Mussolini’s ambitious plan to forge a new Roman Empire in North Africa and the Mediterranean quickly unraveled due to the Italian army’s poor fighting shape, leading to swift British victories in Libya and Abyssinia. This forced Hitler to intervene, diverting crucial resources to support his struggling ally and securing Crete, but ultimately drawing Germany into a costly North African campaign under General Rommel. Despite Rommel’s initial successes and strategic brilliance, the Allies, reinforced and benefiting from crucial intelligence, secured Malta’s supply lines and ultimately triumphed at El Alamein. This decisive defeat led to the Axis surrender in North Africa and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Italy, which saw Mussolini overthrown and German forces pushed steadily northward through fierce fighting, further draining Hitler’s dwindling resources. Ultimately, Mussolini’s ill-fated ambitions proved catastrophic for both Italy and Germany, overstretching the Axis and contributing to their eventual downfall.
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