Original: Later, when the German and Italian armies were allied during the Second World War, Rommel tempered his initial disdain of Italian soldiers when he realised that their lack of success in battle was principally due to poor leadership and equipment, which when overcome, easily made them equal to German forces.
Simplified: Later, when the German and Italian armies were allied during the Second World War, Rommel realised that their lack of success in battle was due to poor leadership and equipment, which when fixed, easily made them equal to German forces.