1. Essential Question: How did the North African campaign effect the war?

3. Italian Presence in North Africa
Since before World War II, Italy had been occupying Libya and had over a million soldiers based there
In neighboring Egypt, the British Army had only 36,000 men guarding the Suez Canal and the Arabian oilfields
On Sept 13, 1940, the Italians advanced into Egypt but halted in front of the main British defenses at Mersa Matruh
On Dec 9, the British counterattacked and pushed the Italians back more than 500 miles, inflicting heavy casualties
British troops then moved along the coast and on Jan 22, 1941, they captured the port of Tobruk in Libya

4. Germany to the Rescue
In the meantime, Germany sent forces across the Mediterranean to Tripoli
The Afrika Corps commanded by Erwin Rommel
Italy’s disasters in North Africa and elsewhere (i.e., Greece) were threatening to undermine the Axis position in the Balkans and the Mediterranean

5. Rommel
Characteristically Rommel attacked and drove the British Commonwealth forces out of Libya except for Tobruk
With the situation in North Africa stabilized, Hitler turned his attention to shoring up Italy, leaving Rommel to deal with North Africa
One of Rommel’s biggest challenges would be his long, tenuous supply line
Between Oct and Nov the Allies sank nearly 80% of Axis supply ships crossing the Mediterranean

6. Rommel
Rommel pushed the British deep into Egypt but British General Bernard Montgomery stopped Rommel at El Alamein in July 1942

7. Operation Torch
While this was going on in Egypt and Libya, Americans acquiesced to British pressure and began planning Operation Torch– landings to occupy Algeria and Morocco and co-opt the Vichy French
The “Vichy French” had reached an agreement with the Germans allowing a French government headed by Marshall Henri Pétain to govern the French colonies and those parts of France not occupied by the Germans
The “Free French” established their own government in exile led by Charles de Gaulle

8. Operation Torch
The Anglo-American forces landed at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers and then advanced by land and sea to Tunisia

9. Operation Torch
At first the Vichy French resisted, but eventually surrendered
Hitler began rushing troops to Tunis before the Allies could get there
Hitler was successful in winning “the race to Tunis” and therefore denying the Mediterranean to Allied shipping
However, he did so at a great price, committing Italian and German troops to an ultimately hopeless fight when they could have been better used elsewhere
Admiral Francois Darlan surrendered the Vichy forces in North Africa

11. Kasserine Pass
After El Alamein, Montgomery had been unable to cut off Rommel and Rommel was able to retreat across Egypt, into Libya, and eventually reach Tunisia
Rommel developed a plan to sweep up from southern Tunisia and destroy the Allied supply dumps in eastern Algiers
Rommel attacked on February 14 and punched his way through the Kasserine Pass
It was a tactical victory, but Rommel was unable to continue with his larger plan and began withdrawing on Feb 22

12. American soldiers enter Kasserine Pass
Germans Defeated
Rommel then turned south against the British who were arriving from Egypt
Montgomery dealt Rommel a stunning defeat and Rommel personally left Africa
The Axis position in North Africa steadily deteriorated and in early May the Allies controlled Tunisia
American soldiers enter Kasserine Pass

13. Lloyd Fredendall, commander of the American II Corps
First Battle
The Americans did not perform very well in their first combat experience and senior leadership was horrible
General Eisenhower was forced to relieve Lloyd Fredendall of command and replace him with George Patton
Lloyd Fredendall, commander of the American II Corps

14. Results of North Africa
The Germans had wasted valuable resources in an indecisive theater
Mussolini was severely weakened domestically
The Americans learned from their poor performance and made the necessary changes
The British and American coalition weathered a potentially threatening storm