Why the Germans fought furiously to save Italy?

Answer 1

Actually, although the Germans fought furiously in Italy, they were not fighting to save Italy. They were fighting to save Germany.

First of all, the Axis countries in WW2 were not the best of friends. Italy and Japan had fought against Germany in WW1. In WW2, Italy had fought Great Britain in North Africa and the Mediterranean for two years, and the strain of continued war became too great. By the time the Allies invaded Sicily, most most of the Italian Army was either dead or in prisoner-of-war camps. Mussolini was finally overthrown and Italy negotiated a surrender with the Allies. Since the terrain of Italy favored the defense, the German occupation of Italy was a sensible military move, and a few German Army divisions stalled the Allied advance in Italy until Germany itself was invaded and surrendered.