• Can anybody tell me why Italy is not a part of the game? My son asks me every time we play and I have no answers for him.


  • So, of course, Italy is part of the game insomuch as “Southern Europe” is a starting German territory complete with an industrial complex and a VC (Rome).  But I read your question to mean, “Why isn’t Italy a seperate power, to give the Axis 3 seperate powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) just like the Allies?”

    The short answer is that the game is designed and balanced around a 3/2 Allies/Axis dynamic.  Adding Italy as a seperate power would increase the complexity of the game beyond what the Classic/Revised/Spring '42  is designed to be.  (Other series, notably Global 50, do use Italty as a seperate power.)  Further, the balance of the game would have to be significantly readjusted.  For the most part, the Axis benefits by having their forces only divided into two powers instead of three.

    I’m not sure a historical reaon would be persuasive, as (obvioulsy) the game is not a particularly accurate representation of World War II, but rather a game, simplified and balanced so all sides can have fun and a chance to win.  But if a historical reason suits you, how’s this?  The Italian contribution to the Axis in World War II was extremely small, and arguably even counter productive.  The Italians had to be reinforced by German formations in Africa, Greece, and even in the invasion of Italy itself.  It can be argued that the Vichy French government provided more effective support to the Axis than the Italians did.

    During World War II, the German general staff had a running joke that went something like this:

    One morning, a German staff office ran into Hitler’s bedroom, and woke the Fuhrer with important news.  “Mein Fuhrer, Mein Fuhrer, the Italians have entered the war!”
    Hitler, non-pulsed, replied, “Send two divisions, that should be more than enough to crush them.”
    The aide responded, “No, Mein Fuhrer, you do not understand.  The Italians have joined the war on our side!”
    At this, Hitler became panicked.  “Send ten divisions immediately!”

    Source: Inferno by Max Hastings


  • @Aristokles:

    The Italian contribution to the Axis in World War II was extremely small, and arguably even counter productive.Â

    The Office of War Information in the U.S. would have agreed with that statement.  In Frank Capra’s series of Why We Fight information/propaganda films, scenes showing Mussolini are often accompanied by a comical music cue which, combined with some sarcastic narration, give the impression that Mussolini was a pompous buffoon and that the Italian war effort wasn’t anything to take too seriously.


  • Well that definitely answers my question, thank you very much.

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