1. Battle of El-Alamein and Operation Torch
By: KA, AW and JC

2. Thesis:
Despite being pressed away from North Africa during early WW2, the allies managed to make a come back in the region through collaboration with the United States, forcing Hitler to consume resources while allowing for a smoother assault on Italy, marking the beginning of the allied assault in WW2.

3. Timeline: First Battle of El-Alamein:
Jul. 1-Jul. 26, 1942
First Battle of El-Alamein:
Axis forces tries to defeat the British at El-Alamein, but results in a standstill.
Nov. 8, 1942
Operation Torch Begins:
Anglo-American forces land in Africa, beginning Operation Torch.
Nov. 10, 1942
Captured Oran
U.S. forces captured the city of Oran due to superior forces.
Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1942
Second Battle of El-Alamein:
British forces defeat the Axis at El-Alamein, forcing them to retreat.
Nov. 8, 1942
Captured Algiers:
Surrendered Algiers to the Allies, gave them a firm bridgehead within mediterranean.
May 11, 1943
Germans Surrender:
German forces in Africa surrender to the British after Allies take Tunis.

4. Allied Leaders: Bernard Montgomery Led the (British) Eighth Army.
Helped reinvigorate his army, developing them into an elite fighting force
Ended the Axis powers as a threat in North Africa
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Appointed Commander of Allied forces for Operation Torch
Helped in the planning of Operation Torch
Gained support from his superiors, which helped prepare him for the invasions of Sicily and D-Day

5. Axis Leaders: Erwin Rommel Appointed Commander of Afrika Korps
String of successes due to his tactics
Brilliant desert-war tactician
Adolf Hitler
Ordered Rommel to stand and fight at El- Alamein leading to excessive casualties
Brought German troops in to respond to Allied landings in Africa
Spent vital resources to defend Northern Africa, affected future battles

6. Timeline: First Battle of El-Alamein:
Jul. 1-Jul. 26, 1942
First Battle of El-Alamein:
Axis forces tries to defeat the British at El-Alamein, but results in a standstill.
Nov. 8, 1942
Operation Torch Begins:
Anglo-American forces land in Africa, beginning Operation Torch.
Nov. 10, 1942
Captured Oran
U.S. forces captured the city of Oran due to superior forces.
Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1942
Second Battle of El-Alamein:
British forces defeat the Axis at El-Alamein, forcing them to retreat.
Nov. 8, 1942
Captured Algiers:
Surrendered Algiers to the Allies, gave them a firm bridgehead within mediterranean.
May 11, 1943
Germans Surrender:
German forces in Africa surrender to the British after Allies take Tunis.

7. First Battle of El-Alamein
Germans attacked under the control of General Rommel and forced the British army to retreat out of Libya.
Allies regrouped in El Alamein
Allies managed to fight the Germans to a standstill

8. Timeline: First Battle of El-Alamein:
Jul. 1-Jul. 26, 1942
First Battle of El-Alamein:
Axis forces tries to defeat the British at El-Alamein, but results in a standstill.
Nov. 8, 1942
Operation Torch Begins:
Anglo-American forces land in Africa, beginning Operation Torch.
Nov. 10, 1942
Captured Oran
U.S. forces captured the city of Oran due to superior forces.
Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1942
Second Battle of El-Alamein:
British forces defeat the Axis at El-Alamein, forcing them to retreat.
Nov. 8, 1942
Captured Algiers:
Surrendered Algiers to the Allies, gave them a firm bridgehead within mediterranean.
May 11, 1943
Germans Surrender:
German forces in Africa surrender to the British after Allies take Tunis.

9. Second Battle of El-Alamein
Montgomery put in charge of British Eighth Army.
Made army stronger
Defeated the Axis and forced them to retreat.
Axis consumed too much resources

10. Activity!
Have some free chocolate
Basically, the Allies outnumbered the Germans 2:1 at Second Battle of El-Alamein.

11. Timeline: First Battle of El-Alamein:
Jul. 1-Jul. 26, 1942
First Battle of El-Alamein:
Axis forces tries to defeat the British at El-Alamein, but results in a standstill.
Nov. 8, 1942
Operation Torch Begins:
Anglo-American forces land in Africa, beginning Operation Torch.
Nov. 10, 1942
Captured Oran
U.S. forces captured the city of Oran due to superior forces.
Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1942
Second Battle of El-Alamein:
British forces defeat the Axis at El-Alamein, forcing them to retreat.
Nov. 8, 1942
Captured Algiers:
Surrendered Algiers to the Allies, gave them a firm bridgehead within mediterranean.
May 11, 1943
Germans Surrender:
German forces in Africa surrender to the British after Allies take Tunis.

12. Operation Torch Background
Who: Anglo-American forces and Axis forces
Where: Northern Africa
When: November 8, May 11, 1943
What: Allied invasion of French-controlled Northern Africa, with landings at Oran, Algiers, and Casablanca
Why: Open another front in war, attack Germany through “soft underbelly”

13. Operation Torch:
Allies’s first test with the concept of unified command
Wasn’t most effective, but will be model for all other WW2 battles
First USA led operation in Europe
Goal of operation: Capture North Africa
The Allies had over twice the number of troops the Axis did, making the capture of three key cities an easy feat.
Algiers on Nov 8th, Oran and Casablanca fell two days later

14. Timeline: First Battle of El-Alamein:
Jul. 1-Jul. 26, 1942
First Battle of El-Alamein:
Axis forces tries to defeat the British at El-Alamein, but results in a standstill.
Nov. 8, 1942
Operation Torch Begins:
Anglo-American forces land in Africa, beginning Operation Torch.
Nov. 10, 1942
Captured Oran
U.S. forces captured the city of Oran due to superior forces.
Oct. 23-Nov. 3, 1942
Second Battle of El-Alamein:
British forces defeat the Axis at El-Alamein, forcing them to retreat.
Nov. 8, 1942
Captured Algiers:
Surrendered Algiers to the Allies, gave them a firm bridgehead within mediterranean.
May 11, 1943
Germans Surrender:
German forces in Africa surrender to the British after Allies take Tunis.

15. Operation Torch Allies pushed the Axis forces back to Tunis
Eventually surrounded the Axis at Tunis, forcing them to surrender
While Operation Torch was happening, Operation Barbarossa was happening in the USSR
Tried to draw resources away from Soviet Union

16. Map of Operation Torch

17. Significance Allied Victory Major Turning Point
First America-led Operation in Europe
Opened another front in the war
Germany lost vital resources
Led to invasion of Sicily and Italy (Italian Campaign)
Start of the Allied assault against the Axis

18. Works Cited
"Afrika Korps." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction, edited by John Merriman and Jay Winter, vol. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006, pp Gale Virtual Reference Library, Accessed 25 Apr
"Dwight D. Eisenhower." Historic World Leaders, edited by Anne Commire, Gale, Biography In Context, Accessed 26 Apr
"Operation Torch, 8 November 1942 and the British Advance to Tunisia, November February 1943." Chadwyck-Healey Atlas of World History, History Study Center,
"The Second World War in Africa.". History Study Center, us&rft_dat=xri:ho:sup:1240.
Tucker, Spencer C. "Operation Torch." Battles That Changed American History: 100 of the Greatest Victories and Defeat, by Spencer C. Tucker, ABC- CLIO, 2014, pp Gale Virtual Reference Library, Accessed 24 Apr
Watts, Tim J. "Operation Torch." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2018, worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/ Accessed 25 Apr
Watts, Tim. "Battle of El Alamein." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2018, worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/ Accessed 25 Apr