Overview: In July 1943, Italy left the alliance with Germany. Mussolini is arrested and at the beginning of September the new Italian government concludes a ceasefire with the Allies. But German troops have been advancing in the country since the beginning of August. Then on September 9th, British and American units began the “Avalanche” landing operation near Salerno. Their goal is to liberate Europe from the south. However, they encounter bitter German resistance and well-developed defense lines. The battles that followed were among the bloodiest of the Second World War.