After the Allies invaded Sicily, the Italian Government fell into disarray. Fascist Prime Minister Benito Mussolini was removed from power and put under house arrest (Mussolini would later be rescued in a raid by a Nazi commando unit, only to be re-captured, shot, and hanged on display). The Italian Government fled Rome and switched sides to the Allies, leaving northern Italy to Nazi occupation. In Sep 1943, Allied forces launched a three-pronged attack at the Italian coast. After gaining a foothold on the peninsula, the Allies advanced slowly in Italy, bogged down by mountainous terrain, forces of nature, and German resistance. Battles at Salerno, Anzio, and Monte Cassino became legendary. Fierce fighting ensued throughout Italy until the war in Europe ended in May 1945.