72 GERMANY TRIUMPHANT 1939–1941
When war broke out in September 1939, Italy
remained neutral, despite its alliance with
Nazi Germany—a union grandiosely dubbed
the “Pact of Steel.” Knowing his country’s
military weakness, the Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
waited until the French were clearly beaten before declaring
war on the Allies in June 1940. With France out of the
picture, and Britain focused on its life-or-death struggle
against Germany, it seemed an ideal opportunity for Italy
to pursue its imperial ambitions around the Mediterranean.
In autumn 1940, Italy launched offensives from its North
African colony, Libya, into Egypt, and from Albania
(which they had occupied since spring 1939) into
Greece. Despite Britain’s desperate
circumstances at that time, Winston
Churchill was prepared to devote valuable
resources to defend Egypt. Technically
an independent, neutral country, it was
in reality under British influence, and
the Suez Canal was seen as a vital
link to the British Empire in Asia.
Maintaining a supply of oil from the
Middle East was also a priority.
Poorly equipped and badly led,
the Italian forces suffered disastrous
defeats on all fronts. Italy quickly lost its
East African colonies and most of Libya to
the British, and was equally defeated by theGreeks. Although Hitler saw the Mediterranean and North
Africa as distractions from more important matters, he sent
German forces into the region to save Italy from disaster.The Germans head southward
In spring 1941, having conquered Yugoslavia, German
troops continued south into Greece and Crete in the last of
their Blitzkrieg offensives; Britain sent forces to intervene.
In North Africa, the arrival of the tanks of the Afrika Korps,
led by the German general Erwin Rommel, placed Egypt
under threat. There was heavy fighting between Britain and
the Axis powers in the Western Desert. Meanwhile, the
naval war in the Mediterranean centered on British
efforts to block supplies to Rommel and keep a
convoy route open between their bases
at Gibraltar and Alexandria via Malta.
Although the Royal Navy’s warships
were relatively well equipped, land-
based Luftwaffe aircraft caused the
British a lot of damage.
Britain’s position was rendered more
vulnerable by the hostile attitude of
Francoist Spain and Vichy France, both◁ Parachutist’s badge
German airborne troops, marked by their
distinctive badge, played a significant role in
the Blitzkrieg offensives early in the war.△ Operation Compass
In December 1940, British forces
advanced to attack the Italians in
the Western Desert, Egypt. Around
133,000 Italians were taken prisoner
by British troops.CHANGES IN FORTUNE
The war in the Mediterranean
region had two distinct phases.
From June 1940 to spring 1941,
Italy suffered defeats on all fronts.
Then the arrival of German air
and land forces shifted the
balance in favor of the Axis,
although not decisively. Battered
by British victories at Taranto,
Italy, and Cape Matapan, Greece,
the Italian navy could never
control the Mediterranean.
The British were frequently
outfought by Rommel in North
Africa, but mounted repeated
counteroffensives.THE MEDITERRANEAN
AND MIDDLE EAST
Italy’s entry into World War II extended the conflict south into the Mediterranean region.
After multiple failures by the Italian forces, Germany went to the rescue, and the Axis
powers fought major tank battles against the British in the North African desert.
JUN 1940 OCT 1940 FEB 1941EUROPEASIAAFRICAJun 10, 1940
Italy enters
the warSep 13, 1940
Italians invade
Egypt from LibyaOct 28, 1940
Italians invade
Greece from AlbaniaNov 11–12, 1940
British Swordfish
aircraft attack Italian
fleet at TarantoDec 9, 1940
In Operation Compass,
British counterattack
Italians in EgyptJan 24, 1941
British invade
Italian SomalilandFeb 5, 1941
Beginning of
Battle of Keren
in EritreaFeb 12, 1941
Rommel takes
command in
North AfricaUS_072-073_N_The_Mediterranean_And_Middle_East.indd 72 24/05/19 1:16 PM