North Africa

• Mussolini's Goals

  Capture British Egypt<|>Seize control of the Mediterranean Highway<|>Launch an invasion from Egypt, into Middle Eastern oil fields
• Failure in North Africa

  Middle Eastern oil fields and the Suez Canal remained in British hands
• Middle Eastern oil fields and Suez Canal remaining in British hands

  Starved Germany of critical resources, which significantly impacted their capacity to wage war on other fronts (Russia, Normandy)
• Losses sustained due to the failure of Operation Compass and El Alamein

  Could not be replenished and led to a diminished Wehrmacht for the remainder of the conflict, accelerating Allied victory
• German defeat in North Africa

  Resulted in a major boost to Allied morale and allowed them to open up a second front against Italy in 1943 and France in '44, further straining Germany, leading to their ultimate defeat in 1945
• Operation Compass (September, 1940)

  1. Italian 10th army invaded Egypt from Libya

  2. Wavell's Operation Compass pushed Italian forces over 750km back into Libya

  3. 130,000 Italian troops surrendered
• Afrika Korps


  Largest German task force in the region, known for its rapid movements
• Tobruk (April - December, 1941)


  1. Primarily defended by Australia's 9th and 7th Divisions

  2. Commonwealth forces held Tobruk for 242 days

  3. British 8th Army attacked Rommel's forces in a 40 day operation, 'Crusader'
• First Battle of El Alamein (July, 1942)


  1. Battle ended in a stalemate

  2. Churchill replaced General Auchinleck with General Montgomery
• Second Battle of El Alamein (October - November, 1942)


  1. Montgomery decisively destroyed the Afrika Korps ability to wage war effectively

  2. Rommel ordered a full retreat west into Libya against the Fuhrer's orders
• End of North Africa

  1. Operation Torch launched by Generals Eisenhower and Patton

  2. Campaign ended in May of 1943, when the remnants surrendered to either Montgomery or Eisenhower