Wwii: the African and Mediterranean Theatres of War Essay

WWII: The African and Mediterranean Theatres of War Essay The battle for northwestward Africa was a struggle for control of the Suez Canal and get to to anele from the midsection East and raw materials from Asia. Oil in particular(a) had execute a critical strategic commodity payable to the increase mechanization of modern armies. Britain, which was the first major dry land to correction a completely mechanized army, was particularly qualified on the Middle Eastern oil. The Suez Canal also provided Britain with a worth(predicate) link to her overseas dominionspart of a lifeline that ran finished and through the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the North African commove and the maritime campaign for the Mediterranean were extensions of each other in a in truth(prenominal) real sense. The struggle for control of North Africa began as earlyish as October 1935, when Italy invaded Ethiopia from its colony Italian Somaliland. That move make Egypt very wary of Italys imperialistic aspirations. In reaction, the Egyptians granted Britain permission to invest relatively large forces in their territory. Britain and France also concord to take off the responsibility for of import(prenominal)taining naval control of the Mediterranean, with the main British can located at Alexandria, Egypt. Italy was the wild control board in the Mediterranean strategic equation at the counterbalance of WWII. If the Italians remained neutral, British access to the vital sea lanes would remain well-nigh assured. If Italy sided with Germany, the powerful Italian navy had the capability to close the Mediterranean. The navys main base was at Taranto in southern Italy, and operations from thither would be back up by Italian crinkle force units flying from bases in Sicily and Sardinia. Italy did remain neutral when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939. When Germany invaded France in June 1940, however, Benito Mussolini could not resist the opportunity to charm his share of the spoils. On June 11, 1940, six days a! fter the British evacuation at Dunkirk, France, Italy tell war on Britain and France. Britain...If you necessity to get a spacious essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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