[FreedomPoster]

The comment there is that if strategically Italy was the soft underbelly of Europe, tactically it was the strong backbone. Mountainous with lots of E-W rivers running from the mountains to the sea made for *great* defensive positions.

[BroJoeK]

"Mountainous with lots of E-W rivers running from the mountains to the sea made for *great* defensive positions."

And they had one of the most capable German generals in charge of defending Italy, "Smiling Albert" Kesselring.