That's false. Almost all of Brazil.is in the Tropic zone.
Trains. They covered most of Europe during the European industrial revolution.
The river gets larger and deeper by the water current pushing against it. Also water will evaporate.
When the italians actually had to fight a modern,well trained army,such as the Australians,or the British,the Italians fell apart,and surrendered in their thousands.They didn't want to get hurt,never mind get killed,for their duce.That there weakness.