Operation Avalanche and the Italian mainland. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was highly successful, although many of the Axis forces there were allowed to avoid capture and escape to the mainland. More importantly a "coup" deposed Benito Mussolini as head of the Italian government, which then began approaching the Allies to make peace. It was believed a quick invasion of Italy might hasten an Italian surrender and produce quick military victories over the German troops that would now be trapped fighting in a hostile country. However, Italian (and more so German) resistance proved relatively strong, and
World War II by country the Allied invasion of southern France in 1944. Technically, Andorra was still at war with Germany since World War I (and would remain at war long after World War II, declaring peace in 1958) due to being left out of the Versailles Peace Conference. Nonetheless, Andorra remained politically neutral throughout the war but was used as a smuggling route by Axis Vichy French and Axis-aligned Spain personnel. See Caribbean Islands. During the period of World War II, Argentina was ruled by a coalition of conservative, radical and independent socialists (Spanish: "La Concordancia", i. e.: Concordance) until 1943 and then by