North Africa Campaigns: The Western Desert

Bardia, Libya, 1940. Libya has been under Italian control for nearly 30 years. On June 11th, British troops and tanks cross the border from Egypt. They capture an Italian fortress. The Italian and British forces begin to fight.

It is the start of three years of battles that will spread across the North African region. The fighting is connected to World War II, taking place in Europe. Germany has invaded Poland, Denmark, Norway… and now they’re fighting France. On June 10th, 1940, Italy sided with Germany. Italy’s leader, Benito Mussolini, declared war against France and Britain.

Since Egypt is controlled by the British, and Libya by the Italians, the British and Italians now want to defeat the other for control of the North African region. The stakes are high: through Egypt runs the Suez Canal, a vital route for transporting goods to and from countries in the British Empire. British forces, which include soldiers from India and Rhodesia, had been ordered to guard the canal. But their commander ignored his defensive orders and instead launched the attack on the Italian fortress in Bardia. Now, Italian forces respond by invading Egypt.

They set up fortified camps there. The British, in danger of losing control over their land and waterway, attack the Italians’ camps. They swiftly defeat them and push them back into Libya. Now that the British have successfully defended Egypt, they turn their attention to taking control of Libya. They push into Cyrenaica, and successfully occupy the region.

This gives them a clear passage to Libya’s capital, Tripoli. Surely, the British will advance to Tripoli, take control of Libya, and the fighting will end… But North Africa is not Britain’s only battleground in the larger war taking place. Back in Europe, Germany is planning to support Italy’s invasion of Greece. Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, orders much of the army in North Africa to relocate to Greece, to try and stop the Germans. The smaller remaining force in North Africa, will face one of the most notorious German commanders of the entire war...

General Erwin Rommel takes control of a German force, named the Afrika Korps, that comes to the Italians’ rescue. Together, German-Italian forces, known as the Axis powers, capture a key post held by the British: Port Tobruk. They seize a large number of tanks and supplies the British have gathered there, as well as taking thousands of troops prisoner. From here, the Axis forces keep moving east, until in June 1942 they are barely 100 kilometers from Egypt’s capital, Cairo. It seems certain they will take control of Egypt… Hoping to strengthen British forces, Churchill appoints a new commander: General Bernard Montgomery.

Montgomery insists on holding back on further attacks until reinforcements arrive. The British wait for more troops, submarines, aircraft and tanks, some of which are coming from the United States. Montgomery’s patience pays off. In October 1942, British forces launch their next attack, in El Alamein. They outnumber Axis troops on the ground.

From the air and sea, they cut off Axis supply routes. Axis forces begin to run low on ammunition, fuel, food. In January 1943, British forces finally capture Tripoli and push Axis forces over the Libya-Tunisia border. The British have defended Egypt, and now they occupy Libya. Soon, they will try to defeat the remaining Axis forces in Tunisia.

Across Libya, Jews have been sent by Axis powers to concentration camps. One of these, Camp Giado, is liberated the day after the Allies’ victory. Tripoli, meanwhile, is littered with the debris of downed planes. Many of its homes, chapels, synagogues are reduced to rubble.