Africa became a central arena in the global struggle of the Second World War (1939–1945), where imperial rivalry, strategic geography, and colonial governance converged. Campaigns in North Africa (1940–1943) pitted Axis forces, initially under Benito Mussolini (reign 1922–1943) and later reinforced by German units under Adolf Hitler (reign 1933–1945), against British-led Commonwealth and Allied armies. Control of the Suez Canal, Mediterranean sea lanes, and North African ports proved decisive for supply routes linking Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. In East Africa, the conflict intersected with the aftermath of Italy’s earlier invasion of Ethiopia (1935–1936); Emperor Haile Selassie (reign 1930–1974, interrupted 1936–1941) was restored to the throne in 1941 following Allied advances. Madagascar (1942) likewise became a strategic objective to prevent Axis naval access to the Indian Ocean.
Beyond conventional battlefields, the war reshaped African societies and colonial structures. Hundreds of thousands of African soldiers served in British, French, Belgian, and Italian colonial forces, fighting not only on African soil but also in Europe and Asia. Wartime requisitioning, forced labor, and economic disruption intensified social strain, while exposure to global political ideas accelerated demands for reform and representation. The contradiction between Allied rhetoric of freedom and the persistence of colonial rule became increasingly visible by 1945. As a result, the war functioned as both a military confrontation and a catalyst for political transformation, helping to set the stage for the decolonization movements that would reshape the continent in the decades following the war.
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Related Images
Map of WWII North Africa Campaign, 1940-1943
Map of Operation Compass
Map of the African Slave Trade, c. 1750
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Map of the Crusader States, 1229-1240 CE
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2026, February 11). Map of Africa in World War II. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19072/map-of-africa-in-world-war-ii/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Africa in World War II." World History Encyclopedia, February 11, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19072/map-of-africa-in-world-war-ii/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of Africa in World War II." World History Encyclopedia, 11 Feb 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19072/map-of-africa-in-world-war-ii/.
