![]() If Italy sided with Germany, the powerful Italian navy had the capability to close the Mediterranean. If the Italians remained neutral, British access to the vital sea lanes would remain almost assured. Italy was the wild card in the Mediterranean strategic equation at the outset of WWII. Britain and France also agreed to divide the responsibility for maintaining naval control of the Mediterranean, with the main British base located at Alexandria, Egypt. In reaction, the Egyptians granted Britain permission to station relatively large forces in their territory. That move made Egypt very wary of Italy’s imperialistic aspirations. The struggle for control of North Africa began as early as October 1935, when Italy invaded Ethiopia from its colony Italian Somaliland. Thus, the North African Campaign and the naval campaign for the Mediterranean were extensions of each other in a very real sense. The Suez Canal also provided Britain with a valuable link to her overseas dominions-part of a lifeline that ran through the Mediterranean Sea. ![]() Britain, which was the first major nation to field a completely mechanized army, was particularly dependent on the Middle Eastern oil. Oil in particular had become a critical strategic commodity due to the increased mechanization of modern armies. The battle for North Africa was a struggle for control of the Suez Canal and access to oil from the Middle East and raw materials from Asia. How North Africa Became a Battleground in World War II Close
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