 Armoured Division Centauro
The 131st Armoured Division Centauro was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in February 1939, by upgrading the 1st Armoured Brigade . It took part in operations in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia before returning to Italy...
.
This was mainly directed against the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 11th, 15t and 17th divisions of the Greek Army, and was followed by repeated infantry assaults. Intense conflicts occurred between the rivers Osum
Osum
The Osum is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. Its source is in the southern part of the Korçë District, near the village Vithkuq which rearches at an elevation of . It flows initially south to the Kolonjë District, then west to Çepan, and northwest through...
and Vjosë
Vjosë
Vjosë or Aoös is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania.Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining are in Albania. Vjosë is fed by two secondary branches, both in Albania, the Drino river and the Shushicë.Its source is in Greece, specifically...
, an area dominated by the Trebeshinë
Mount Trebeshinë
Mount Trebeshinë is a mountain in southern Albania in the geographical region of Southern Mountain Range. It is part of the mountain chain Trebeshinë-Dhembel-Nemërçkë which goes parallel to the Shëndelli-Lunxhëri-Bureto chain....
heights. On 14 March, Italian General Ugo Cavallero
Ugo Cavallero
Ugo Cavallero was an Italian military commander before and during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, seeing that the attacks were unable to break through the Greek lines, advised Mussolini to stop the offensive. Fierce fighting occurred on a height codenamed "731", which was unsuccessfully assaulted by the Italians at least 18 times. On the other hand the Greek forces implemented a strategy of active defense, which included prepared and improvised counter-attacks when the Italians approached their lines and systematic exploitation of terrain potentials. Moreover, a decisive factor for the final Italian defeat was that Greek artillery couldn't be neutralized by the Italians, as well as the morale of the Greek troops.
Aftermath
After the Italian failure the GermansNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
could no longer expect any appreciable support from their Italian allies when they marched against Greece, since Greek forces were only ten miles away from the strategic port of Vlore. With the German intervention and the subsequent capitulation of Greece in April 1941, the sector around height "731" was proclaimed a holy area by the Italians and a monument was erected by them, due to the heavy casualties they suffered.