Afrika Korps

The German expeditionary force sent to North Africa in 1941 to support Italy. Led initially by Erwin Rommel, it fought Allied forces in the Western Desert campaign.

Western Desert campaign: The North African campaign fought between Axis and Allied forces in Egypt and Libya from 1940 to 1943. The Afrika Korps became a central German force in this wider desert war.
Kingdom of Italy: The Italian state ruled by the House of Savoy from 1861 until the monarchy ended in 1946. Italy’s North African defeats prompted Germany to send the Afrika Korps.
Operation Crusader: A British offensive in Libya from November 1941 to January 1942 that relieved Tobruk and pushed Axis forces westward. It forced the Afrika Korps to retreat from its first major advance.
British Eighth Army: A British-led Allied field army that fought Axis forces in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War. It was the principal land opponent of the Afrika Korps in the Western Desert.
Operation Sonnenblume: The German deployment to Libya in February 1941 to reinforce Italian forces after their defeats by the British. This operation brought the Afrika Korps to North Africa.
Italian Libya: The Italian colony comprising Libya from 1934 until Allied conquest during the Second World War. Its territory became the Afrika Korps’ principal base and battlefield.
Battle of Gazala: A May–June 1942 battle in Libya in which Axis forces defeated the British Eighth Army and captured Tobruk. The Afrika Korps helped achieve its most consequential North African victory.
Italian Tenth Army: An Italian field army that invaded Egypt from Libya in 1940 and was largely destroyed by British forces. Its defeat created the crisis that brought German forces to North Africa.
Erwin Rommel: A German field marshal who commanded Axis forces in North Africa and later opposed Hitler’s regime. Rommel’s command shaped the Afrika Korps’ operations and reputation.
Wehrmacht: The unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 until 1945. The Afrika Korps was a Wehrmacht formation operating far from Europe.

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