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North Africa, 1941. Chaos in the middle of a breathtaking landscape. The desert on the border of Libya and Egypt is like a film set. It's the scene of a major and little known confrontation of the Second World War, the Desert War. Drunk with glory, Mussolini has recklessly set out to conquer Egypt. Fearing humiliation, Hitler has sent the Africa Corps to his rescue. At its head is Erwin Rommel, a legendary general devoured by ambition. In defiance of the orders of the Führer, who's focused on the Russian front, Rommel challenges the British Empire in Egypt. And that's an intolerable affront to Churchill.
Since 1940, Britain has been suffering defeat after defeat. In North Africa, victory is imperative, whatever the cost. So, Churchill has deployed considerable forces there under the hitherto unknown General Montgomery. Here in these sands, he hopes the Reich will finally bite the dust. It's a huge endeavor. The desert is a hell on earth. It consumes bodies, burns souls, and ruthlessly destroys machines. Here in this furnace, can Montgomery inflict a historic defeat on Rommel, the Desert Fox, one that will change the course of the war? In these sands, will victory at last choose their side?
It all begins with a big gamble by a little dictator who dreams of greatness. Benito Mussolini. He proclaims that Italy must break the bars of her Mediterranean prison. Il Duce wants to restore the splendors of the Roman Empire. He dreams of controlling the Mediterranean Sea and expanding his empire into Africa. Mussolini has inherited an empire whose modesty is for him a sore point. In the east, it only controls Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. In the north, Libya was conquered at the turn of the century by iron and blood.
Italy's victory was gained only by means of multiple massacres and atrocities. In the summer of 1940, the surprise defeat of France turns the tables on the war. It's a chance that Il Duce doesn't intend to pass up on. He wants to see the old colonial powers that dominate Africa driven out. Italy's time has come. From Libya, he orders his troops to enter Egypt, which is controlled by the British. A force of 80,000 men advances about 60 miles into Egyptian territory, where it comes to a halt. The Italian generals are hesitant.
They reckon their army is under-equipped and not ready for such an adventure. "It's my impression that our preparations for war are a complete mess," says one captain. "The soldiers haven't been properly trained. Some of them haven't even been taught to shoot." Winston Churchill doesn't want to let go of Egypt at any price. Ever since France surrendered, the Reich has been extending its grip on Europe. For the British Prime Minister, another defeat would be unacceptable.
Especially since the Luftwaffe is relentlessly pounding England. Churchill knows that Britain's salvation depends more than ever on the resources of its empire. And on the precious Suez Canal. It's a vital artery for transporting raw materials from Asia and Australia. For Churchill, it's a very serious situation. But wouldn't the Italian attack be an opportunity to play a dirty trick on Hitler? A crushing defeat of Italy in North Africa would deprive the Führer of his faithful ally. A triumph that would perhaps offer a miracle solution to defeating the Reich.
Unlike Mussolini, Churchill has a huge empire at his back, the largest on the planet. He decides to tap into this reservoir to defend Egypt. During the autumn of 1940, thousands of Australian, New Zealand, and South African soldiers pour into Cairo. The support is all the more precious since the morale of the British soldiers is low after the route they lived through in Europe during the summer. One British soldier, Reginald Crimp, is 27 years old. Just like so many of his cohorts, this young father, who works in a bank in London, isn't keen to fight in the desert sands.
"Never has my home seemed so far away. Outside of its central and cosmopolitan district, Cairo is dirty and dilapidated. The front is still a long way off, and most of us are anxiously imagining the journey that will take us there." Two months after the Italian offensive, the British counterattack. To their great surprise, it's like a stroll in the park. The Italians in Libya are disorganized and on the retreat. The British even take Tobruk, a highly strategic prize in this desert region.
It's the only port on the coast between Egypt and Tripoli capable of harboring the large ships that can carry reinforcements and supplies to continue the war. In a matter of just a few weeks, Commonwealth troops have won an outright victory. They've taken Eastern Libya from Mussolini. Worse, the Libyans are turning their backs on him. Il Duce thought he'd be bringing civilization to these barbarians, but the Muslim population now welcomes its liberators. It hasn't forgotten the 100,000 deaths the Italian conquest was responsible for, nor the race laws inspired by apartheid that the fascist leader imposed on them a few years earlier.
Churchill skillfully offers the Arabs of Libya a deal. In exchange for their loyalty to the British forces, he promises them independence once victory is achieved. It's a good way to loosen the grip of Rome. 40,000 Libyans agree to fight for London. Il Duce was yearning for glory, but now reaps nothing but shameful defeat. He leaves 130,000 prisoners behind on the battlefield. Mussolini wanted to impose his rule in Africa. Now he's calling for help.
By the beginning of 1941, Hitler has turned his gaze to the east. Along with his generals, the master of all Europe is devoting himself to his great project, Operation Barbarossa, the conquest of the Soviet Union. In his eyes, his victory will be sealed out there on the Russian steppes. Mussolini, on the other hand, has no more cards to play. He has no choice but to rely on his ally if he wants to avoid losing Libya. For two long days, Il Duce listens mortified to lessons on strategy from Hitler and his generals. They're all pointing the finger at the Italian operations, saying they're unprepared. Hitler has lost interest in North Africa, but he decides to help his ally.
His motives for helping are purely political, says one general. He fears that Mussolini will change sides if he's not supported by Germany. But, any German intervention will be on the Führer's terms. It must not under any circumstances disrupt Barbarossa, which is expected to be launched in just a few months. The Führer sends only a small expeditionary force to Mussolini's rescue. The Africa Corps has only 45,000 men and 250 tanks. It lands in Tripoli, the capital of the Italian colony. Its mission is a limited one, to help the Italians recapture Eastern Libya and to protect it from a British onslaught.
The Führer gives command of the operation to his favorite general, Erwin Rommel. This young officer, 49 years old, has dazzled him with his spectacular victories during the French campaign. Officially Rommel is now under Italian command. But he's devoured by ambition and refuses to play second fiddle. Rommel's not one of the old school of German officers. He's a maverick and he has dreams of covering himself with glory in Africa. A few weeks after his arrival, without waiting for the Italians, he goes on the attack.
"My first objective," he says, "is to recapture eastern Libya. My second is Egypt and the Suez Canal." It's an extravagant plan. From the land of the pharaohs, he can head for Baku in the Caucasus and get his hands on the oil resources the Reich so sorely lacks. Then he can rendezvous with the Wehrmacht troops to strike at Russia. It's pure megalomania and far beyond anything his leaders are expecting of him. But his troops are all for it. For the Africa Corps is made up of elite soldiers, all volunteers and committed to the cause of the Reich. "For us, Africa's a great adventure. The oases, the camels, the veiled beauties, they're all a fascinating experience.
We're here to serve the fatherland under General Rommel." Rommel's sudden offensive comes as a shock to the British. The Germans aren't the same thing as the Italians at all. Faced with such a formidable adversary, the worrying weaknesses of the British Army start to emerge. A biologist in civilian life, 27-year-old James Graham is a doctor in the British Army. He's horrified to see the extent of the devastation suffered by his unit. It's a blitz. We've been devoured. The whole area is covered with the smoldering remains of burned vehicles and scattered bodies.
My job is to alleviate suffering and save lives. There's not much room for feelings. They're burying their brothers in arms right where they fell, if the enemy lets them. Seeing that the British are retreating, Rommel decides to advance towards Egypt, heading deeper into the desert. He's well aware that he's now disobeying orders. To his wife, Lucie, he confesses, "My darling Lucie, we're attacking with remarkable success. I've taken the risk of moving forward despite all previous orders and instructions in order to seize this great opportunity."
Rommel has only one thing on his mind, to seize Tobruk. That's the price of glory. The port is essential for him to transport his supplies and advance into Egypt. The British sense danger. They decide to be cautious and abandon all the territories they conquered in Libya, but they barricade themselves in Tobruk. Churchill orders his troops to hold on to the port by all means. That means supplies for 25,000 men by sea. On the front line, life's hard when you're under siege. The men shelter from the bombing in flea-infested holes.
Like rats, as the German radio propaganda is always saying. So, they start calling themselves the Tobruk rats. Harry Sutherland and his comrades in the Australian Brigade are subjected to daily raids. As soon as the planes arrive, we're warned by the sirens. We're next to the food depot, so we're particularly targeted. We talk to each other and help each other because the constant tension can really break your nerve. They usually climb very high above us, then swoop down very close to the ground. For the moment, Tobruk's still holding on.
He spends his days visiting his units scattered around Tobruk and on the Egyptian border. He wants to see the battles from the front lines and tirelessly keeps ordering his men to break through Lieutenant Robert Witzke is a professional soldier. He's 28 years old and fighting on the front line. He writes to his wife, "Dear Inga, every day there are attacks and it will go on until one day Tobruk is taken. The English are just shooting wildly. Every day we wonder which of our comrades are still alive. Many are dead, but many more are injured.
Inga, keep me in your thoughts." 150,000 Italian soldiers are fighting alongside the Africa Corps, an overwhelming number. Rommel doesn't think much of their military qualities and ignores the opinions of their officers, whom he openly despises. Their weapons, though, are worn out and not much use in battle. Their generals' futile and costly offensives are beginning to undermine the men's confidence.
"Rommel has far too many ideas, complains one brigade chief. He gives an order and a few minutes later he'll be thinking of something else. It's terrible fighting under Rommel, disastrous. After a 15-day siege, Rommel has consumed an astronomical amount of ammunition. And the fuel's running out. It doesn't matter. To a battalion of machine guns, he declares, "We'll be in Cairo in 8 days. Spread the word." Obsessed with the idea of becoming a legend, Rommel has neglected a crucial element of his war, fuel and supplies.
But delivering the 4,000 tons of daily supplies that his relentless attacks require is a daunting task. Because the Axis supply lines are long and dangerous. In the Mediterranean, the British are tracking down Italian cargo ships trying to reach Tripoli, the only port controlled by the Africa Corps. All the same, 80% of supplies are still getting through. Petrol, water, food, ammunition. Every day, once unloaded, the supplies have to reach the front. It's quite a challenge.
It takes 14 days to travel the 750 miles from Tripoli to the front. It's a real trial for the men. Ironically, the trucks consume half of the petrol they carry. Rommel's impatient with all this logistical stuff. He exhausts his troops and fails to take Tobruk. His blindness costs the lives of 53 officers and 1,200 men. The head of the Africa Corps is severely criticized in a report of the General Staff. The situation in North Africa is most unsatisfactory.
Rommel is not up to the task. Far from base and difficult to refuel, the Africa Corps is dangerously exposed. But Rommel's not willing to admit the least error. He blames his subordinates. Some get the sack. The message is clear. His men will have to hold out, no matter how hard it gets. The Khamsin, the burning wind that can blow for long days at a time, heralds the beginning of the hot season. And the men face a formidable new enemy, the desert, and its scorching sun. From May to October, it's impossible to
fight between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Lieutenant Witzig has survived the hell of Tobruk, and now he's knocked out by the sun. He confides to his wife, "Hot is not the word. For the past 10 days, it's been 130 140° in the sun. If they don't get us out of here, it'll drive us all mad." "Inga, have you been for a swim yet? I'd love to go swimming with you. "The biggest problem is water." another soldier laments.
"Drinking, always drinking. It's the purpose of life in the desert." "And water's difficult to transport, so it's rationed." "Inga, we're pigs. Can you imagine washing only twice in 6 weeks?" The soldiers are also confronted with the scourge of the desert, the flies. Shortly after sunrise, they arrive in their hordes. They'll cover your arms, your face. They'll get in your nose, your eyes.
They'll suck up your sweat, the only moisture available in these arid lands. You can't get away from them. It's not good enough in both quality and quantity. They all try to survive by buying from the Bedouins. And that may improve Robert Witzke's daily life, but mainly it confirms his racist stereotypes. "We get eggs from the Arabs. Those dogs, they're so wily they ask a fortune for an egg. We all reckon they're spies. One look at these filthy animals and all you can say is we have to get rid of this scum."
Opposite in the British units camped on the Egyptian border, the pangs of hunger may not be so keen. It's the depression that's torturing them. Private Reginald Crimp has been trapped in the desert for 8 months now. Overwhelmed with boredom, he writes in his diary, "The desert's everywhere. It drains your spirit. There's nothing here to look at, nothing to listen to. Every day it's the same old thing. The only thing that keeps us holding on is thoughts of home."
The British capital still bears the scars of Hitler's bombings of the previous year. But thanks to the stubborn resistance of an entire people, the Führer has failed to break England. But today, Churchill is exasperated because in Africa everything suggests that his worn-out troops are incapable of beating Rommel. Criticized for his conduct of the war, the Prime Minister tries to justify himself before the British Parliament. "We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us and may I say, a great general." But praising Rommel doesn't go far towards explaining the serious setbacks of the British Army.
What Churchill really needs is some victories. During the autumn of 1941, he sends major reinforcements called up once again from the Empire as well as Allied forces. From now on, North Africa has become a major theater of war. Indians, Africans, Poles, Greeks, Czechs, over 150,000 men come to swell the British ranks. On this tower of Babel are also the free French. Responding to the call of General de Gaulle, they will carry on the fight to restore France's honor. Churchill is taking a gamble that in the sands of Africa he can make Hitler commit his first misstep. And maybe change the course of the war.
The Führer is worried. At the end of 1941, the news from Africa is not good. Rommel is outnumbered and in retreat. Hitler's feeling trapped by the British bulldog at the very moment he should have a free hand. Nearly 2,000 mi from the burning sands of Africa, Operation Barbarossa is entering a decisive phase. At temperatures of minus 30° C, the Wehrmacht are trying to take Moscow. While the Eastern Front is keeping all his forces busy, Hitler nevertheless decides to send reinforcements to his protégé. He can't afford to lose North Africa. Rommel hasn't given up on his fantasies. On the contrary.
The reinforcements Hitler sends him at the beginning of 1942 are meager. Barely enough to solve his logistical problems. But still just enough to let him dream of a new raid on Cairo. Once again, without even warning Rome or Berlin, Rommel resumes his mad dash. Energized now, he writes to his wife, "My dear Lucie, I have several plans in mind that I would never dare to talk to my officers about at the moment, or they might think I was going crazy. You know me. It's in the wee small hours that my best plans come to me." For 6 months, Rommel fights a fierce battle with British forces that are clearly superior in number.
He must win, and fast, if he's not to be beaten. So, he comes up with a risky maneuver to at the same time seize Tobruk and wipe out his enemy. "If he fails, he risks losing all of Africa," writes one of his lieutenants. In May 1942, he gives the order to his crack units to bypass the British line of defense. His objective is to surround them, destroy them, and swoop onto Tobruk. But, in a remote spot, he comes across an unexpected obstacle, Bir Hakeim.
It's a position held by the Free French under General Koenig. Just a handful of 3,600 men, 1,000 legionnaires, and a majority of soldiers from the French Empire. African, Moroccan, and Tahitian gunners. Faced with Rommel, they all know it's a lost cause. But Koenig asks them to hold steady. "I've spoken with Rommel," he tells them. "He says if we don't turn ourselves in, he'll make mincemeat of us. I told him to go to hell.
Good luck to you all." Panzers and Stukas unleash a deluge of fire on the French positions. Susan Travers is the only woman present at Bir Hakeim. She's General Koenig's driver, and she insists on staying with her British comrades until the end. "In this place that God has forgotten, it is the howl of sirens that terrifies me the most. The exploding bombs burn and disfigure everyone around me. The dead are no longer picked up, and the wounded remain unattended.
Rommel predicted he would crush us in a quarter of an hour. We've been resisting him for 2 weeks." 2,600 survivors, running out of ammunition, managed to leave their position after a heroic resistance that has blocked Rommel for 14 days. "This is a moment of great glory for the Free French," she declares. "We have restored the honor of the nation." This is the feat of arms that de Gaulle has been waiting for to finally obtain the recognition of the allies. The British hail the achievement. Thanks to the precious hours gained by the Free French, their forces in the midst of disaster have avoided being surrounded.
They withdraw behind the Egyptian border, but for the second time abandon the east of Libya to the enemy. At great risk, Rommel has triumphed. He's taken the port of Tobruk. Robert Witzke plays a leading role in this victory. "Our battalion," he proclaims, "once again has the honor of leading the way. Jesus Christ, Tobruk is ours. It's still hard to believe." Two days after his triumph, Robert Witzke is severely injured.
He is evacuated to Germany. German war reporters have followed Rommel's every step during the last phase of the battle. Images like these trumpet his achievement all over the world. But while the cameras are all focused on Rommel, they're careful not to film the vendetta of the Italian settlers. The Arab people chose the British camp. They pay the price. The looting and murders are multiplying. One Italian settler rejoices. No sooner had the English fled than any Arab we found got a bullet in the head or a grenade in the guts.
Our soldiers are here now finishing the job. There's violence too against Libya's 30,000 Jews, whether they supported the British or not. Fascist race laws have previously been applied only mildly to these Italian citizens. But with the military setbacks, there's been a radicalization of the fascist regime. Il Duce decides to intern all the Jews in the region. Entire families are being arrested, loaded into trucks, and dumped in concentration camps set up on the edge of the desert.
The worst of these death camps is in Giado, 150 mi south of Tripoli. About 3,000 people will be held there. A quarter of them will die of undernourishment and ill treatment. Churchill hears of the disaster of Tobruk while meeting with Franklin Roosevelt at the White House. It's one of the most violent blows I remember receiving. Learning the news in the presence of one's great ally adds insult to injury. Defeat is one thing. Dishonor is quite another.
The latest polls are damning. Half the British don't trust him anymore. Just like Mussolini with Hitler, Churchill must gain the support of his ally. His political survival depends on it. Six months earlier, the US president plunged America into the World War. All his attention now directed to the Pacific area where his troops are fighting Japan. Whenever they meet, Churchill harasses him to land on the African coast and help to crush Rommel. He argues that North Africa would offer a terrific springboard to then attack Hitler in Europe.
The whole plan appalls the American generals. They believe that to defeat Germany, you have to strike at its heart in Europe. So they're planning a landing on the French coast that could be ready in barely a year's time. But the bulldog is a good politician. To convince his host, he insists that it would be harmful to remain inactive for a year with public opinion in the US impatient and hungry for victories. It's an attractive argument to the American president. After all, it's true. He has elections coming up soon. The Desert Fox ignores all this scheming. At the end of June 1942, he decides to advance into Egypt with Hitler's blessing this time.
The Führer now believes the conquest of Egypt will be an historic turning point and a means of bringing about the fall of the British Empire. Rommel is confident of victory in less than 2 weeks. So, he's planning his holidays. He writes to his wife, "My very dear Lucie, we're on the march to our final objective. We'll be able to go to Italy in July. Get the passports ready." El Alamein is a small railway station on the Egyptian coast.
It's here that the British generals decide to fight the last battle. They've chosen this position so as not to be surrounded again by the Desert Fox. It has impossible obstacles on every side. The sea to the north, a vast area of soft sand to the south. However, from the very first shots, things go very wrong for His Majesty's troops. Over the past year, they've suffered defeat after defeat despite their superior numbers. The inept strategies of their leaders and their fear of Rommel have undermined their resolve.
A lot of them are wondering what the point is of fighting an invincible enemy. In his field hospital, Dr. James Graham is seeing a flood of soldiers, all broken men unable to continue the fight. He knows that some would rather mutilate themselves than go back to the front. One of the most radical methods used by the men of my regiment is to break a rifle cartridge and swallow the explosive, a poison for the liver. After a few weeks in the hospital, there's a chance you might get a non-combatant job. By the summer of 1942, the collapse of morale has reached alarming proportions.
The head of the British forces sees his men surrendering in droves to the enemy. Such defeatism is unacceptable. He calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty for deserters. For a month now, Winston Churchill has watched the agonies of his troops in El Alamein. Devoured by anxiety, he rushes to Cairo. The German offensive is for the moment contained, but he ruthlessly dismisses his general, whom he considers responsible for the route. Churchill admires Rommel's tactical acumen. He's come to the conclusion that the key to success is to find the right leader. After much hesitation, he opts for General Bernard Montgomery.
He's the son of a pastor who didn't spare the rod and is as dry in appearance as he is of heart. Churchill finds him proud, but he chooses Montgomery because to his eyes, he has a precious quality, an immense self-confidence that he is able to communicate to those around him. The doctor, James Graham, is attached to Montgomery's headquarters. He sees him struggling to cure the ailments that plague his men. Montgomery is out there every day. He makes a point of going around all the units to introduce himself to the soldiers. No commander has ever done that before.
The new chief's message to his men is simple but firm. The defense of Egypt is based here at El Alamein. We shall hold on and fight here. There will be no further retreat. Clearly under him, they'll not give an inch of ground to Rommel. As James Graham says, the men immediately understood that this was a man determined to succeed, so we had a better chance of ending this war. That was enough to earn our loyalty. To constantly remind himself of the challenge he faces, Montgomery has pinned up a photo of Rommel in his command car.
Strategically, he's the complete opposite of the Desert Fox. He prefers to meticulously prepare his plans. I spend the day inspecting the terrain. All the intelligence leads me to believe that Rommel will attack towards the end of the month. I have to correctly plan how to beat him. Montgomery has got it right. A month after he takes command, his opponent goes back on the offensive. The new British strategist feels ready.
Rather than gamble on an unlikely decisive battle, Montgomery decides to wear his opponent out. He is after all very much better equipped. My plan is to contain the enemy's tanks while we proceed to methodically destroy his forces at the rear to cut him off from his supplies. Montgomery targets Rommel's weak point, his petrol supply convoys. Theo Elmauck drives a supply truck for the Africa Corps.
He suffers another air attack that will mark him for the rest of his life. I was pretty knocked about. Then I was overwhelmed by this incredible panic. Now it really is war in all its cruelty, in all its horror. At El Alamein, fear changes sides. Montgomery writes to a friend. My first confrontation with Rommel was really very interesting. I feel like I won the first set, although it was his service.
Next time, it'll be me to serve. Rommel remains confident. Even flies to Europe to treat a bad case of flu. In front of the cameras, Hitler promotes him. Tobruk is well worth a marshal's staff. Bathing in glory, the desert fox is cheered at a rally in his honor at the Berlin Sports Palace. He tells the adoring crowd, We have the gates of Egypt within reach. But he speaks too soon. At El Alamein, his triumph will turn into a disaster.
Rommel returns in panic to take back command at the end of October. Montgomery's wear and tear strategy has paid off. He's only got a few days fuel left. Two days after his return, the Desert Fox is finally done for. British intelligence intercepts a German message indicating the imminent arrival of two Italian tankers in the port of Tobruk. But as they prepare to drop anchor, Royal Air Force bombers sink them both. So with no fuel left, there's nothing more Rommel can do. At El Alamein, the Desert Fox has suffered a terrible defeat.
He knows that it will ruin his Führer's ambitions in Africa. It's a broken man who writes to his wife. God only knows if I will survive this defeat. If I never return, I want from the bottom of my heart to thank you and our son for all the love and happiness you have brought me. The victory at El Alamein marks a turning point in the Second World War. Rommel's army has been defeated. The British Prime Minister doesn't hide his pleasure. Ah, this is not the end. Uh it is not even the beginning of the end.
Uh but it is perhaps the end of the beginning. Churchill's gloating. He knows that now the Reich's days in Africa are numbered. The bulldog's stubbornness has paid off. Despite opposition from his generals, Roosevelt has given in to him. Five days after the triumph of El Alamein, American troops land in North Africa. On the beaches of Morocco and Algeria, there are two French colonies. The US president wants to win the midterm elections. He has promised his public an easy victory over on the African continent.
Initially scheduled to last 4 weeks, Operation Torch, the epilogue to the desert war, will in fact last for 7 long months. The English and American forces and Montgomery's army have planned to meet up in Tunisia. It's their chosen springboard to strike at Europe. Hitler understands Churchill's visionary strategy. It's about time. Now he wants to block the way to the Allies, whatever the price.
He sends more and more reinforcements due and even transfers some Luftwaffe bombers from the Russian front. The ferocity of the fighting dulls the enthusiasm of the Americans, most of them novices. Paul Robinett commands an armored regiment of the US Army. His men engage in the first major confrontation against the Wehrmacht in February 1943 in Kasserine. The commander looks on helplessly as his troops are routed. There's indescribable confusion and signs of panic. Our army is no more than a battered force that's retreating in haste. Some at the rear are saying we're not worthy to fight.
But, this terrible baptism of fire has hardened the GIs. On the 28th of March 1943, they can at last join up with Montgomery's troops. The British and Americans now have overwhelming superiority. They launch their final offensive in the center of Tunisia. Three weeks later, the British enter Tunis and the Americans enter Bizerte. The Axis troops, crammed into their final refuge, surrender unconditionally.
The Allies take 275,000 prisoners, far more than the 90,000 men taken at the fall of Stalingrad, earning the battle the flattering nickname of Tunisgrad. These thousands of soldiers won't be there to repel the allies at the Normandy landings. And so ends the desert war. The people celebrate their liberators. The Allied victory may have rid Africa of the brown plague of Nazism, but it hasn't broken the chains of colonialism. The road to independence will still be a long one.
The allies are now ready to engage in the great confrontation in Western Europe. They have, like Montgomery, tamed modern warfare. A lesson hard learned by leaders and men alike at the cost of terrible suffering. Victory may have changed sides in the sands of Africa, but it will take another two long years for the Allied flags to finally fly over Berlin.
