Mediterranean and Middle East theatres of World War II

The **Mediterranean and Middle East theatres of World War II** were major theatres of operations during the Second World War.

## History 
### 1940 – 1941 
On the 10th of June 1940, Benito Mussolini (the dictator of Italy) declared war on France who at that time was at war with Germany, but France would surrender to the Axis powers and a German puppet known as Vichy France was established.

In exile, Charles de Gaulle (a French general) proclaimed Free France, an Allied government-in-exile part of the Allied powers against Germany with de Gaulle as chairman of the National Committee.

Italy then invaded British Somaliland, and succeeded. Then, Italy invaded Egypt (starting the North African Campaign) and it did not succeed. After this, Italy attempted to invade Greece but failed. When 1941 began, British and Commonwealth forces invaded Italian East Africaand that would succeed (the Italian invasion of British Somaliland and the Allied invasion of Italian East Africa were both parts of the East African campaign).

Meanwhile Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria joined the Axis. Yugoslavia joined too, but a coup had overthrown the government, so Germany, Italy and Hungary invaded Yugoslavia, and in 10–20 days, Yugoslavia and Greece surrendered. There would be resistance all over Yugoslavia and Greece in the next 4 years, the British had sent more troops from Egypt and Greece, so Axis forces moved deeper into the Egyptian territory, but an Australian force at Tobruk, prevented supplies from reaching the Axis army’s.

Iraq set up an Axis government, so the British and Commonwealth forces invaded Iraq (they also invaded Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon.)

On the 22nd of June 1941, Germany invaded the USSR. The British made a supply line to the Eastern Front, but Iran (a country in the supply line) supported the Axis, so Anglo–Soviet forces invaded Iran.

On the 7th of December 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, which would bring the United States into the war.

### 1942 – 1943 
In Egypt, the Axis forces were pushed back, then the Allied forces were pushed back, then after a battle at El Alamein, Allied forces and the new American forces landing in Algeria pushed the Axis forces out of Africa and Vichy France was invaded by the Axis powers.

On the 9th of July 1943, Allied forces invaded Sicily, they would reach the main land in September. Meanwhile, Mussolini was ousted from power and Italy surrendered on the 8th of September, and German forces in Italy occupied Italy and established a German puppet state, the Italian Social Republic, and the Italian civil war began. (Germany also invaded every Italian-held area in Axis-occupied Europe, including Albania, Montenegro and the Italian occupied areas of Greece and Croatia.)

### 1944 – 1945 
On the 17th of January 1944, the Battle of Monte Cassino began, and it lasted for 4 months with Rome liberated in June. The Allies would march up the Italian mainland, in August, Allied forces landed in southern France and marched up in southern France, leaving the Mediterranean theatre to link up with the other Allied forces on the Western Front in the European theatre of World War II. Meanwhile, Romania changed sides on the 24 of August as well as Bulgaria on the 9th of September. 

On the 30th of September, Soviet soldiers crossed into Yugoslavia, helping the partisans liberating Yugoslavia. In October, the British landed in southern Greece to liberate the country from occupation. Meanwhile, Albanian partisans liberated Albania in November and formed a provisional government. In December, Greek partisans started revolts in Athens. But the partisans would loose the British and anti-communist Greeks.

In March 1945, the Yugoslavs formed the Provisional Government of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav People's Army. In April, the Yugoslavs started the last offensive against the Axis, they liberated Sarajevo on the 6th of April and reached the outskirts of Zagreb. In the same month, Allied forces advanced into Italian territory, Mussolini tried to escape to Switzerland, but he was caught by Italian partisans and was executed on the 28th, two days later, Hitler committed suicide to prevent being caught by the Soviet army surrounding Berlin. On the 1st of May, the Yugoslavs liberated Trieste and linked up with the Western Allies at Monfalcone, that same day, the National Republican Army (the army of the RSI) surrendered. The next day, on the 2nd, the other Axis forces in Italy surrendered, and on the 8th, Germany would surrender, ending World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

## References