Kesselring’s defense of Italy was brilliant; while Americans today learn the D-Day invasion was to get a “foothold in Europe”, we had landed in Italy in 1943 and were getting hammered by the Germans (Anzio, etc.). When the war ended areas in northern Italy still hadn’t been retaken.
When the war ended areas in northern Italy still Mark Clark’s 5th Army was a mish mosh compared to Kesselring’s. Clark had everyone in that Army, Moroccans, Brazilians, etc.a mix of the world’s little nations that wanted a piece of the action. I think we had something like 51 allies in that war. I would think with all those languages, there would be some problems getting one’s points across. The Germans had crack troops in Italy, they weren’t Ost Truppen. They had paratroopers who were well equipped along with veteran units from the east front. Kesselring, saved his troops, he also surrendered them knowing the war was over, before May 7th.