Benito Mussolini was the leader of the Italian Forces. Ideally, if the strategy went as planned, the Italian Army would be surrounded at Rome and Italy would eventually fall, along with its leader. Also, if the Allies attacked at this time, the Germans would abandon their post in Northern France, where the Allies planned on attacking next.
Strategy
"Operation Husky" was a battle born in controversy, but it was the right choice in the end. The Allied Forces had a great strategy planned for this invasion. Their goal was simple, knock out the weaker forces in Sicily and push the Axis Forces back to Rome. Rome was the Italian "home base" and also home to Benito Mussolini. The strategy would be easy to accomplish, because it was a complete surprise attack. Also, before the invasion was made, the Allied Forces made a "deceptive" sub-mission called "Operation Mincemeat." Here they planted fake plans that the Allies were supposedly going to used with a dead marine floating in the water. Hitler fell for it right away. The Allies had given themselves an advantage.