Hiya!

This is a variation on one of our Frequently Asked Questions. Hopefully some of these great responses can point you in the right direction.

1. How did the Italian army, descended from the mighty Roman legions, become a byword for military incompetence?

2. Why did the Italian Army during WW2 perform so badly?

3. Was Italy the "weakest link" of the Axis during World War Two.

I hope this helps! If you have any further questions, there are additional answers in the WWII Italy FAQ, or you can feel free to ask. :)

It can be argued that Germany was actually the one being not very useful to its Italian ally!

As I've already explained in another post:

The German ally [...] proved to be just as useful as a box of bricks when it wasn't actively contrasting the Italians' own plans. The two commands - thinking of North Africa here - distrusted each other, the Italians' repeated requests for support and equipment (need those 88s, mr. Ciano? You shall not have them!) or materiel (the fleet at Taranto was delivered a fraction of the fuel it was promised) were routinely denied, the commands were plagued by disagreements, and so on. No one could possibly expect such a shaky and uneasy alliance to properly work out.

But yes - both countries ended up being quite a weight for each other.