Co-belligerency and Armament Policy: Britain, the United States and Italy, 1943–45

While historians have largely examined the Allied policy towards co-belligerent Italy in military and political contexts, little attention has been paid to the measures adopted on armament matters. This article demonstrates, first, how the decisions made by commanders regarding the provision of armaments to Italy influenced the overall framework of co-belligerency; second, it documents Britain's increasing engagement in Italian military affairs, culminating in the assumption of national supply responsibilities for the rearmament of the Italian Army in mid-1944, which was in response to the reduced military role of the United States in Italy and the escalating Soviet influence in the Mediterranean.