The Western Desert Campaign.
Afrika Korps advancing across the desert.
- The Western Desert Campaign was the primary phase of the Second World War's activity in North Africa. Instigated in September of 1940 when the Italians attacked the British and Commonwealth forces, the campaign was a incessant struggle between the Allied and Axis forces. The British Forces retaliated with what would come to be known as Operation Compass. This was the first considerable victory for the Allies during this campaign, resulting in the British and Commonwealth forces taking a vast portion of the Libyan battlefield. The Germans (Afrika Korps) had begun aiding their Italian allies, and in time, became the most predominant Axis country to be involved in the back-and-forth. The Axis powers encamped in Egypt would attempt to take the Allies, but failed on each occasion. The Allies successfully reclaimed the ground lost in the scuffles, except for a single exception, when the Axis powers force the Allied deep past the Egyptian border. The Allies would however take back the land lost and return to their original Libyan posts at the battle of El Alamein. The Axis forces were then pushed back into Tunisia, an event which launched what would come to be known as the Tunisian Campaign.