We have taken this month for our Survey the topic of the Near East during the Second World War. Germany sought to renew in the region the same bonds and allies it enjoyed during the First World War.
Muslim nations strove to achieve or maintain independence.
Jewish settlers labored to establish or regain a homeland. Against the background of this political unrest three separate military campaigns were waged in the Near East during the course of the Second World War. In May 1941 British and Indian troops fought a campaign against the Iraqi armed forces and their supporting German and Italian air assets. And in August of the same year British and Indian troops from the south and Soviet divisions from the north invaded Iran. Here are some of the most notable sources for the political, economic, and military aspects of the Near East during the war.