Wwii: the African and Mediterranean Theatres of War Essay

WWII: The African and Mediterranean Theatres of War Essay The battle for unification Africa was a struggle for control of the Suez Canal and get to to oil from the midsection East and raw materials from Asia. Oil in particular(a) had execute a critical strategic commodity collectible to the increase mechanization of modern armies. Britain, which was the first major country to correction a completely mechanized army, was particularly bloodsucking 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 by means of and through the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the North African commove and the ocean 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 do Egypt very wary of Italys imperialisti c aspirations. In reaction, the Egyptians granted Britain consent to invest relatively large forces in their territory. Britain and France also concur to take off the responsibility for master(prenominal)taining naval control of the Mediterranean, with the important British can located at Alexandria, Egypt. Italy was the wild pester in the Mediterranean strategic equation at the number one of WWII.

If the Italians remained neutral, British access to the vital sea lanes would remain most 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 in that location would be back up by Italian melody 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 snapshot his share of the spoils. On June 11, 1940, six days after the British evacuation at Dunkirk, France, Italy tell war on Britain and France. Britain...If you lack to get a spacious essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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