The African, Mediterranean and Middle East theatre encompassed the interconnected naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allied and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Africa. The fighting in this theatre lasted from 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II on the side of Germany, until 2 May 1945 when all Axis forces in Italy surrendered at the end of World War II in Europe. Fighting would, however, contin...
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The African, Mediterranean and Middle East theatre encompassed the interconnected naval, land, and air campaigns fought between the Allied and Axis forces in the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and Africa. The fighting in this theatre lasted from 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II on the side of Germany, until 2 May 1945 when all Axis forces in Italy surrendered at the end of World War II in Europe. Fighting would, however, continue in Greece, where British troops had been dispatched to aid Greek government forces during the early stages of the Greek Civil War.
In an effort to forge an Italian Empire – or as supporters called it, the New Roman Empire, Benito Mussolini ordered his forces to invade Ethiopia during October 1935. Within seven months the country had been overrun and an empire founded. Mussolini’s next target was Albania. In April 1939 Italian forces invaded the country, and within five days secured victory. Wanting to further expand his empire and to...
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