North Africa
The North African campaign is a significant point from which the Allied countries begin to take back occupied territories. It is a monumental victory and later sets up the stage to other operations that help bring about an end to the war.
The conflict began in June 10, 1940, when Italy declared war on Britain and France. This declaration of war provoked Italian troops stationed in Libya to fight with British troops, and aided by Commonwealth countries such as Canada, located in Egypt. However, due to the sheer number of the British and Canadian troops, who were led by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, the Italian troops were quickly pushed back West into Beda Fomm (Central Libya), where 190 000 Italian troops were captured as prisoners of war. As promising as the Allied advance was, it was halted at El Agheila, where the Afrika Korps prevented them from proceeding any further.
The Afrika Korps was a special German military unit trained and specialized for desert warfare, which was led by General Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the ‘Desert Fox’ because of his various successes during the North African campaign. These troops were brought into North Africa to impede the Allied advance to prevent an Axis defeat.
There was a slew of hard battles fought by both sides over control of Libya and Egypt for more than 3 years. Nazi forces ultimately lost the battle for North Africa when they could not break through El Alamein in 1942, despite having established a dominant presence and their multiple attacks on British and Canadian troops in the region. After rigorous fighting at the Second Battle of El Alamein, which lasted from September to November of 1942, German troops decided to retreat west into Tunisia. This retreat was implicated by the Allied ‘Operation Torch’.
The conflict began in June 10, 1940, when Italy declared war on Britain and France. This declaration of war provoked Italian troops stationed in Libya to fight with British troops, and aided by Commonwealth countries such as Canada, located in Egypt. However, due to the sheer number of the British and Canadian troops, who were led by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, the Italian troops were quickly pushed back West into Beda Fomm (Central Libya), where 190 000 Italian troops were captured as prisoners of war. As promising as the Allied advance was, it was halted at El Agheila, where the Afrika Korps prevented them from proceeding any further.
The Afrika Korps was a special German military unit trained and specialized for desert warfare, which was led by General Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the ‘Desert Fox’ because of his various successes during the North African campaign. These troops were brought into North Africa to impede the Allied advance to prevent an Axis defeat.
There was a slew of hard battles fought by both sides over control of Libya and Egypt for more than 3 years. Nazi forces ultimately lost the battle for North Africa when they could not break through El Alamein in 1942, despite having established a dominant presence and their multiple attacks on British and Canadian troops in the region. After rigorous fighting at the Second Battle of El Alamein, which lasted from September to November of 1942, German troops decided to retreat west into Tunisia. This retreat was implicated by the Allied ‘Operation Torch’.
Operation Torch
Operation Torch, launched in November, 1942, saw to the landing of Allied troops in cities like Casablanca, of Morocco, and Oran and Algiers, of Algeria. Both of these countries were occupied by French Vichy forces. There were preliminary battles along the coasts of the landing sites as these countries were invaded, but Allied forces managed to push through and cut off the Afrika Korps retreat at Tunisia.
In the end, Allies claimed victory on May 13, 1943, after they had pushed the Axis out of Kasserine and into Bizerte. There, they managed to capture 275 000 prisoners and took control over North Africa.
In the end, Allies claimed victory on May 13, 1943, after they had pushed the Axis out of Kasserine and into Bizerte. There, they managed to capture 275 000 prisoners and took control over North Africa.