The Second World War: The Mediterranean 1940-1945

✍ Scribed by Paul Collier

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 83
• Series: Essential Histories
• Edition: Hbk. Ed
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book explores the idea that the Mediterranean theatre of World War II was the first truly modern war - a highly mobile conflict in which logistics was a critical and often deciding factor. From the very beginning it became apparent that victory would not be possible without close tactical coordination between the land, sea, and air elements. Each side would ultimately advance and withdraw across 1,000 miles of desert until the Axis forces were decisively defeated at El Alamein in 1942.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Introduction......Page 6
Chronology......Page 9
The Rome-Berlin Axis......Page 11
Crossroads of the British Empire......Page 13
Italy......Page 15
Germany......Page 17
Britain and the Commonwealth......Page 18
Vichy France......Page 20
Mussolini’s grasp for glory......Page 21
British consolidation......Page 23
Conclusion......Page 24
The first desert campaigns......Page 26
The conquest of Italian East Africa......Page 28
Greece......Page 29
Rommel’s first desert offensive......Page 30
Iraq and Syria......Page 33
The Mediterranean......Page 34
The desert campaigns 1941–42......Page 36
The campaign in north-west Africa......Page 42
The invasion of Europe......Page 45
Charles Hazlitt Upham, VC and Bar (1908–94)......Page 52
Coalition warfare......Page 57
Ultra......Page 59
Resistance......Page 60
Leon Gambin......Page 64
The Balkans......Page 67
The end in Italy......Page 68
Decolonization......Page 70
The Italian Empire......Page 71
Syria and Lebanon......Page 72
Egypt and Sudan......Page 73
Palestine......Page 74
Conclusion......Page 76
Secondary texts......Page 79
Index......Page 81