I.

Introduction

North African Campaign, name given to the series of battles and actions between the Axis and Allied forces in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia from 1940 to 1943 during World War II (1939-1945). Benito Mussolini, Italy’s fascist dictator, had long harbored ambitions upon the colonial possessions of France and the British Empire in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Mussolini wanted to extend Italian control from Libya and Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) to include French North Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco) and the British protectorate of Egypt. Meanwhile, British defense planning in the 1930s emphasized the need to defend Egypt to ensure control of the Suez Canal and maintain British influence throughout the wider Middle East.

When Britain and France declared war upon Nazi Germany in September 1939, Mussolini hesitated to join forces with his fascist ally. It was only when France was clearly on the verge of collapse, on June 10, 1940, that Mussolini declared war, believing that this moment provided the best opportunity to realize his goal of bringing the Mediterranean region under Italian control.