History of Wars Summary 17 - Justinian's Expansionist Wars Part 4: The Gothic War towards Italy

After collapsing the Vandal Kingdom, Justinian launched a new expedition to reclaim Italy, the heartland of the former Western Roman Empire. At the time, Italy was ruled by the Ostrogothic Kingdom, which maintained its own political system centered around Ravenna. The Gothic War began in 535 when Belisarius attacked Sicily. After securing Sicily, the Eastern Roman forces advanced into mainland Italy, capturing Rome by 536. However, the Ostrogoths did not collapse easily. A prolonged siege ensued as the army led by Witiges surrounded Rome, and the Eastern Roman forces defended the city despite shortages of food and manpower. The war then expanded throughout Italy, with battles fought over key cities like Ravenna and Milan. Although the Ostrogothic Kingdom seemed to crumble when Belisarius captured Ravenna in 540, new resistance soon began. The conquest of Italy took much longer than expected and placed a significant financial burden on the empire.