Strategic Purpose
Libya was also of significant strategic importance to both the Allies and the Axis powers. Libya was strategically important as Axis powers aimed to deny the Allies access to the Allies oil supplies in the Middle East. The British also had other materials and human resources across North Africa and controlling Libya would also aid in preventing use of these resources. Libya however contains significant oil supplies which is the biggest aspect of its importance. Libya contains the largest oil reserves in Africa. Libya currently ranks number nine globally in terms of oil reserves holding 46.4 billion barrels of oil as of 2010. Oil is an integral part of any campaign and was vital to World War Two. French diplomat Henri Berenger explained in 1921 that the during the next oil would be of great importance. “He who owns the oil will own the world, for he will rule the sea by means of the heavy oils, the air by means of the ultra-refined fuels, and the land means of gasoline and the illuminating oils.” Both Axis and Allies recognised how essential oil was to a winning campaign due to the more mechanised nature of armies. The Allies consumed a total of 7 billion barrels of oil over the course of World War Two. This outlines the importance oil to the War and thus the strategic importance of the Libyan Campaign.
The Libyan campaign also served to ease pressure in Europe. Western Europe had been ravaged by the Axis in the Spring of 1940. Thus the Libyan Campaign in particular was able to draw Axis forces as the Italians and Libyan fighters were unable to compete with the Allies without other support such as: the Afrika Korps. Thus drawing more Axis forces away from Europe and easing pressure. This meant that the Libyan Campaign was of strategic importance as it relieved pressure in Europe.
The Cyrenaica region of Libya was of particular strategic importance. The control of Cyrenaica was essential to controlling Egypt. Cyrenaica is the desert region in northeastern Libya and west of Egypt. Controlling Cyrenaica would provide the Axis forces with a secure line of communications for resupplying its forces. This idea was illustrated by Chester Wilmot in 1941 when he stated “The battle for the Suez Canal was fought here (Cyrenaica) in 1941″. Egypt was of supreme strategic importance as Suez Canal provided a significant shipping route. The loss of Suez Canal would mean that shipping had to travel far south around the tip of Africa, thus lengthening the time required to supply Allied forces around the world. This shows the strategic importance of the Libyan Campaign in relation to Egypt and supplying the War effort.
The port of Tobruk in particular was a great asset for the supplying troops in North Africa. Rommel saw the importance of Libyan ports as they provided a route of supply and were necessary in order to continue into Egypt. The port of Tobruk was of great importance to not only North Africa but the entire war. Tobruk is located in the Cyrenaica region and was an important feature. If the Allies were able to hold the port Rommel would be forced to move supplies 1500 kilometres over land in order to have any chance of success in Egypt. Winston Churchill also saw the importance that Tobruk had to the morale of the Allied forces in North Africa. He believed that Tobruk “had a symbolic importance that far exceeded its military significance”. Winston Churchill also saw the strategic importance stating that “Tobruk was crucial to the protection of Egypt and the Suez Canal - and therefore to the entire Middle East. Were the Middle East to be lost; Spain, Vichy France and Turkey would embrace the Axis powers and a ‘robot new order’ would be created in a world in which Hitler dominated all Europe, Asia, and Africa.” This quote shows the supreme importance of Tobruk with this area impacting the outcome of the War. However General Wavell had a different opinion he did not see the importance of Tobruk as it was not essential to his campaign. The conflicting opinions were revealed when Wavell mistakenly referred to Tobruk as a “salient” and was promptly corrected by Churchill who stated “We feel it vital that Tobruk should be regarded as a sally port and not, please, as an ‘excrescence’.” Historians agree with Churchill that Tobruk was vital to the War and of symbolic purpose. Jonathan Dimbleby states that “To invest Tobruk with such pivotal significance was to transform a modest port of limited utility into a political symbol of global moment - an emblematic albatross which would weigh heavily indeed in the months ahead.” A participant of the war General George C. Marshall also recognised the importance of Tobruk with regard to a greater campaign. He stated that the loss of Tobruk “threatened a complete collapse in the Middle East, the loss of the Suez Canal and the vital oil supply in the vicinity of Abadan.” Tobruks importance was even seen well before World War Two “A nation that possesses Tobruk will dominate the eastern Mediterranean Sea.” (Schweinfurth, Georg, 1883). It is clear that Wavell was wrong and Tobruk was of great significance not only to North Africa but the entire war. The port had great symbolic importance and was vital to controlling important areas such as: Suez Canal. The importance of Tobruk clearly shows the great importance of Libya in relation to World War Two.
The aftermath of the Libyan campaign reveals even more about the strategic purpose of the campaign. The victory of Allies in Libya allowed the Allies to control North Africa thus setting the stage for the Italian Campaign. This is shown as only two months after the success in North Africa Sicily was invaded. It was clear that Libya had strategic importance as its ports allowed for greater supply when attacking Tunisia. The control of the Cyrenaica region in Libya was also of great importance to the control of the Suez Canal. It is clear that Libya was of great strategic importance in North Africa and to the outcome of World War Two.