The purpose for the Allied invasion of Italy and France was to open up a second front in Europe. Prior to those invasions, Germany had taken Western Europe and was steadily marching on to the East against Stalin's USSR. Since Stalin was allied with the Allies, Britain and France sought to open up a second front in order to draw German forces off of Stalin and back to the West. However, by the time of D-Day (the US/British invasion of German-controlled France), Soviet forces were already pushing the Nazis back West.