The North African campaign was fought in Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, between the Allies and the Axis powers of Germany and Italy. It started when Italy declared war and attacked British forces in Egypt, was marked by the swinging advances and retreats across the desert coast, and brought into prominence German general Erwin Rommel and the Afrika Korps. British forces under Bernard Montgomery won the second battle of El Alamein in late 1942, and soon afterwards the Anglo-American landings of Operation Torch opened a second front. The Axis forces were trapped in Tunisia and surrendered in May 1943, which opened the way to the invasion of Sicily and Italy.
Before and after
- 15 May 1940Founding of McDonald's
- 20 May 1940Construction of Auschwitz
- 24 May 1940Birth of Joseph Brodsky
- from 26 May 1940 to 4 June 1940Dunkirk evacuation
- from 10 June 1940 to 16 May 1943North African campaign
- from 10 June 1940 to 2 May 1945Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II
- 22 June 1940Armistice of 22 June 1940
- from 22 June 1940 to 4 October 1943German military administration in occupied France during World War II
- from 28 June 1940 to 3 July 1940Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
More in Wars, politics & history
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- from 1933 to 1945The Holocaust
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The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.