Analyze why North Africa was a key location for the British to defend.(1 point)
Responses
The Allies wanted to protect the cotton production in North Africa.
The Allies needed to protect the Cape of Good Hope from invasion.
The Axis powers wanted to gain control of oil fields in Iraq.
The Allies needed to maintain shipping lanes through Egypt.
The correct answer is: The Allies needed to maintain shipping lanes through Egypt.
North Africa, specifically Egypt, was a key location for the British to defend because it provided the Allies with control over the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal was a vital shipping route connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and ultimately to the Indian Ocean. It served as a shortcut for ships traveling between Europe and Asia, avoiding the longer and more dangerous route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Maintaining control over the Suez Canal was essential for the Allies to ensure the continuous flow of supplies, troops, and equipment between Britain and its colonies in Asia and the Middle East. Losing control of the canal would have disrupted the Allied war effort, as it would have forced ships to take the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, slowing down their movements and leaving them vulnerable to attacks from U-boats or other Axis forces.
In addition to the Suez Canal, North Africa also offered a strategic location for the Allies to prevent Axis powers, primarily Germany and Italy, from advancing towards the Middle East and its valuable oil fields, such as those in Iraq. By defending North Africa, the Allies could halt Axis ambitions to gain control of these oil fields and potentially disrupt Allied oil supplies.
While protecting cotton production and the Cape of Good Hope were also important, they were not the primary reasons why North Africa was a key location for the British to defend during World War II.